Keaton Franklin Coker Foundation Inc

OUR MISSION IS TO COME ALONGSIDE FAMILIES IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE MEMORIES THAT TRANSCEND TIME. WE SEEK TO ENCOURAGE AND STRENGTHEN FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WHERE A PARENT OR CHILD HAS CANCER. OUR FOCUS IS TO BATTLE FEAR BY INFUSING HOPE, INSPIRING LAUGHTER, AND INSTILLING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE IN EACH FAMILY WE SERVE.

IN 2022, THUMBS UP MISSION MADE GREAT STRIDES IN RECLAIMING THE MOMENTUM STOLEN BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. TWO PRIMARY FACTS SUPPORT THAT ASSERTION: (1) WE SERVED 32% MORE GUEST FAMILIES IN 2022 THAN WE DID IN 2021 AND (2) WE SET A RECORD FOR DONATIONS AT OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, DRESSED TO KILL CANCER. THE PARAGRAPHS BELOW EXPOUND ON THOSE MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE HOSTED TWO SUCCESSFUL RETREATS IN 2022. OUR FIRST WAS IN FEBRUARY AT GREAT WOLF LODGE IN LAGRANGE, GA. WE HAD 75 GUEST FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE. AT EACH RETREAT, WE STRIVE TO STRIKE AN EQUAL BALANCE BETWEEN KIDS WITH CANCER AND ADULTS WITH CANCER. ONE OF THE KIDS WE SERVED WAS NAMED TJ. HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. BEING AROUND A LARGE GROUP OF OTHERS BATTLING CANCER HELPED SHIFT TJ'S FOCUS AWAY FROM HIMSELF AND ONTO A BIGGER WORLD. HIS FAMILY RETURNED AS VOLUNTEERS IN NOVEMBER AND TJ MATURED EVEN MORE AS HE TRANSITIONED FROM BEING A "CANCER KID" TO "A KID WHO HELPS OTHERS WITH CANCER." HE BECAME SO MISSION-MINDED, HE GAVE AWAY PART OF HIS OWN CHRISTMAS HAUL TO ONE OF THE GUEST FAMILIES HE SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER AT THUMBS UP MISSION. TJ IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE TRY TO INSTILL IN OUR GUESTS. IN NOVEMBER WE HOSTED OUR SECOND RETREAT, ALSO AT GREAT WOLF LODGE. WE ALSO HAD 75 FAMILIES AT THIS RETREAT. ONE NOTABLE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF DADS WITH CANCER ATTEND THIS RETREAT. WORTH NOTING IS THE FACT THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE PLENTY OF KIDS WITH CANCER AND PLENTY OF WOMEN BATTLING BREAST CANCER AT EACH RETREAT. THE PRESENCE OF MORE DADS THAN EVER IN NOVEMBER IS AN INDICATION THAT OUR PRODUCT APPEALS TO A WIDE ARRAY OF GUESTS. ONE OF THE SICK DADS PRESENT AT THIS RETREAT WAS BRIAN, A YOUNG FATHER OF TWO KIDS. BRIAN WROTE ON HIS EVALUATION, "I HAVE STRUGGLED SO MUCH TO KEEP MY FAITH AND TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. THERE WERE TIMES I WANTED TO THROW IN THE TOWEL. THUMBS UP MISSION GAVE US SUCH HOPE, WE FELT SO LOVED AND APPRECIATED, AND WE WERE REMINDED THAT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WILL LEND US PRAYERS AND STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH IT ALL. I HAVE NOT FELT THIS CLOSE TO GOD IN A LONG TIME." ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2022 WAS A SUCCESSFUL ONE-DAY EVENT CALLED "FALL FAMILY FUN DAY," HOSTED BY THUMBS UP MISSION AT SKITTS MOUNTAIN FARMS IN CLEVELAND, GEORGIA. WE REGISTERED 319 GUESTS FOR THIS "ALUMNI DAY." THE EVENT IS OPEN TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER ATTENDED A RETREAT AS OUR GUEST, AND ANYONE WHO HAS EVER VOLUNTEERED AT A RETREAT OR DONATED TO HELP FUND A RETREAT. A TREMENDOUS BLESSING TO OUR ORGANIZATION WAS THE ADDITION OF A CORPORATE SPONSOR, SYFAN LOGISTICS, WHO FUNDED THE EVENT FOR OUR GUESTS ONE FINAL HIGHLIGHT OF 2022 IS THAT OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, A FASHION SHOW TITLED "DRESSED TO KILL CANCER" WAS RELOCATED TO A BIGGER VENUE AT LANIER TECH. AS A RESULT OF THE BIGGER EVENT SPACE, WE WERE ABLE TO SELL ADDITIONAL TABLE SPONSORSHIPS. THE 2022 EVENT RAISED A RECORD-SETTING AMOUNT OF 148,542 THAT AMOUNT WILL SPONSOR OVER 74 FAMILIES AT A FUTURE RETREAT. GOD STILL HAS HIS HAND ON THUMBS UP MISSION AS EVIDENCED BY THESE MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS.