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 2021 THE WORLD BEGAN TO CAUTIOUSLY EMERGE FROM THE SHUTDOWNS AND QUARANTINES NECESSITATED BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. BECAUSE THUMBS UP MISSION SERVES THE CANCER COMMUNITY, OUR TARGET MARKET IN 2021 WAS STILL IN A MUCH HIGHER RISK BRACKET THAN THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CITIZEN. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH OF "CORONAVIRUS AND COMORBIDITIES" PAINTED A VERY BLEAK PICTURE OF CANCER + COVID. SO, ONE OPTION FOR OUR ORGANIZATION WAS TO PLAY IT SAFE AND HOST ZERO EVENTS IN 2021. BUT THUMBS UP MISSION IS MORE THAN AN ORGANIZATION; IT IS A MINISTRY. OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE BUSINESSMEN AND WOMEN WHO WANT THUMBS UP TO FULFILL ITS PURPOSE IN THE WORLD. WITH THEIR GUIDANCE, WE CHARTED A WAY FORWARD IN 2021 AND HAD AN INCREDIBLE YEAR. WE HOSTED TWO SUCCESSFUL RETREATS IN 2021. OUR FIRST WAS A SOFT LAUNCH IN MAY AS WE INTENTIONALLY CUT OUR NUMBERS IN HALF TO REDUCE THE CROWDS AND ENABLE MORE SPACING IN THE COMMON AREAS. WE CAREFULLY SCREENED OUR GUESTS AND WERE ABLE TO SERVE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF STAGE 4 CANCER FAMILIES. THOSE FAMILIES WERE LESS CONCERNED ABOUT COVID AND MORE CONCERNED WITH MAKING LASTING MEMORIES WITH THEIR FAMILIES. WE HAD THE HIGHEST PARTICIPATION RATE DURING THE RETREAT, AND THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF COMPLETED EVALUATIONS THAN WE'VE EVER HAD. IN MANY WAYS, IT WAS OUR BEST RETREAT IN YEARS WE HOSTED A LARGER RETREAT IN NOVEMBER OF 2021 WHICH WAS ABOUT 70% OF OUR TYPICAL SIZE. IT, TOO, WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND HAS GIVEN US A SPRINGBOARD TO CONTINUE INCREASING OUR RETREAT SIZES IN 2022, UNTIL WE ARE BACK TO FULL CAPACITY. ACROSS THE TWO RETREATS IN 2021, 114 CANCER FAMILIES EXPERIENCED A WEEKEND THEY WILL NEVER FORGET. THEY WERE ABLE TO LAY THEIR BURDENS DOWN, TAKE A BREAK FROM THE RIGORS OF CANCER TREATMENT, LAUGH TOGETHER, AND LEAVE WITH FRESH HOPE. ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2021 WAS THE INAUGURAL EVENT CALLED "FALL FAMILY FUN DAY," HOSTED BY THUMBS UP MISSION AT SKITTS MOUNTAIN FARMS IN CLEVELAND, GEORGIA. WE REGISTERED 277 GUESTS FOR THIS ONE-DAY EVENT. IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR CANCER FAMILIES TO PLAY OUTSIDE AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS. ONE FINAL HIGHLIGHT OF 2021 IS THE FACT THAT OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS FOUND A WAY TO HOST OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISER IN FEBRUARY, (A FASHION SHOW USING CANCER PATIENTS AS MODELS), DESPITE THE MANDATED QUARANTINE ON LARGE GROUP GATHERINGS. WE FILMED A VIRTUAL EDITION OF DRESSED TO KILL CANCER AND HOSTED SMALL WATCH PARTIES ALL OVER THE PLACE THE PROFIT FROM THE FUNDRAISER COVERED THE COST OF THE MAY RETREAT AT GREAT WOLF LODGE, AS WE NETTED OVER 98,000. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE WIN FOR THUMBS UP MISSION AND AN ENCOURAGEMENT THAT OUR LOYAL SUPPORTERS BELIEVE IN THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN THE CANCER COMMUNITY. WE ARE POISED FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2022 AND BEYOND.