Last month, board members of Kenmure Fights Cancer met with representatives of Pardee Hospital and AdventHealth Hendersonville to present them with checks totaling over $150,000. The presentations were the culmination of months of fundraising efforts by the residents of Kenmure in Flat Rock. It was also the perfect time to celebrate all the reasons for the impressive 15-year philanthropic history of KFC.

On October 8th, KFC presented the cancer centers of both Pardee and AdventHealth with checks for $77,100 each. Those two checks were the proceeds of KFC’s 2023 “March to a Million” campaign and pushed KFC’s total donations since 2008 to the two local hospitals to $1,000,298. That total is impressive both in amount and in terms of the dedication through the years of over 120 Kenmure residents who have served on the Board and/or volunteered with Kenmure Fights Cancer.

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KFC’s Origin Story

The origin of Kenmure Fights Cancer can be traced back to the efforts of the late Joanne Jones. Joanne had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and she contacted the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation about organizing a fundraiser with her fellow Kenmurians. The result of that idea was a 2005 Kenmure golf tournament involving both men and women which was followed by an awards dinner. That first foray into fundraising for breast cancer research netted $40,000. More importantly, it launched an entire community on a mission to find a way to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

The golf tournament became an annual event but Joanne’s cancer progressed and she turned over the organization of the annual fundraiser to others in Kenmure. As the event grew, discussions ensued about the disposition of the money raised each year. A decision was made to find a way to donate the money locally as opposed to sending it to a national organization.

In 2008, the group officially became Kenmure Fights Cancer and it was decided that all funds would go directly to support the cancer centers at Pardee and Park Ridge Health (now Advent Health Hendersonville).  The group also explored other fundraising activities beyond the initial golf tournament. During the intervening years, KFC has organized silent auctions, galas, tennis and pickleball tournaments. They have also hosted the Kenmure Krush Walk/Run, sold raffle tickets, sold car wash gift cards, sold promotional signage at their events, and even collected loose change from Kenmure residents. 

Joanne’s husband, Ken Jones, also wrote a book about his wife’s battle with cancer - The Black Pearl Necklace - and donates proceeds from book sales to KFC in honor of the woman whose vision set in motion all the events that led to this year’s celebration of $1,000,000 raised.

As KFC grew, there was a greater and greater need for formal organization. In 2014, Susan Bush took the helm as Board President and she and fellow board members put in motion the development of a mission statement, formal bylaws, a KFC logo, a website, and brokered an alliance with The Community Foundation of Henderson County to establish the group's nonprofit tax status for larger donations.

In 2015, the Honor Board was established as a way to remember cancer victims, honor cancer survivors, and show support for friends and family struggling with cancer.  Direct donations to the Honor Board quickly became the backbone of KFC’s fundraising activities. During that first year, the Honor Board netted a little less than $14,000. In 2023, that same program raised just under $100,000 and has accounted for a total of $544,000 in KFC’s contributions in just nine years.

Distribution of Funds

In recent years, funds raised by KFC have been targeted for very specific purposes. For Pardee, KFC has donated $148,000 to support “Mammo on the Go”, Pardee’s mobile mammography service which offers state-of-the-art breast health services to women throughout western North Carolina. Since early detection depends on education, availability and the funds to make it happen, certain populations have historically not received diagnosis and treatment early enough. Mammo on the Go addresses that issue by providing access to life-saving mammograms to parts of our region that have had limited access in the past.

At Advent Health, 2023 KFC funds have been earmarked for a highly specialized CT scanner for precisely locating tumors. This precision allows for treatment that targets the cancer while avoiding surrounding areas of the body.  Part of the donation will also be used to fund a quality assurance platform that ensures the proper operation of highly technical and sensitive equipment used in cancer treatment. 

Since its inception, KFC has donated more than $500,000 each to both Pardee and AdventHealth.

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Ken Jones looks back on the years since Joanne organized that first golf tournament with justifiable pride. “I know she would be amazed by what has happened since that first rally.  She would never have dreamed that a million dollars for cancer patients in our local hospitals would be possible.”  He is also quick to give credit to Susan Bush, Jackie Murrill, and the dozens of Kenmurians who’ve worked so hard through the years to make KFC such a success. “I know that Joanne is smiling down from Heaven.”

For current board member, Mark Goldstein, the fight against cancer is very personal. He lost both parents to cancer as well as grandparents on both sides of his family. He is grateful for the generosity of his Kenmure neighbors. “The people here are really a very generous and giving group. It’s one of the things we love about this community.”

KFC Board Vice President, Jackie Murrill, echoes Mark’s sentiments. “Over the years the generous community of Kenmure, their families and friends have not only given their time but money to get us where we are today.  We cannot thank our community and dedicated volunteers enough!

Board President, Susan Bush, is most pleased by the part KFC has played in expanding the options for high-quality cancer treatment here in Henderson County. “No longer does one have to travel and spend some of the hardest days of their lives in a hotel room. We at Kenmure are proud to be even a small part of that.”  

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Kenmure Fights Cancer is a remarkable example of neighbors banding together through a common cause to make a difference in their community. For that, all residents of Henderson County and beyond have many reasons to be thankful for their unwavering dedication and commitment to such an important cause. One one million reasons to be exact.

Read more about Kenmure Fights Cancer at https://kenmurefightscancer.org/