(ENSPIRE Features) Tava Cares Raises Funds, Resources, and Awareness for Breast Cancer Warriors Through Virtual Event
ENSPIRE Contributor: Elizabeth Duchan
Ongoing COVID-19 limitations are not stopping Tava Cares from sparking change. The breast cancer awareness organization recently hosted its first-ever virtual 5k walk on Saturday, October 24th. The unique experience, called “Tit-U-Ation,” was part of a nationwide push towards raising support and funds for cancer patients and their caretakers. With safety at the forefront of the initiative, the walkathon was greatly successful in fundraising and celebrating cancer warriors.
Tava Cares is based in Houston, Texas, and is committed to providing resources, education, and events to communities on local and global scales. Kenny and Chante Lloyd, the founders of the company, became well acquainted with the struggles of cancer after Kenny’s mother lost her own battle. This played a pivotal role in spurring the Lloyds’ initiative of combating feelings of helplessness and stress with assistance and resources.
The “Tit-U-Ation” event was created as a way to merge fundraising with safe gatherings and a sense of hope during already difficult times. On Saturday, the Houston location hosted its group, brightly clad in pink, at the scenic Hermann Park, where they were met with many cheers and beautiful weather. Although COVID-19 precautions are limiting the number of physical gatherings, Tava Cares has turned to social media as an invaluable source in fostering awareness and spreading the word about different meetups happening across the country.
In addition to the tumultuous times, Tava Cares avidly works to encourage women to reach out for help and destigmatize the notion that the organization is a “handout.” Jalene Mack, the executive director, explains that it is, in fact, quite the contrary: “Our programs are meant for a hand up. Tava Cares seeks to be conscientious advocates in supporting women, caregivers, and family members fighting breast cancer. We are in this together.”
With breast cancer being the number one most lethal cancer to women, Tava Cares urges everyone to be proactive in staying ahead of the lurking disease and reaching out for support. In fighting to provide resources and money to those in need, the organization extracts the greatest sense of reward from seeing the impact of the initiative on cancer fighters. “We love to see the smiles and joy,” says Mack. “It lets us know we are making a difference.”
For more information about Tava Cares and ways to support breast cancer awareness, please visit https://tavacares.org/.
