The Reflector

Senior art major Sean Galey designed the Memories and a Cure poster above as a friendly favor to Garan Manufacturing.

Often it is better to knock out two birds with one stone, and Memories and a Cure at Remington's Hunt Club invites people to do just that by enjoying themselves and simultaneously helping to cure cancer tonight.

The charity event is the brainchild of Garan Manufacturing regional personnel manager Patty Stuckey, whose husband Rob passed away in June after a two year battle with renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer.

Every year, Garan holds various fundraisers benefiting the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life, an annual event celebrating cancer survivors and raising funds for cancer research. Various Garan Manufacturing employees choose to meet and discuss ideas about possible fundraisers for upcoming Relay for Life charity.

In the past, the Garan team decided on raffles for items such as iPods, TVs and outdoor cooking equipment and has also held cookouts to raise money for the ACS. Patty Stuckey added to the plethora of creative fundraisers the Garan team has held over the years by suggesting a benefit concert, this year's chosen fundraiser.

"I almost didn't say anything," Stuckey said. "It was one idea of many that we had. My husband loved music, and I thought to myself, 'Well, involving music could be a good way for us to raise money for [ACS].'"

She said she soon realized a benefit concert could be an achievable fundraiser.

"My brother-in-law is in a band, and when I called him, I asked if he would be interested in volunteering his band for the event," she said. "He was all for it. Of course he had to ask the other band members, but he was sure they would agree."

But even then Stuckey said the whole thing was still just a thought until she got in touch with representatives from Hunt Club, who said they were interested in holding the event.

Soon after the ball got rolling, the Garan Team found itself with three confirmed participating bands - Trademark, Under the Gun and Blackberry Wednesday - with three additional bands interested in performing at the event.

Lucreshia Brown has been helping with Memories and a Cure since Stuckey suggested the idea and said she was surprised all the bands were so eager to help.

"When [Patty] said, 'What about a concert; I think I've got a band,' I said, 'That's big'," Brown said. "But if we can do it, let's do it."

Brown contacted The Hunt Club to ask if Garan could hold the event there and she said Hunt Club representatives were very interested in helping. She and general manager Corey Poole began working together, planning all the little details of the event. The Hunt Club agreed to donate the space of its 1000-person accommodating Camp House Room for the event.

With the help of senior art major Sean Galey, promotion for the event began. Galey created posters explaining both the charity and the concert that will be held in Rob Stuckey's memory. Galey was glad to design the poster after a friend who works at Garan mentioned the event needed one.

"Sometimes an event comes along where I can see my artistic abilities can be used beneficially," Galey said. "After [my friend] told me about charity event, I said I wouldn't mind doing the work pro bono." Even though Patty Stuckey originally created the idea of holding a concert, she did not intend on holding the event in memory of her late husband.

"I had no idea it was for Rob until I saw the poster," Stuckey said. "Rob loved music. In fact I used to joke that he loved three things: music, his motorcycle and me."

Brown said the name Memories and a Cure came from two different things involved in helping cure cancer.

"Cancer means something to each of us," she said. "If you had a person you care about pass away, you are left with nothing but memories. We have people here at Garan with cancer and loved ones with cancer, and every day they praying for a cure."

She also said Garan chose the name because it does not create conflict for holding the event down the road.

"The Hunt Club said that in the future if we want to do this again they will be happy to work with us," Brown said. "We are hoping we can hold it again in memory of different people."

The tickets for Memories and a Cure are $10 at the door and on the Hunt Club's Web site remingtonshuntclub.com with all ticket proceeds going to the ACS. Drinks are not included in the ticket price. Stuckey stressed how significant $10 can be in cancer research because cancer can only be solved when it is understood and understanding cancer requires research which in turn requires money.

"When people buy the tickets they should know that $10 might be the $10 that saves someone's life," Stuckey said.

Brown said she encouraged everyone to come, hoping to make the Memories and a Cure event a sellout.

Stuckey said she hopes people enjoy the concert enough to make it an annual event for the coming years. She said she also wants people to leave with the feeling that they have helped make an impact.

"You're a part of something that could change the world," Stuckey said. "Cancer touches everyone in one way or another, [but] we believe strongly cancer will be cured."

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