Arroyo Grande Business Raises Money for Local Cancer Patients
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) - A Arroyo Grande communications equipment business held an annual fundraiser on Monday to help benefit patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center.
Beginning at 10 a.m., Rugged Radios went live with its popular "Pink Radio Day," a yearly promotion that has helped raised thousands of dollars to benefit the annual Day of Hope, a community-based fundraiser that supports Mission Hope Cancer Center.
"We're giving back," said Greg Cottrell, Rugged Radios Founder and CEO. "This is the day that we sell a special pink radio and this year we added a pink headset. We only do this once a year because all the proceeds to this go to Mission Hope Cancer Center. It's our time to do a lot of good for a lot of people."
Helping kick off the event was a big gathering of people associated with Mission Hope Cancer Center, including physicians, Dignity Health officials, as well as several patients and their family members.
"It's great to see the support from the community," said Mission Hope patient Gilbert Rea. "It is amazing how much these phones have been ringing. People who are calling are supporting people like me that are cancer survivors."
Headquartered in Arroyo Grande, Rugged Radios is a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional communication equipment serving the off-road, racing, recreation, and commercial industries.
Cottrell has been a staunch advocate and supporter of Mission Hope Cancer Center and the Day of Hope for nearly a decade.
His business has become the top financial benefactor to the Day of Hope, which altogether has raised over $3 million since the first one was held 12 years ago.
"I do this every year because they're helping our own," said Cottrell. "It started off with one of our employees got breast cancer and she was thrown right into their program and I got to know everything about this program and I had to help. I decided every year we're going to help Mission Hope because they are saving lives and helping our community and helping our Rugged family."
The Day of Hope was created in 2014 and specifically raises funds for patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria and Arroyo Grande.
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, starting at 7 a.m., hundreds of volunteers will be located throughout the Santa Maria Valley and in South San Luis Obispo County at dozens street corners, intersections, parking lots, schools, churches and other highly visible locations.
Participating teams members will once again be selling special edition $1 Santa Maria Times newspapers.
Proceeds specifically helps the cancer center provide patients with a myriad of complimentary programs and services.
"Please, please come and support us," said Dr. April Kennedy, Mission Hope oncologist. "If you ever want to come by the center, we can show you we do because we have we have thousands of patients that we help every single day. We would really appreciate support, so anything that you can donate, whether it's a dollar or over what you want to do, we would be happy to have it. Thank you!"
For more information about the car show or the upcoming Day of Hope, click here to visit the official webpage.
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