Since Dance for the Cure is a 100% volunteer-based organization, volunteers are quite literally the backbone of the organization. Not only do they put their time and energy, but also all their love into what they do. We like to shine a spotlight on each of those who do so much for DFC so you all can get to know their beautiful souls individually, and the star of this month is Jackie Haren.
Jackie knew Joanne, the co-founder, through their children as well as from working together at Coldwell Banker, which gave her the opportunity and motivation to get involved with Dance for the Cure. After attending DFC's annual fundraiser, Ribbons of Hope (ROH) for several years, Jackie asked Joanne how she could get more involved in the volunteer aspect of the organization.
“My youngest son Andrew and my husband Don and I started volunteering with storage unit move outs and basket central set up. It was a family affair!” She continued volunteering her time to DFC as a donation solicitor beginning in 2015.
Jackie humbly stated that “the donations I bring in are nominal compared to others, but they are consistent, and every little bit helps make the prizes phenomenal!”
Every bit surely does add up to an overwhelming number of awesome prizes, and that couldn’t be achieved without volunteers like Jackie.
When asked what one of her most fun memories made with DFC was, she said it was her first ROH event.
She explained that she was amazed at the size of the event and remembers what she described as a ‘pink glow’ coming from the ballroom of the Bridgewater Marriott. “It was like attending a pink wedding reception with hundreds of prizes and hundreds of attendees! I took so many photos that I still have today.”
Jackie also explained that volunteering is so important to her because it is family-based. She exhibits her devotion for volunteering not only through DFC, but also through scouting. She found herself getting very involved in scouting while raising her children, seemingly in attempt to make up for personally only making it two years as a Girl Scout. Her two older children, Julia and John, both completed the entire scouting program in Hillsborough. Julia achieved the Girl Scout Gold Award and John followed his father’s achievement of becoming an Eagle Scout. John has also been active in our U.S. Navy for 9 years, so selflessness is clearly a trait that runs in the family. Her specific desire to support breast cancer roots from her mother-in-law, Nancy Haren, who is a 40-year breast cancer survivor.
Jackie has been a dedicated volunteer for DFC for so long and we’re so grateful for all that she does for our organization. Giving back is truly a magical experience and also helps DFC expand the amount of donors we can reach each year, making our impact on the community even greater.
Are you interested in volunteering?
Please visit our Support Us page or contact Joanne or Kathleen directly.
Visit our Volunteers page to see our great team!
Comments