STANDISH — The second annual Mingle & Jingle holiday fundraising event raised over $25,000 with proceeds to benefit the Dempsey Center.
The Mingle & Jingle event, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 16 at Randall Orchards in Standish, featured live entertainment from Henry Lowery and popular band 12-OC. Guests bid on auction items and raffles to raise funds for the Dempsey Center.
Mingle & Jingle started in 2022 by event organizers Meredith Bickford-Thurston and Becky Curtis, who were inspired to give back upon the cancer diagnoses of close family members. Meredith’s brother, Nathan Bradley, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastoma in September 2021, followed by Becky’s mother, Connie Loughran, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April of 2022.
“Cancer does not discriminate and everyone has been affected by it in one capacity or another,” says Bickford-Thurston. “Becky and I host this event to help support the efforts being made by the Dempsey Center to support all of those affected by cancer.”
The Dempsey Center was founded by actor Patrick Dempsey in 2008. After his mother’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent journey, Patrick and his family set out to provide a haven of support for people impacted by cancer in his hometown of Lewiston.
Today, the Dempsey Center has grown to two locations in Lewiston and South Portland,, a hospitality home in Portland, and has adapted to providing robust support virtually via Dempsey Connects. Programs provide a wide range of holistic support that address the physical, functional, social, and emotional well-being of people impacted by cancer. All services are provided at no cost to cancer patients, survivors, care partners, family members, and friends.
Event organizers wish to thank event sponsors for their support: Bronze sponsors Classic Flooring, Gray Village Hardware, Storey Brothers Excavating, Shaw Brothers Construction; Supporter sponsor Michelle Raber with State Farm Insurance; Table sponsors Affordable Builders Inc., Frame Strategies, Gorham Sand & Gravel, Great Falls Construction, Horace Mann Insurance, Moody’s Collision, Party Time Rentals, Thirsty Turf Irrigation, Shamos Paving & Seal Coating, Shaw Earthworks and Willis Real Estate. Facility sponsors include Chaps Saloon and Randall Orchards. And thank you to Rustlers Steakhouse for providing a gift basket donation.
Learn more about the Dempsey Center by visiting DempseyCenter.org.