Celebrated Entrepreneur Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, founder of Vera Bradley and Baekgaard USA, will accept award recognizing ground-breaking expansion of cancer support services
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, April 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cancer Support Community (CSC) will honor the Barbara Bradley Baekgaard Family Foundation with the Founders Award for Spirit at its Spring Celebration slated for Tuesday, April 16 in New York City. This award recognizes leaders in the philanthropic community who make valued contributions in helping patients and their loved ones navigate a cancer diagnosis.
In 2017, the foundation announced a transformational grant to CSC, a global nonprofit that provides more than $50 million in free support services to patients and their loved ones. In just two years, the Barbara Bradley Baekgaard Family Foundation has enabled CSC to provide free support groups, education workshops, and cutting-edge technology that identifies patients who are at high-risk for distress at locations in Colorado, Hawaii, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Of particular note, the grant to CSC also established a partnership with the Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation on the Navajo Nation—which is the first full-time cancer care center on an American Indian Reservation. This collaboration has resulted in the development of a culturally-adapted cancer support and education program for the Navajo people.
“We are so proud that the Cancer Support Community is a chapter in the amazing story of Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and her family,” said Jill Durovsik, Chair of CSC’s Board of Director, who will present the award to Bradley Baekgaard. “In less than two years, the family foundation’s grant is already delivering free, professionally-led services and resources on a national scale. Barbara’s boundless energy and enterprising spirit, including the recent launch of the new Baekgaard USA premium luggage and accessories line for men, reflects the rare combination of business acumen with an unparalleled commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.”
“The Cancer Support Community is a wonderful organization because you know where the money is going,” Barbara Bradley Baekgaard said. “It is about giving patients a menu of choices that fit their needs, whether support groups, yoga, nutrition classes, or more. I also want to credit my family, my children and grandchildren, for their leadership of this foundation. It is so rewarding to see three generations involved in what I call the joy of giving back.”
