The best traditions celebrate giving and sharing alongside those we love. Tinsel, chocolate, lilies and macaroni necklaces are great but there’s nothing better than gathering to help – and honor – others. Each year, Boggs Inspection Services dedicates the month of September to making a difference in the fight against childhood cancers. They donate a portion of each home inspection completed within the month to the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation, which makes wishes come true for families facing the unthinkable, in honor of the brave, joyous Rachel Lynn Henley.
Boggs Inspection Services’ Annual Fundraiser Increases Awareness About Childhood Cancers
This is the fourth year for the annual Boggs fundraiser. “As a family business with many of our staff being parents, we recognize the importance of supporting children, who are the future,” says President and CEO Dwayne Boggs. “Unlike adults, kids can be very confused by the cancer treatment process, so we want to do everything we can to help them understand and cope with it.”
Each September, Boggs and his team donate $5 from each inspection to the Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation. Don’t need a home inspection right now? No problem, says Dwayne, you can donate directly to the Foundation and help raise awareness of its vital mission.
But homeowners should check out the Boggs home maintenance checklist because with autumn just around the corner, there are always areas needing a little extra TLC. (Gutters and downspouts looking a little leafy?) Boggs inspectors can handle commercial and residential needs as well as specialty items like well pump flow tests.
The Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation Supports Families Through Their Child’s Cancer Journey
The Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation was created to honor its namesake, who fought cancer for 7.5 years before passing away in 2015 at the age of 22. Her mom and the Foundation’s president, Mary Henley, says that before Rachel passed, “She wanted to create a foundation that would provide that community of support to local kids and young adults with a childhood cancer diagnosis while also providing funding specifically targeted at sarcomas and other pediatric cancers.”
The money raised is used in magical ways. “Through our Rachel’s Hugs program, we work to provide special life-brightening requests that will bring joy or perhaps allow them to explore their hobbies and future aspirations,” says Henley. “We have provided Hugs to babies less than a year old and to a 26-year-old young person. Families receive the applications for our Hugs program right after they are diagnosed, giving them something fun and positive to focus on during such a challenging time.”
To date, Rache’s Hugs have included iPads to help with schoolwork, home bedroom makeovers, plane tickets so family can visit, gaming systems to entertain, stuffies and toys galore and even a spa day. Every month the Foundation works with Mary Bridge Children’s Hematology/Oncology Clinic staff to identify the greatest needs.
The Rachel Lynn Henley Foundation Loves to Encourage, Support and Uplift Those on the Cancer Journey
The Foundation also fulfills other needs in the clinic and hospital such as refrigerators for the oncology hospital rooms, TVs, iPads and gaming systems for the clinic exam/treatment rooms, backpacks filled with both comfort items and fun items, toys for the reward chest that the kids visit after the various pokes and scans and take-home books for the teen room, says Henley.
Each summer they partner with Mary Bridge to host a summer Water Blaster party. Kids and their caregivers can squirt water at each other and even try to dunk-the-docs. In December, they host a Christmas party with activities, treats, presents and a visit from Santa himself.
Working with business owners like Dwayne Boggs expands the Foundation’s impact. “Businesses provide much-needed funding to support our mission of bringing joy and support to local kids and young adults fighting childhood cancer,” says Henley. “Additionally, they provide awareness about our work for those who may not have heard of us. We have had the pleasure of working with young people and their families from all over Western Washington from Centralia to Brinnon and from the ocean to Yakima.”
You Can Help Through Donations of Money, Time and Even Golf…It’s True!
Aside from direct donation, which is fast and easy, there are plenty of other ways to help families in the area. Why not participate in the Foundation’s annual Footgolf and Golf: Kicking and Swinging for Smiles event on September 14, 2024? All ages and skill levels are welcome.
In October, they’ll take over Casa Mia in Lakewood to raise money for the stuffed buddies that Santa passes out around Christmas. Check out their events page, Facebook, Instagram and X for dates and details. They also hold an auction each April and a yard sale in June. Auction items are always welcome and collected year-round. As an all-volunteer organization, the Foundation is proud that donations can go directly to the families in our community who need help most.
If you’ve been putting off a home inspection, why not book one today? Your routine maintenance will be anything but routine for the children helped during their most difficult time. Call Boggs Inspection Services at 360.480.9602 or schedule a visit online today.
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