CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
INEZ — Give Like Santa is set to launch its latest philanthropic endeavor, a “Sleigh Cancer” event, scheduled for June 28 from 3 p.m. until sundown between the Martin County Courthouses in Inez.
The event will raise funds for cancer research and feature a variety of activities, including cancer awareness booths, live music, food trucks, Mrs. Claus’ homemade treats, photos with Santa, a survivor celebration, a candlelight vigil and more.
Attendance is free, with numerous opportunities to contribute to the cause.
Known locally as Santa and Mrs. Claus, Matthew and Angela Ising (daughter of legendary Inez basketball player Floyd McCoy and wife Alice Cassady McCoy) spearhead Give Like Santa. Their organization embodies the spirit of giving year-round, not just during the holiday season. Its mission, “to spread giving like Santa and loving like Jesus every day,” receives support through various initiatives, termed “SANTA CAUSES.”
They are not a charity; they are a multiplier. They join, bake, sell, walk, bike, and use their influence as Santa and Mrs. Claus to not only help charities and organizations raise more funds but to spread awareness for these CAUSES. Their work includes partnerships with The American Heart Association, military families, churches and Pelotonia, among others.
The upcoming Sleigh Cancer event will specifically support Pelotonia, a renowned annual bicycle ride that raises funds for cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Since its inception, Pelotonia has generated over $288 million, with 100% of participant-raised funds dedicated to cancer research. The research benefits patients globally, working towards Pelotonia’s singular mission: to end cancer.
Santa and Mrs. Claus have a deeply personal connection to this cause. Santa, a retired Army National Guard veteran, lost his first wife to a rare bile duct cancer and has two daughters at potential risk for the same illness. Mrs. Claus’s daughter-in-law survived cancer thanks to early detection made possible by research funded by Pelotonia. Mrs. Claus wants to continue to fund cancer research so that her grandchildren, who have a 50/50 chance of inheriting Lynch Syndrome, will never know the meaning of the word cancer.
In their seventh season with Pelotonia, Santa and Mrs. Claus will forgo the physical ride, opting instead to fundraise through events and bake sales. Their efforts have already raised over $15,000 individually, and their team has contributed more than $35,000. Mrs. Claus’s famous Pelotonia Pistachio Cookies will make a return at the event’s bake sale.
The Sleigh Cancer event promises wonderful live music, tasty food trucks, cancer awareness booths, and lots of great raffle prizes. Mrs. Claus will have a bake sale booth with her Pelotonia Pistachio Cookies, Buckeyes and other goodies. Santa will be posing for Sleigh photos. There will be a wall to post Pelotonia Arrows with the names of your loved ones who have survived cancer, are fighting cancer or have lost their battle with cancer.
There will be a Survivor Celebration during the event, and when the sun goes down, there will be a candlelight vigil, lighting candles along the old courthouse wall. Give Like Santa hopes to make this an annual event that will not only be a celebration of life but also fund innovative cancer research.
To date, 15 vendors are on the list for the event, in addition to musicians and other entertainment. Give Like Santa is still looking for volunteers, sponsors, donations, vendors and items for raffle.
The event has garnered support from the Martin County Tourism Board, Crum Funeral Home, Attorney Brian Cumbo, John and Regina Kirk, and the Sew-n-Sew Quilters, who are crafting a Pelotonia quilt for raffle.
For more information or to participate, contact Mrs. Claus at givelikesanta@gmail.com or 404-993-8171. Follow Give Like Santa on Facebook for updates and details on sponsors, musicians and food trucks. Join the Isings in their mission to “Sleigh Cancer” and support life-saving cancer research.