The Bradford community shone when 200 people and 30 sponsors came together in a week-and-a-half for a worthy cause at the Portuguese Cultural Centre on Saturday.
Bradford Mammas group hosted a fundraiser for Lindsey Lewis, a 35-year-old mother from Bradford, who has been battling acute myeloid leukemia, a rapidly progressing form of blood and bone marrow cancer. Lewis has been fighting it since her diagnosis in late 2021.
Although the Bradford Mammas has about 3,000 members, this event was organized by Genna Colucci to help raise funds for Lewis’s treatments. Tickets were sold in advance to those who wanted to support, and gifts were donated to help sell raffle tickets.
Friends and family came out to show their love and support for Lewis; closest to her in attendance were her mother and stepfather, and two children. Guests were treated to a barbecue lunch on a sunny day. Kids were entertained by interactive games, face painting and a live magic show. Festivities continued into the evening with a screening of Encanto outside, where an additional 100 people came to show their support.
“It was quite challenging to put this together because, traditionally, we host vendor events, and this was built strictly on raffle and monetary donations, all the while arranging entertainment for the families,” said Colucci.
She was pleased to learn 200 tickets had been sold for the event in 12 days, which shows how much support Lewis has during this difficult time.
“I’m very thankful to the public and everyone’s generosity, including our sponsors helping to make this event what it is today,” Colucci added.
Bradford Mammas was formed several years ago, aiming to showcase all the ‘mompreneurs’ in the area. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group hosted many charity events, but the pandemic made that difficult, so it was forced to pivot to other forms of community support. These included grocery pickup and dropoff for families, home-cooked meals for the less fortunate, and a helping hand to anyone in need.
Colucci raved about the Bradford businesses and venues she’s had the pleasure of working with over the years, as they help her and the group help others.
“For the community, we just want to be able to give back, so we’ll rally behind whoever needs us, whether we’re friends or not. We’re there to support the people in Bradford,” she said.
Colucci spoke with Lewis on the phone the day of the event.
“She seemed to be in good spirits and was very appreciative of everything the community has been doing for her,” she said.
“I just want Lindsey to know that as much as she’s fighting this fight, we never want her to feel that she’s alone because she’s got an entire community behind her.”
