Tym Lerma Photography
More than 250 people came out to the Cheesecake Factory on Friday, October 18 for Me2 (Squared) Cancer Foundation’s first event. The day featured speakers, sponsors and vendors who all rallied behind founder Mimi Tran as she kicked off this organization’s efforts.
Mimi’s life changed on December 8, 2018, after receiving her breast cancer diagnosis. At first, Mimi was told it could be removed with a lumpectomy surgery. But it wasn’t until she visited a second surgeon that she started planning for chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.
“It just was so fast and so furious,” Mimi says.
As Mimi began working through her course of treatment, she saw just how ready her community was to meet her with love and support.
“They have wrapped me around their arms and gave me hope,” Mimi says. “Some people would want to take me to lunch, and some people would want to give me cards. I got flowers like you cannot believe – almost every day. And it all kept coming.”
After seeing the blessings surrounding her, Mimi turned to her husband Trung and told him that she was going to start a foundation that would benefit cancer patients.
She curated a group of board members – Trung Tran, Veronica Darnell, Dave Stropes, Shannon Guthrie, Stephanie Hodges, Laura Harryman, Tracy Southers Parker, Tino Vuong, Kevin Vuong, Michele Cicconi, Jennifer Whitfill, Pattie Stebbins, Julie Luchinsinger, Julie Walsh, Rexanna Sandlin, Harriet Breener, Todd Winch, Lisa Winch and Beth Nguyen – who could support her efforts and provide their own expertise to the foundation.
“We gathered and I told my story, and I challenged the board to come up with a mission statement,” Mimi says. “We decided that we were going to focus on adults newly diagnosed with cancer and to provide them education and financial assistance to ease their journey and to give them hope.”
With a purpose in mind, the foundation got into planning mode for its first event – the breakfast.
“The vibe was so electrifying,” Mimi says of the event.
Despite the event’s early start, locals started lining up to enjoy a morning full of delicious food and support the foundation’s kick-off moment.
“I knew in my gut that it was going to be a great event,” board member Tracy Southers Parker says. “I think I was just shocked to see people there straight up at 7 a.m. That blew me away.”
Thanks to the event’s sponsors and a generous anonymous donor, the foundation was able to give its first check away to a local cancer warrior – Tania Woolsey. After discovering she had ovarian cancer in May, Tania shared with the board that she would need a hysterectomy and to undergo chemotherapy. The board came together and decided to give Tania the foundation’s first $1,000 donation to go toward her deductible.
“She is just an amazing human being,” Mimi says. “What we didn’t know was two days before she got a bill from her doctor for $950, so it was like perfect timing.”
Tania, who was in attendance at the breakfast, was unaware of the foundation’s donation and was shocked by the support.
“I had told her that I just wanted her there to enjoy breakfast, so it was a secret,” Mimi says.
Me2 (Squared) Foundation is just getting started. Mimi has big goals for next year, with at least two larger events already in the works. But looking back at what the foundation, the board and Mimi have been able to accomplish less than a year since her diagnosis, it’s safe to say that great things lay ahead.
“My goal is to give away $150,000 - $200,000 next year,” Mimi says. “We still have a long way to go, but I think we are going to do a lot in a year. We are going to have to raise a lot of money to help a lot of people.”