DELAND, Fla., December 23, 2019 — On Dec. 9, nearly 100 community members joined AdventHealth DeLand at DeLand KIA for a celebration including dinner and live gospel music.
The celebration recognized and thanked DeLand KIA for their community support during national breast cancer awareness month. During October, DeLand KIA pledged to donate $100 from every car sale to the AdventHealth DeLand Foundation to fund education and screenings for breast cancer.
During the event, DeLand KIA presented AdventHealth DeLand Foundation with a donation of $11,700. A candle-lighting station was available for attendees to light a candle in their loved one’s name. There was also a gratitude tree where guests could share what they were grateful for.
“DeLand KIA is proud to support cancer survivors, AdventHealth patients and our community,” said JD Davis, DeLand KIA general manager. “Since 2013, our DeLand KIA family has donated a percentage of our October sales to the AdventHealth DeLand Foundation, and we are proud to make a difference in the lives of those in need.”
Over the last six years, DeLand KIA has donated a total of $113,530 to the AdventHealth DeLand Foundation.
Lorenzo Brown, president and CEO of AdventHealth DeLand, presented Davis with an award for DeLand KIA’s unwavering dedication to the community.
“Our team is lucky to work side-by-side with DeLand KIA to ensure that families facing a cancer diagnosis are not alone,” said Brown. “With their generous donations, we’ve been able to provide free mammograms and screenings to our community members in need, as well as purchase new state-of-the-art equipment, such as our SmartCurve™ system at Victoria Medical Park. This is the latest technology in providing comfort during mammograms.”
Pain is the top complaint during mammograms and fear of pain can prevent many women from making regular breast imaging appointments a priority, Brown explained.
“This can put women at risk of a cancer being missed or diagnosed at a more advanced stage,” Brown said. “The SmartCurve system was designed to address this challenge and provide a better patient experience for women during their mammograms.”
During the event, DeLand KIA and AdventHealth DeLand Foundation also presented Althea Chavers with the Spirit of Generosity award for her dedication to helping other cancer survivors.
As a breast cancer survivor and the director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties - Lacey Family/Spring Hill Unit in DeLand, Chavers is one of the many patients and local community members who have benefited from DeLand KIA’s generosity. After she conquered her own battle with cancer, she did not stop fighting the disease. She rallied around friends who were diagnosed with cancer, held prayer sessions and even recently hosted a cancer awareness event.
“Althea is a light in this community driven by God’s spirit and represents the heart and soul of the Spirit of Generosity Award,” Brown said.
About AdventHealth DeLand
AdventHealth DeLand has 164-beds and is one of the six hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the AdventHealth Central Florida Division - North Region. Formerly known as Florida Hospital DeLand, the organization’s parent company changed the name of all wholly-owned entities to AdventHealth on Jan. 2, 2019. Based in Altamonte Springs, AdventHealth is a connected system of care. With more than 80,000 team members, AdventHealth is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. With the mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth DeLand provides whole person care to heal the body, mind and spirit. For more information about AdventHealth DeLand, visit http://AdventHealthDeLand.com.
Photo Caption:
DeLand KIA: On Dec. 9, DeLand KIA presented AdventHealth DeLand Foundation with a donation of $11,700 to fund education and screenings for breast cancer. Over the last six years, DeLand KIA has donated a total of $113,530 to the AdventHealth DeLand Foundation. Pictured from left to right: Lorenzo Brown, AdventHealth DeLand CEO, joins JD Davis, DeLand KIA general manager, and his sales team for a group photo during the celebration.