AUGUST 09, 2016 @ 11:35a The Polk County Board of Supervisors and Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino Executive Board are pleased to have the opportunity to provide a Community Betterment Grants in the amount of $13,000.00 to the Cops Against Cancer organization. It is our hope that these funds will enable Cops Against Cancer to provide quality services to the citizens of Polk County. Community Betterment Grants are funded from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino profits. These grants provide another opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to return casino profits to our community.
Craig Phinney, Executive Director and Founder of the Cops Against Cancer organization accepted the grant award from Board Supervisor Steve Van Oort of the Polk County 3rd District in the amount of $3,000.00,
Phinney also accepted two checks totaling $10,000.00 from the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino Executive Committee as part of their Community Betterment Program.
Since 1995, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino has awarded more that $1.6 billion to taxes to Polk County, Polk County Betterment Grants, charitable giving grants, the City of Des Moines and Polk County Schools.
Phinney outlines specifically how the grant monies will be utilized.
Knowing that families experience the fear of the unknown & are focused on their cancer treatments and often forget about their physical & mental well-being. Our mentoring & coaching program provides families peace of mind so they shift their energy on recovery & on their care. Our programs also presents the client a ways to work through their struggles, but also reaffirms and promotes once-lost hope.
One of our goals for 2016 & 2017 is to continue to provide cancer patients and their families resources in the form of a financial free cancer retreat. A majority of our clients receive their cancer treatments from the John Stoddard Cancer Center, in Des Moines, Iowa and Mercy Cancer Center, in Des Moines, Iowa.
During the Retreat, attendees are presented and educated with resources on proper nutrition, physical fitness, prescription assistance, human services tools, and financial planning by faith, medical and financial professionals. Nationally and internationally recognized speakers in the field of cancer research and survivorship motivated and inspired those attending.
By assisting our clients break through their limiting thoughts and emotional responses, we replace them with supportive, empowering beliefs that lead to powerful and consistent action. Our clients are highly aware of how they think, feel, and act, the stage is set for creating sustainable change. With this awareness, they shift into high performance mode and accomplish greater results while expending less effort.
The emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of a cancer family is critical for a positive recovery once the patient is home. Most client’s ultimate goals are recovery and returning back to normalcy, i.e. being productive in the community and to a functional society.
Cops Against Cancer achieved our goal in 2015 by providing the attendees with supportive resources and a new sense of hope, with the ultimate goal of a more positive attitude after their cancer diagnoses.
These Retreats will be fully funded from awards and grants and provided the attendees a financial free opportunity. These grants and awards specifically for the Retreat were from a Genentech Research grants, Wal-Mart & Sam Club’s Community Projects grants, Polk County Community Better Grant and Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino.
For 2016 & 2017, Cops Against Cancer is committed in expanding the Retreat program into three additional regional areas in Iowa. The one-day format will be similar to the 2015 Retreat, with some improved additions.
Cops Against Cancer will be working with several of the Iowa based cancer treatment centers on this program.
The areas or regions selected is based on the demographic of our client base, rural and agriculture areas and counties with low funded health assistance programs.
Phinney expects with this grant award, “an additional 135 cancer patients and the families or more will be impacted by their Retreat program.”
Phinney expresses, “each day it amazes and scares me just how big our organization is getting, which make our commitment of protecting and serving those cancer families in need even more of a priority.”
On behalf of the Cops Against Cancer Board, our clients and their families, we extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino and the Polk County Board of Supervisor for the award of these fund and for assisting in making a strong impact in our clients recovery.
