When Jane Barea, a breast cancer survivor and interior design professional from Winston-Salem, NC, was undergoing treatments for breast cancer in 1996 she simply wanted to spend time enjoying the outdoors. So she played golf, which incorporated her love of the outdoors and was very therapeutic in her battle with the disease.
During the years following her remission, Jane knew she wanted to do something for others in her industry who were affected by breast cancer to help ease the financial burden that can come with treatment. Jane had attended a meeting for designers some time before at Rumbling Bald Resort and fell in love with the peaceful, calming atmosphere in Lake Lure. She decided to host a golf tournament at RBR to raise money for The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation, an organization in which Jane already had a relationship.
The Common Thread For The Cure Foundation, a 501 (c) (3), was founded in 2000 by Suzann Burkhead-Bray and Scott Burkhead in memory of their sister, Sandra Burkhead Campbell, who lost her long term battle with breast cancer in February 1999. It is The Common Thread For The Cure’s goal to support those persons or their families within the furnishings industry who have breast cancer through providing Helping Hand Grants. Currently, Jane serves on the Board of Directors and acts as President for the Foundation.
For its first year, Jane wanted the tournament to generate enough interest and participants that there would one group on every tee. She met this goal, and every year since the event has grown and developed into a thriving fundraiser. The tournament, which just celebrated its 14th year in April, has maxed out the courses’ allowance for participants for the last 5 years. All total, the Common Thread for the Cure Golf Tournament has provided over $300,000 for the Helping Hand Grants.
While planning the tournament hasn’t exactly gotten easier over the years, Jane knows that the overall awareness and funds that the event raises are greater than the work put in and the new challenges that arise each year. “My partnership with the planning team at Rumbling Bald Resort each year definitely helps create a successful event” for the Foundation. She knows that the peaceful, quiet setting of Lake Lure is perfect for the tournament and helps to get people away from their work and to focus on the event at hand.
Each year our team and staff get excited about the Common Thread for the Cure tournament and we look forward to its continued success. For more information on the The Common Thread for the Cure Foundation, its grants and events, or to make a donation, visit www.commonthread.info
If you are interested in planning a golf tournament or outing at Rumbling Bald Resort, please visit our website, www.rumblingbald.com
