Mantua – “We are happy to finally announce the scholarship winners from the 2017 raffle,” Nora Brant announced, sharing the details of this year’s winners of the Meghan R. Brant Memorial Quilt raffle. “We held off on this announcement in order to make it part of the Senior Award ceremony for one of the candidates,” she a explained. “Congratulations to Jessica Parks, Kim Martin and Natalie Girolamo. Jessica and Kim are nursing assistants working on prerequisites for nursing and Natalie is a 2018 high school graduate who plans to major in Occupational Therapy at Cleveland State.”
Each year since 1997, a special quilt hand-crafted by Nora is raffled off in memory of her daughter Meghan, who passed away 21 years ago at age of 26 from ovarian cancer. “0ur first quilt raised $514, but over the last 20 years, and with the help of a couple of Amazing Races through Derthick’s Corn Maze and the various quilt raffles, we have raised more than $100,000 for scholarship and early detection ovarian cancer research,” Brant beamed.
Once again this year, proceeds from the raffle will go to support early detection ovarian cancer research at Case Comprehensive Care Center and to provide scholarships locally to those pursuing healthcare careers. “We are excited to continue working with OROC – Out Run Ovarian Cancer – which matches the quilt proceeds for ovarian cancer research,” Brant added.
Brant went on to explain that the proceeds from this year’s annual raffle totaled over $3,500. That amount was matched by OROC. Brant also contacted former Cleveland Browns kicker Billy Cundiff to let him know the results. She shared that Cundiff, with his wife and her sisters, run Colleen’s Dream, a non-profit in Arizona working to find early detection for ovarian cancer in memory of their mother. “A few years ago, Cundiff challenged all the NFL kickers to do a fundraiser in their cities. He’s the person who connected me with the early detection research being done locally,” Brant explained. “Anyhow, when I told him what we did this year, he texted back to say that he would match my efforts AND my OROC match!”
In addition, the Derthick’s Corn Maze sold pink pumpkins this fall in order to raise money for cancer research. The money raised was matched by family friend Tim Bennett, and divided between ovarian cancer and lymphoma research. “Our total this year with all that was over $15,000! Wouldn’t Meghan be totally in awe of all your support? I know I am!” she marveled.
The annual quilt raffle has become a tradition for her family as a way to honor and remember their daughter and sister while helping other pursue careers in healthcare and work towards a cure for ovarian cancer.
Each summer, a new quilt is created, exhibited first at the OROC 5K in Cleveland in August. Raffle tickets are available for sale at various locations around town, or by contacting Nora Brant via mail at P.O. Box 488 in Mantua, OH 44255. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5. Make checks to: Meghan Brant Memorial Fund and send, along with your name and phone number. Please note that the winner need not be present for the prize drawing in early fall and will be notified by phone.
