SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The radio station Q97.9 is hosting its annual Cans For A Cure fundraiser outside of the Maine Mall in South Portland.
The Morning Show radio hosts sleep in a trailer outside of the mall for days, collecting cans and money until they reach their goal of 1 million cans – equal to $50,000.
That money goes to the Maine Cancer foundation and the Cancer Community Center.
Two young brothers’ donation this year has gotten the fundraiser much closer to its goal.
This all started 7 years ago, when Bryce Deshaies was only 10 years old.
He and his little brother began collecting cans and bottles for Q97.9’s annual Cans for a Cure fundraiser.
This year – Bryce and Riley took the challenge to a new level…delivering an entire tractor trailer load of over 250,000 cans.
That’s over 12,000 dollars raised towards Maine breast cancer research.
Bryce and Riley had some of their favorite Q979 DJs speechless.
“I don’t even know what to think about that,” said Q97.9 host Lori Voornas. “Because it’s just ridiculously amazing. It’s beyond comprehension. You go into your garage and you’re like ‘I got six bags!’ and they got a tractor trailer.”
The 14-year tradition of Cans for a Cure became personal for Voornas when her mom passed away from breast cancer.
“The important message I want to get out about my mom’s death is that she was 75 before she got her first mammogram. Because she was scared,” she explained.
Part of her mission through Cans for a Cure is to spread awareness about breast cancer.
As if Bryce and Riley didn’t make her proud enough with their donation, they honored her in a different way. She said, "Bryce asked me to sign the banner that is on the semi of women who have been affected or have passed from breast cancer. And he asked me to put my mom’s name up there. She passed a couple years ago…I was so taken back by it. I was truly, deeply, touched.”
Bryce and Riley’s big donation has helped the Q get one-quarter of the way closer to their goal of 1 million cans.
The radio hosts from Q97.9 will be in their trailer at the Maine Mall until they collect 1 million cans.
Copyright 2016 WCSH
This article was originally published at the “Article” source noted above and distributed by The Tutu Project for informational purposes only.
Our team is comprised of Bob and Linda Carey, our advisors and volunteers. Without them, changing lives one smile at a time would never be possible!