News & Events

Calendar of Events APRIL 2008 6th Annual The Common Thread for the Cure Golf Tournament April  25, 2008 Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure Lake Lure, NC For information email: janeb@wrcp.com AUGUST 2008 The Triad’s 6th Annual Builder’s Network Golf Extravaganza date & location yet to be announced For information email: khardin@kimball.com OCTOBER 2008 6th Annual Tour 4 the Cure @ NeoCon® East October 29-30, 2008 Baltimore, MD For information email: sbbray@internationalfabrics.com Breast Cancer Awareness Month   Click here to view the current issue of The Common Thread Newsletter

5th ANNUAL TOUR 4 THE CURE @ NEOCON® EAST 2007

A record breaking fifty-two exhibitors gave their support to The Common Thread for the Cure by participating in the 5th Annual Tour 4 the Cure @ NeoCon® East. This event was held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD on October 17-18, 2007. All proceeds benefit The Common Thread For The Cure foundation in providing confidential Helping Hand Grants to aid the members and their families in the furnishings industry that are battling breast cancer.

To be identified as a participating exhibitor for the event and have their booth location listed as a destination in the Tour 4 the Cure passport, a tax deductible donation of $275 was made to the foundation by each participating company. A Tour 4 the Cure passport  was distributed to all show attendees who were encouraged to visit the tour destinations throughout the two-day show to fill their passport with stamps.  Attendees who participated in the event had the opportunity to win instant prizes and qualify for a Grand Prize drawing of a Canon Power Shot SC630 digital camera. The Grand Prize winner was Karen Taylor, Washington Workplace, Arlington, VA.

Coinciding with the Tour 4 the Cure event, another exhibitor, Atlas Carpet Mills sponsored for the second year in a row the Putt for the Cure in their booth. There show attendees could test their golf skills and putt for a chance to win prizes. All donations raised during the Putt for the Cure will also benefit The Common Thread for the Cure.

In addition, during NeoCon® East, Scott Schwinghammer, President, Versteel personally presented a check from Versteel for a sizable donation amount to The Common Thread for the Cure. Suzann Burkhead-Bray, Co-Founder of The Common Thread for the Cure was on hand to accept the donation from Versteel on behalf of the foundation. The generous donation by Versteel is the proceeds from a June 2007 fundraising event that was held in the Versteel showroom during NeoCon® in Chicago, IL.

Our thanks to these 52 participating exhibitors —

SUN SHINES ON 5th ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISING EVENT

Five years ago in 2002, The Common Thread for the Cure decided to have a golf tournament in one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina – Lake Lure.  The dream was that people would come from across the country to celebrate a day of survival and honor those women in our industry who battle breast cancer every day.  Remarkably, it worked!  In those five years, the tournament has raised over $75,000 to help women in our industry.  For this year's event, held on April 27, 2007 at the Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure, people came from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee to participate. We were pleased to have the presidents of Versteel, HAG, and EKO join us for a day of golf.  Approximately 130 golfers drove through rain in the hopes that the sun would be shining in the mountains – and they were not disappointed.  We were given an outstanding, sunny day.

"130 players are ready to hit the course!"

"The tables are ready for dinner on the lake"

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who made this year the most successful to date.  Thank you to the sponsors and to all those who donated prizes.

Tournament Sponsors

Allsteel/MacThrift Office Furniture, Tandus, Versteel, Resource Flooring Contractors Inc, CMH Flooring Products, Mayer Fabrics, Lees and Antron Fibers.

Dinner/Beverage Cart Sponsors

International Fabrics, Mannington/Dealers Supply, Walter Robbs Callahan and Pierce Architects, Cubicle Curtain Factory, Eykon Wallcovering, Crypton, Mohawk, Sherri Flinchum, Patrician, Carnegie, Interface FLOR, Denise Brown, HLC/Top Reps, Bonitz Flooring Group Inc., Images of America/Furniture Resources and Scott Miller Associates.

Team Sponsors

Ligon Electric Supply Co, Maharam, Walter Robbs Callahan and Pierce Architects, Herman Miller, F.L. Blum Contractors, The Contract Group, Yontz and Sons Painting, Momentum, JMA Associates, Brayton/Metro/Vecta, R.L. Casey Inc, Peter Danko Designs Inc, Global Industries, Bentley/Prince Street and Carolina Business Furniture.

Hole Sponsors

Michael Luther and Associates, Izzydesign, Halcon Corporation, Institutional Interiors, Barbour Spangle Design Group Inc, National Wallcovering, Jack Cartwright, Shaw Contract, Steelcase/Storr Office Environments, Paoli Furniture, Rutter and Associates, Jack Fetner and Associates, HBF, The Contract Group, Paul Brayton Designs, Momentum, Atlas Carpet Mills, Forbo Flooring, Carlisle Wood Plank Floors, Fulbright, ArcCom, Dauphin, Peter Pepper Products, KI, Inwood and Nora.

Monetary donations were from Gray Chiropractic and Sports Association, IntraSpec, Bronson Chiropractic and Acupuncture Clinic of the Triad, Educon- Nelson Jessup, David Edward, Holbrook and Associates, Faulkner Flooring, Adden Furniture, Armstrong, C. O. Setzer, Scott Miller, Wolf Gordon, Scott Schwinghammer, Legacy Furniture, Management Resource Group and Village Smith Galleries.

Prizes were as follows:  1st place trophies and a cash prize were provided by Linda Higgins of One Design Center and BLS Sales Associates, a Celle chair from Herman Miller, an 8x10 area rug of the winner’s choice provided by Blue Ridge Residential Carpets, a pink Ipod from Centerline Group, Spinneybeck baseballs, a TopStar New Artwork chair from Professional Sales Associates, a Capisco chair from HAG and TopReps, a Arketa chair from EKO, two Kvadrat fabric pillows from Maharam and John E. Hinkel, a Glove chair from SitOnIt, a Contessa chair from Teknion, a Crinion chair from KnollStudio, and an Angela Adams 3x5 rug donated by Architex.  Lucia Kennerly and Moira Murray of Mayer Fabrics provided flowers for the tables and Arden Gurney with Jack Fetner and Associates provided vases. Hilda Haithcock from the WRU Medical Center collected pink fabrics for table covers.  National Wallcovering provided golf goodies for the carts.

No event this large could happen without volunteers.  Thank you to each of you for all the hard work.  We were blessed with outstanding industry support and we look forward to another beautiful day in the mountains next year on April 25, 2008.  We will take the lessons we have learned to make next year an even more enjoyable experience for all players.  It is a full day of fun and we want everyone to enjoy it.  Mark your calendars and send in your registrations early – first come, first serve!

For more information email: janeb@wrcp.com

"Dish for a Cause"….Throw a delicious fundraising party
to benefit The Common Thread For The Cure.

Let’s Dish!® a franchised retail meal preparation store located in Greensboro, NC is lending support to worthy causes in the local community through their "Dish for a Cause" program. Let’s Dish!® Is an innovative store where in less than  two hours one can make nutritious, restaurant caliber, family-friendly meals designed to be frozen and then cooked later when needed. 

A private "Dish for a Cause" fundraising party to benefit The Common Thread For The Cure can be arranged in the Let’s Dish!® store. Each party has a 10 person minimum and each guest must book a 4, 8 or 12 meal session. During the party, invited guests rotate through the workstations in the store, assembling the dishes selected from a monthly menu. During the party there will be a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate and each guest will get a free dessert. After the party, Let’s Dish!® will write a donation check for $150 to The Common Thread For The Cure. It’s easy, fun, delicious and for a good cause.

(Note: For guests who cannot attend the party but still want to particpate by booking their own session, a promotion code will be given to insure that The Common Thread For The Cure is the recipient of the fundraising proceeds from their session at Let’s Dish!®.)

For further information on planning a "Dish for the Cause" fundraising party to benefit The Common Thread For The Cure at Let’s Dish!® in Greensboro, NC or to inquire about planning a party at a Let’s Dish!® franchise location in other areas of the United States, contact Christi Spangle at: cs@barbourspangle.com

Eleven Helping Hand Grants Given in 2007

Thank you to all those who supported The Common Thread For The Cure during 2007. As a result of that support The Common Thread For The Cure was able to give eleven Helping Hand Grants in 2007.  Grants were given to women in Indiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. While each grant recipient’s story was different and each need unique to the individual, the Helping Hand Grant helped make a difference in each of their lives. The Common Thread For The Cure Foundation ends this year grateful for the financial support we have been given. Our wish for the future is that increased awareness and support will one day make larger grants possible.