On April 23, 11-year-old Cade was the most in-demand barista in town.
All morning, he served up drinks at Cade’s Coffee Bar. People could pick their flavor of syrup and creamer, and there was even a special beverage for kids: Magic Milk, milk served over ice with flavored straws.
While the coffee orders and sugar levels varied, all the drinks had one thing in common: They supported the search for treatments and a cure for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).
After a long medical journey, Cade was diagnosed with FOP at the age of two and a half. For the past three years, serving coffee in April has been a family activity to raise money around FOP Awareness Day. The coffee fundraiser has also helped Cade take ownership of his story and learn how to talk about FOP instead of relying on his parents to explain.
The fundraiser is simple to plan and it's effective at spreading awareness, raising funds and boosting Cade's self-confidence. The Russell family texts their friends to come over for a cup of coffee, donating the money they might have spent at Starbucks toward the IFOPA instead.
In past years, they have raised between $500 and $1,000. This year, they were able to raise more than $1,800. For Wendy, the key is to keep it simple.
"I have a very demanding job in marketing and hosting large events is difficult for me to take on and manage,” she said. “So, when we started talking about fundraising, our intent was to start small and grow the event each year. Don’t feel like you must host and manage a huge event. We intentionally started with what we could handle in our schedule."
At the IFOPA, we know the idea of fundraising can feel overwhelming. But as the Russells can attest, sometimes small and simple can be the most effective. As we approach the launch of In Pursuit of a Cure Day of Giving, our annual fundraising event to advance critical FOP research, we would love to support your own fundraising efforts in any way we can.
If you're interested in hosting your own fundraiser, please reach out to Cathryn Roys at [email protected] or +1 (843) 709-3244. We would love to serve you and promote your event to the FOP community!
