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The Hess Cancer Foundation, founded by the late Travis P. Hess in 2005 has since helped 24 families during the most difficult times of their lives.

The HCF was founded:

• To provide financial assistance to those families who have lost a young child to cancer and aren’t financially prepared for it.
• To help the community see that there is a real need for this type of help.
• To encourage fitness as a way to fight and prevent cancer.  Our slogan is, “fitness for the fight”.

Come early and enjoy Yoga in the Park, followed by Zumba and Pilates.  At 5:00 p.m. dinner starts with a raffle and live band.  All the funds support the Hess Cancer Foundation.

HCF was founded in April of 2005 by Travis Hess.  Travis’ life and the life of his family have been very affected by cancer.  Over the years, Travis watched grandparents, aunts, and uncles die of cancer.  He watched his younger sister successfully battle breast cancer at 32 and a brain cancer at age 39.  He lost his father at age 49 and one of his brothers at age 19; both dying very young with cancer.

Hitting even closer to home, 3 of his five children have been diagnosed with cancer at very young ages.  His daughter Alexis died at age three with a rare childhood cancer.  When Alexis died, Travis didn’t have life insurance for Alexis and was financially unprepared.  He was still making payments on medical bills, and wondered how he would ever pay for the funeral and burial of his little girl.  It was then that Travis began receiving donations from friends and family.  He received $1,000 from an anonymous donor.

Travis was overcome with a feeling of gratitude; he wanted to help others in need, just like others had helped him.  Soon after that, Travis decided to establish a public charity called the Hess Cancer Foundation, Inc., or “HCF.”  The primary purpose of HCF is to provide financial assistance to families that have lost a child to cancer and can’t afford a proper funeral.  As of May 2013, HCF has successfully helped 24 families who have lost a child to cancer and needed financial help.