LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of Lexington women formed a bond when a friend was diagnosed with cancer and started a Relay for Life team to show support. That simple idea has turned into a year-round effort to fight cancer, leading the women to form their own nonprofit called Flockers Fighting Cancer.
Putting hundreds of flamingos in a yard might seem like a silly prank.
"We place them after dark, so people will wake up to them the next morning. We try really hard not to get caught. We have been caught sometimes but usually they're good sports about it," Rebecca Wallace, Board Secretary of Flockers Fighting Cancer said.
But it meant the world to Andrea Lloyd, who is fighting ovarian cancer.
"My boyfriend was like, are there flamingos in the yard? And I was like, yes! Where did they come from? And he was like, oh, someone got a hold of me and wanted to do this for you," Lloyd said.
It started off as a fundraiser for a Relay for Life team and now Flockers Fighting Cancer is a nonprofit that raises money to help cancer patients and their families.
"Through the years, we decided that we really wanted to keep it within our state, within our own community to see where we could help people that are going through it," Trish Huffman, Board Chair of Flockers Fighting Cancer, said.
Tiffani Hays is an Oncology Social Worker at the UK Markey Cancer Center. Hays explained her role is to help link their patients and their families with practical and emotional resources.
"Helping patients to cover medications, helping patients to cover rent, utilities, you know, anyway that we can support them," Hays said.
Hays says that the Flockers Fighting Cancer has been a constant for her and her patients.
"As you may know, sometimes resources are scarce. And this is one more thing that you didn't have to fill out an application for. They don't ask a lot of questions about the patient. You can just ask the Flockers, hey, I have this patient and they need this, and they're like 'OK,'" Hays said.
In 2021 alone, Flockers Fighting Cancer has helped nearly 25 families with anything they might need.
"To be able to say, yes! we're going to be able to help you stay in your house for at least another month, or we're going to be able to help you fix your car and to know that that happened because so many people support what we're doing, it just gives me chill bumps," Wallace said.
Click here for more information on how you can donate, flock someone, or participate in the 2021 5k.
