Franklin October 2021

Page 2 Franklin Local Town Pages | www.franklintownnews.com October 2021
PINK
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On September 9th, the Franklin
Downtown Partnership voted
to partner with The Ellie Fund in
honor of Breast Cancer Awareness
month. Local businesses
will promote The Ellie Fund as
part of their “Do Good” campaign
(https://www.elliefund.
org/do-good/). Companies
and businesses can participate
by hosting an event, donating a
percentage of sales or collecting
contributions in support of the
Ellie Fund, which is a nonprofit
supporting patients with breast
cancer.
“They’re very unique in that
what they do,” says Lisa Piana,
of the Franklin Downtown Partnership.
“They provide grocery
assistance, transportation to appointments…things
like that. We
want the town to put up pink balloons
and pink lights, to bring attention
to The Ellie Fund in the
last week of October.”
Kristen Sajdak, of Franklin, is
Community Relations Manager
for The Ellie Fund.
“We did this last year with
Wellesley,” says Sajdak. “Usually
in October, we have a lot
of restaurants raising money for
us, but last year, we didn’t want
to have anyone (do that). We
came up with this idea, and we
had Wellesley promote The Ellie
Fund.”
Sajdak herself is a 20-year
survivor of breast cancer. She
was living in Norfolk, mother to
children ages 3, 5, 7 and 9, at the
time.
“The whole town encompassed
my family, and it was just
a wonderful experience,” says
Sajdak. That experience, she
says, mirrors the mission of The
Ellie Fund.
“We offer grocery gift cards,
childcare housecleaning, transportation,
meals,” says Sajdak.
“Every patient receives two services,
and we tailor it to them.
We don’t look for any financial
information, if you’re treated
in Mass. Our way of receiving
patients comes from the social
worker.” Since Covid, The Ellie
Fund has also worked to become
known in doctors’ offices and
community health centers.
“I didn’t even know The Ellie
Fund existed prior to having
breast cancer,” says Jane Moran,
who’s lived in Franklin for 16
years and was diagnosed in April
Franklin will go pink in the last
week of October. Shown is a
bottle of wine from La Cantina,
the sales of which will benefit The
Ellie Fund.
of 2018 with stage 3 breast cancer.
“There’s a great organization
out there that people don’t even
know about, and they’re very
special.”
Moran, who underwent 16
weeks of chemotherapy, with 36
rounds of radiation, a double
mastectomy and four other surgeries,
admits her family felt the
crunch with their high deductible
health plan.
When she met with a social
worker at Dana Farber, she
says, she was concerned about
finances.
“It’s a time when, whatever
your diagnosis is, it’s scary.
You shouldn’t have to worry
about expenses when you’re
going through all of that,” says
Moran, who appreciated that
ease of The Ellie Fund’s application.
“Some of the others you
have to provide tax returns and
give them copies of actual bills,”
she says.
“It makes patients feel so relieved
that they didn’t have to
look for tax information,” says
Sajdak.
Moran’s grant offered her the
choice of two services, and she
chose grocery and gas gift cards.
“Honestly, that was so awesome,
to know I didn’t have to
pay for it. It takes some of the
pressure off. Every little bit you
have to spend on stuff in your
life that is not medical-related is
so appreciated. It’s like the well
is dry once the bills start coming,
and they come immediately.
There is no grace period.”
Moran and her family have
also been able to attend social
events sponsored by The Ellie
Fund, such as a drive-in movie
last year at Gillette Stadium.
“It’s just nice every now and
then for someone to reach out
to you and say, ‘Hey, we’d like
to do something special for you.
You’re all consumed with the
financial stress, the stress on
your body, the stress of what it’s
doing to your family. To know
that there’s an organization that
does nothing but (offer) support
is amazing to me.”
Sajdak describes The Ellie
Fund as “a friend you didn’t
know you had.”
If you would like to become
involved in the Franklin Goes
Pink campaign, visit this link at
https://www.elliefund.org/
wp-content/uploads/2021/08/
Franklin-Pink-Registration.pdf
The town of Franklin also has
its own fundraising page for The
Ellie Fund. If you would like to
learn more or donate, visit
Go Fund Me at www.gofundme.com
and search for
“Franklin Goes Pink for Ellie
Fund”.
“If anyone knows anyone
they’d like to refer to The Ellie
Fund, they can call or connect
to someone who can help them
fill out the application,” says Sajdak.
“It’s a very simple process.”