Mountain State Fair's 'Caps for Cancer' aims for 1,000 donations this year
by Taylor Thompson Mon, July 8th 2024 at 5:05 PM WLOS News 13
The North Carolina Mountain State Fair is back with its second year of the community program Caps for Cancer.
Through this program, caps are donated to cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment in the regional area.
"I prayed about it," she said. "I was flipping through and I saw something about caps being used for cancer patients, and I thought 'Well, that’s something we can do.'"
She described it as an act of kindness. Word about it started to get out, eventually reaching Christine Price, a registered nurse at Pardee Hospital.
Price said that her time spent with cancer patients inspired her to get involved after she saw Caps for Cancer on the fair's website. By the time last year’s fair came around, she had crocheted and donated 41 caps.
“Knowing what they go through with their treatments before, during and after is very difficult and I just wanted to be able to support however I could,” Price said.
Moore reached out to local cancer centers to get the caps delivered to patients, which led her to Michael Messino, founder of Messino Cancer Centers.
Messino said he was thrilled when Moore reached out to tell him that they wanted to donate caps to their foundation.
By the time the fair came around in September, Moore said that they had a total of 373 caps ready to be distributed.
She said it makes her emotional to think about how many people have been and will be blessed by these caps. She emphasized how important it is for these patients to know that they are loved by someone who does not even know them.
Price has been preparing for this year's fair since January, as she has already crocheted 20 hats so far. But, she plans to have 100 completed for the fair.
People who are going through cancer really need to know that people out there care about them and love them and are praying for them,” she said.
Moore’s goal for this year is to have 1,000 caps by the first day of this year's fair, which takes place on September 6.
“We just want those little fingers to get busy and make as many as you can,” she said.
Caps can be donated to the Mountain State Fair or be a part of the competition that will take place at the fair.