Nov. 9-10: Shop for a Cause in Chelsea

You’ll probably see a lot of pink balloons displayed by Chelsea stores on the weekend of Nov. 9-10

That’s because Kevin Frahm, owner of Global Marketplace, is recruiting fellow local businesses to join him in donating a portion of their sales that weekend to the new Chelsea Community Hospital Cancer Center.

He says that earlier this year, the community lost one of its own to cancer. Glee Havens, the former owner of Glee’s Pastries, lost her hard fight with the disease.

“Part of the impetus for initiating this is to honor one of our own,” he says.

In addition, he says, he also wants to keep the Chelsea Area firefighters’ “Paint Chelsea Pink” event in people’s minds.

“Last year, the Chelsea Fire Authority rallied the Chelsea community in their Paint Chelsea Pink campaign for breast cancer research,” he says in a letter to local businesses. “Unfortunately, this year, they are not able to pull together the same initiative.”

Frahm says he’d like to keep this project in people’s minds should the fire department decide to do it again.

Plus, he says he also wanted to do something special for the new cancer center planned by Chelsea Community Hospital, so he spoke to Judy Stratman, director of development and marketing at the hospital, and told her that the hospital can use the money he donates wherever it is most needed.

“I invite you to join me in supporting the Chelsea Community Hospital Cancer Center,” he says in the letter, adding that “The Chelsea business community can have a great impact on cancer education, prevention and treatment right here in our own neighborhoods.”

Frahm called the new renovations at the hospital “wonderful” and hopes that other business owners will “honor what’s in their own backyards,” by joining the fundraising project.

Although he says that pink is associated with breast cancer, he is honoring all cancers with his donation. He chose pink because he didn’t want the firefighters to have to rebrand their project should they decide to renew it in the future.

“This is not all about breast cancer,” he says, “It’s for all cancers and goes to Chelsea Community Hospital to use the money as they see fit.”

If you would like to participate, call Frahm at 475-7604, contact him through his Website, or email him at [email protected].