Austin Hatcher Foundation to Celebrate 15 Years of Service at Annual Celebration of Life and Hope
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 9, 2022) – The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer is hosting its 15th annual Celebration of Life and Hope the night of October 22, 2022. This gala-style event is marked as a night full of family testimonies and is celebrated with live and silent auctions, live music from the Emerald Empire Band, photobooth fun, an open bar, specialty cocktails, food and entertainment all to support families that have been impacted by pediatric cancer.
This semi-formal cocktail reception is the foundation’s largest fundraising event of the year, attended by hundreds of local leaders, families and members of the community. People and organizations from throughout the south region have donated prizes, gifts, experiences, vacations and other special items for the night’s auctions. The online auction will open September 1, and the live and silent auctions will take place the night of the event.
This year’s Celebration of Life and Hope is chaired by the foundation’s co-founders Jim and Amy Jo Osborn. The Osborn family founded the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer in 2006 after the loss of their son, Austin Hatcher Osborn, to a rare and aggressive form of pediatric cancer.
"Jim and I are honored to be back chairing the Celebration of Life and Hope for its unique 15th year celebration," said Amy Jo Osborn. "The foundation was formed with a vision of maximizing the mental well-being, emotional, academic and social development of the child and family unit after a diagnosis of pediatric cancer. Our vision has been made possible by the selfless giving of donors, staff, volunteers and our community as a whole. And at this year's event, we are excited to celebrate the advocacy and passion of past Celebration of Life and Hope chairs and committees that have helped make the organization what it is today.”
As co-chairs, the Osborns will be honoring all of the event’s past chairs, committee members and more than 150 community members that have been pivotal to the success of the foundation over the past 15 years. Past event chairs include Ginger Birnbaum (2011, 2012), Mary Catherine Robbins (2013), Sally Ratterman (2014), Ashley Guthrie (2015), Lindsey Jones and Lara Watson (2016), Stacey Prentice (2017), Mike and Maggie McCallie (2018), Dr. Chris and Tracie LeSar (2019), Mike and Traci Otterman (2020) and Jen and Eric Fuller (2021).
“Mike and I aligned ourselves with the Austin Hatcher Foundation because it is a wonderful cause that fills an important need in the Chattanooga area as well as communities all over the country,” said Maggie McCallie, co-chair of the Celebration of Life and Hope’s 10th anniversary event. “But we also became involved and are active volunteers to this day because of the Osborn family themselves. They are remarkable people who have created something amazing and impactful, and we are proud to call them friends. Through their tireless efforts, their precious Hatch has given support and hope to children and families who find themselves on this journey.”
Every annual Celebration of Life and Hope honors one family who is facing pediatric cancer. This year’s honorary family is the Henry family. Emily and Ben Henry have four boys, and their second youngest Fisher (8) was diagnosed in 2020 with leukemia. The Henry family has an incredible story and will be celebrated and recognized the night of the event.
For the second year, the Celebration of Life and Hope will be held at the foundation’s Education Advancement Center located at 1705 S. Holtzclaw Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn. VIP and general admission tickets are available for purchase now. Doors will open for VIP hour at 6:30 p.m. and general admission entry will begin at 7:00 p.m.
The 2022 Celebration of Life and Hope is presented by Textile Rubber and Chemical Co. Inc. The VIP hour is sponsored by First Bank Investment, and the event’s platinum sponsors include U.S. Xpress, Guide On Group, Mtn. View Auto Group, and Hamico. All other sponsors can be found on the event invitation or at www.CelebrationLH.com.
Businesses are still encouraged to join and sponsor the Celebration of Life and Hope. Donations for auction items are also still being accepted. Anyone interested should contact AmyJo@HatcherFoundation.org.
Local media partners are invited to attend the Celebration of Life and Hope. Interested writers and photographers should contact Shayna@HatcherFoundation.org to schedule their visit.
To learn more about the night’s activities or to purchase a ticket, visit www.CelebrationLH.com.
