Each person on our board has been personally touched by cancer this year. It was a best friend, it was a father, it was a mother, it was a coworker. Cancer touches all of us, and we felt very moved to support Carolina Breast Friends in any way we could. - Jason Boone, Hydration Station Foundation
When do mimosas bring about powerful philanthropy? Here in Charlotte, it’s when the Hydration Station Foundation (HSF) is raising money through mimosa parties to support nonprofits throughout the region.
According to HSF’s founder, Jason Boone, the idea sprang from a mimosa party he hosted in 2009 during the Elizabeth neighborhood 5K race that ran by his home. Says Jason, “I decided the following year, I would invite folks over and ask them to make a donation to Time Out Youth in exchange for mimosas."
Just like that, what began as a neighborhood gathering transformed into a powerhouse of collective action supporting whatever local charities HSF chooses to benefit each year.
Then came a turning point that expanded HSF’s reach and impact even further. Shares Jason, "When COVID hit, we had to pivot away from a big gathering. We asked our friends all around the city to host small parties of 10 guests, socially distanced and outside. We provided the mimosas, they hosted the parties and collected the donations." As a result, HSF went from raising $15,000 at their single-morning event to raising more than $50,000 from all across the Charlotte region. A new model was born that forms the basis of HSF’s fundraising power today.
Carolina Breast Friends (CBF) is honored and grateful to have been a beneficiary of HSF’s Mimosa Parties this year on April 27.
Reveals Jason, "Each person on our board has been personally touched by cancer this year. It was a best friend, it was a father, it was a mother, it was a coworker. Cancer touches all of us.” He goes on to explain, “When we made the decision to name beneficiaries in the cancer sector, we started asking friends who they would recommend. Resoundingly we heard, Carolina Breast Friends.”
The collaboration between HSF and CBF reflects a shared commitment to offering support, hope, and resources to those affected by breast cancer. The synergy even spilled beyond the mimosa parties to include one of HSF’s board members, Tim Wallace, stepping up to be one of this year's 12 “Big Wigs” who raised awareness and funds in CBF's Wiggin Out for Carolina Breast Friends campaign in May. Tim, himself, raised $31,000 to become the second highest fundraiser of this year's campaign. (See Donor Spotlight | The Big Wigs)
Shares Michelle Weber, CBF’s Director of Development, "Working with Jason and the other foundation board members--who all possess such generous hearts for helping others--has been an amazingly rewarding experience."