Doctors, medical professionals, administrators and other Community Healthcare System staff hit the basketball court Friday night for Hoop Dreams for a Cure, a fundraising event to support Community Cancer Research Foundation’s Cancer Resource Centre.
The friendly pickup game – held at Munster High School – was refereed by Indiana High School Athletic Association officials. Ticket revenue, 50/50 raffle proceeds and a portion of sales from Dippin’ Dots and Twisted Sugar treats were donated to Cancer Resource Centre (CRC), a facility offering free programs and support to people battling cancer and to their families.
“The Cancer Resource Centre doesn’t charge anybody. We don’t bill insurance. Everything we do is free,” said M. Nabil Shabeeb, MD, chairperson for the CRC and general surgeon affiliated with Community Healthcare System. “When someone has cancer, they’re often overwhelmed, so we offer support on many levels, not just medical but also social and emotional. We do counseling, group therapy, classes, lectures and more.”
Cancer Resource Centre, which is celebrating 20 years of service this year, has helped tens of thousands of people from across Northwest Indiana and Chicago’s south suburbs. The facility has become a core part of the treatment process for so many in the community that Community Healthcare System’s physicians and staff were eager to suit up for the game and play a role in giving it the support it needs.
“In the medical profession, we can sometimes struggle to direct families to resources that can help them with various issues in their care,” said Ramesh Unni, MD, an urologist with Community Healthcare System and an honorary team captain for Hoop Dreams for a Cure. “The Cancer Resource Centre is a central place for the community where patients can access numerous resources. The CRC’s work is tremendous, and it is an incredible resource for Northwest Indiana.”
Friends and families of the players helped fill the stands and cheer on the players Friday as they made their shots.
“The first thing I think of when I see these crowds is pride in how the system comes together, how fellow staff come together to support this cause,” said Dan Shih, clinical business analyst for Community Healthcare System. “For them to understand what CRC offers is amazing.”
Those offerings include yoga and chi gong classes, art therapy, healthy eating guidance, sound healing and more.
“What’s beautiful about Cancer Resource Centre is that patients are treated like family,” said Anthony Andello, manager of outreach at the CRC. “Those patients treat us like family in return. When they’re going through their journey, we want to be here to support them and help in any way we can.”
To learn more about Cancer Resource Centre and Community Cancer Research Foundation, visit myccrf.com. For more information about Community Healthcare System, visit COMHS.org.
