Help The Kay Yow Foundation and Bojanles Fight Women's Cancer - CEO Jenny Palmateer

Bojangles and the Kay Foundation have partnered to fight all women's cancer and YOU can help by swinging by triangle area Bojangles locations. We sit down with CEO Jenny Palmateer to learn more.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
It's Erica DeLong and once again thisyear the Triangle area Bojangles they've partnered with
the kW Foundation to raise money inthe fight against all women's cancers. Started
today going through February third, andyou can stop by any Triangle Bojangles and
play for K, donate one dollaror more to the kW Cancer Fund,
and receive a free Bowberry biscuit.I'm so excited to sit down with Jenny

(00:24):
Palmitteer, the CEO of the kWCancer Fund, and you've been with the
organization for five years now, Ihave so ironically enough, I actually played
for KO at NC State University andthen I wound up coaching with her for
ten years and then my path tookme back to the KO Cancer Fund,
where I've been at the fund forsix years and became the CEO in March.
That is amazing. So tell everybody, of course we know, but

(00:46):
what is kW, What does itrepresent? What are you raising funds for?
So we have a three prong missionstatement. We actually were founded in
two thousand and seven by the latecoach kW. She had a vision to
galvanize the sports community and to galvinizedcommunities across the country. In the fight
against all cancers affecting women. Andso we have a three prong mission statement.

(01:06):
The first thing is we raise moneyfor life saving cancer research. We
raise money to fund programs that provideaccess to quality cancer healthcare for under resourced
women. And we unite people inthe fight against cancer, which is incredible.
It's been amazing, It has beentruly amazing. And she was such
a visionary and the kind of seeyou know what consummate team person. Obviously

(01:30):
she coached for over thirty years andshe just believed in the power of uniting
people, strength in numbers. Andyou know, fast forward now the fund
has been in exist in sixteen yearsand we've awarded over eight point two million
dollars in the fight against all canceraffecting women. And you're obviously invested in
this as someone that played for KO. Also, you know the fact that

(01:51):
you were coaching alongside her. Whatis something since now that you're in the
CEO role that you're hoping to seehappen with KO? I want to see
it keep growing. You know,as soon as you've said that, and
I think about coach Ob, shewould be so proud and grateful for all
the partnerships all the people that area part of the mission of the fund.
But she would quickly follow that upwith and we can do more.

(02:15):
And so I think for us,it's to continue to raise funds for this
cause because at the end of everydollar is a life, literally a life,
and I think that we want togrow as much as we can across
the country. We are nationwide,but of course we have a real great
focus in the state of North Carolinaas well. Bojangles they are huge on

(02:36):
giving back with KO every year andso they have something really cool every year
starting January twelfth through February third,and those dates change, but if you
get a delicious bowberry biscuit, they'regoing to give a dollar back to KOW.
It has been an unbelievable partnership.We are so grateful to Bojangles and
the Triangle Bojangles in particular, thathave participated in partnership with us for eight

(02:59):
years. This year, their promotionof you know, donate a dollar get
a bowberry biscuit that you just mentioned, has a chance to go over the
million dollar mark in gifts to theKO Cancer Fund through that promotion, which
is just unbelievable. If you reallythink about one that's a lot of buscus

(03:21):
it is and two that that isa whole lot of impact in the North
Carolina area in particular. You know, with the support of our partners like
Bojangles, we're able to we providefunding to UNC Health. We fund two
of their mobile mimmography units that actuallyservice on or underinsured women in about twelve

(03:44):
to fifteen counties in North Carolina.We've been able to award a million dollar
grant to UNC Lineburger for research studyin aging women around cancer. And we've
also been able to award a milliondollar grant to Duke Cancer Center for endometrial
cancer. And so, you know, the support that we received locally really

(04:04):
means a lot to us. Andwe take pride in being able to service
the communities in and around this areafor sure. And all of us know
someone who has been touched by cancersadly, and so these funds are going
to help people that you know.I'll tell you it's really it's a sobering
fact, but one in one inevery three women will be diagnosed with some

(04:27):
form of cancer during their lifetime.Like I've already had it at one point
in my life. Moment, myGod, you know, and I was
lucky that, you know, theyfound it and it was okay. But
yeah, I think there are severaleven young women who are being hit by
cancer these days. Okay, Sothe research is critical, the funding is
critical. And you bring up agreat point because I'll never forget this coach
out told a story about you know, she was she was a little angry

(04:49):
one time during her last battle withcancer. She was with her on cologist,
doctor Mark Graham, and she said, how do we not have a
cure for cancer yet? And shewas aggravated by that, and he looked
right at her and he said,okay, you would not Now remember this
was two thousand and seven ish,and he looked right at her and said,
kay, you would not be hereif it wasn't for the research that

(05:11):
was done in the nineteen eighties.Right. That gives me chills. That's
so true, you know. Andhe said, you for sure would not
be coaching your team with stage fourmetastatic breast cancer. And so I think
it's a tribute to the work thathas been done and also reinforces the need
to keep funding the research because thereare literally women out there that are depending

(05:32):
on it. My sister in lawhad breast cancer and she was one of
the lucky ones because of the advancedtechnology and the research and the funding.
Like she's living a happy life withher three girls now, yeah, and
she was able to be cancer.It's crazy. And you know, I
learned this through Coach ows Battle,But there's so many people out there that
I'm sure know this. But thedrugs that are developed, every cancer is

(05:55):
so different, Every person and theirjourney is so different, and so there
are we have a a survivor thatis very close to the fund. Her
type of cancer is very rare.There are five drugs in the entire world
that can help her. And whenone drug ends, you go to the
next, and you never know howlong that's going to last. And it

(06:15):
could last a week or it couldlast year's and then when that one ends,
you go to the next. Wewant to make sure that if she
needs it, there's a whole lotmore than five out there. You can
benefit not only having a delicious bowberry biscuit, but just know when you
get that bow berry biscuit, orwhen you donate a dollar, you're going
to get the bow berry biscuit whichfeeds your tummy. Your soul, but
also feeding a fund that's going togo right here in the Triangle, helping

(06:36):
women all over North Carolina. Yes, please go get your bowberry biscuit.
Help us get over that million dollarmark. You help Bojangles be the Ko
Cancer Funds first million dollar donor.Thank you so much, Jinny, and
welcome to you know, the CEO. Thank you, I appreciate it.
You guys are awesome.