Wildwater Ocoee Basin Canopy Tours and Rafting is hosting its 14th annual “Raft/Zip for the Cure,’’ a benefit for the MaryEllen Scholarship Locher Foundation, on Oct. 17.
Events will include rafting at 10:30 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., and canopy tours/ziplining at 3:30 p.m.
Price breakdowns are:
• $500 for a rafting/canopy tour combination for 10 people;
• $300 for a rafting/canopy tour combination for seven people;
• $100 for a rafting group of six people; and
• $20 donation for each individual to attend lunch and do the canopy tour.
Lunch is free for survivors, family members, teams and team supporters. All proceeds will be donated to the foundation.
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation is a college scholarship program for children who have either lost a parent to breast cancer or have a parent who is a breast cancer survivor. Over the past 18 years, the foundation has awarded 517 scholarships totaling $912,000. This year 22 students received scholarships, representing 16 area high schools in Chattanooga, Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.
For more information and to make reservations for the zip and rafting events, contact Hannah Godfrey at 423-548-5100 or orbctmanager@gmail.com. Reservations may also be made by visiting wildwaterrafting.com/locations/wildwater-ocoee or by calling 866-319-8870. The address is 4596 Highway 64 West in Ducktown.
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation was founded in 2002 by MaryEllen Locher, a well-known WTVC news anchor and health reporter. She started the foundation because she was concerned about the future of her own son. Ms. Locher died of breast cancer in 2005 after her third bout with cancer.
Funds for the foundation are raised through special events, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and private grants. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.
In 2014, the organization launched “Mel’s Club,’’ a breast health awareness and education program for teen girls. Presentations are available for schools, churches, civic organizations and clubs.
For more information about the foundation’s scholarship program or to schedule a “Mel’s Club’’ presentation, contact Cindy Pare, administrator, at 423-490-4555 or cindy@melfoundation.org.
Visit the website at www.melfoundation.org or find more information on the foundation’s Facebook page.