It all started in a backyard with a red bucket and a group of caring and committed individuals.
When Jill Wolford, a young Cary mother of two was diagnosed with breast cancer she received an overwhelming amount of help from friends, family, co-workers and even complete strangers. After receiving this support, Jill and her husband Eric decided they wanted to show their appreciation and help other individuals challenged with cancer; in other words, pay it forward.
With treatment completed, the couple threw a backyard BBQ in June 2001, asking for small contributions from partygoers. The $724 raised that evening was given anonymously to LuAnne Goodwin, a single mother with breast cancer, to help pay for medications and living expenses.