From committees to holiday teas, Ginger Finley raises money and support for UNC Lineberger.
For Ginger Finley of Raleigh, community service and giving back is a way of life. Ginger started by volunteering in the nursery at VCU during high school and continued at UNC Hospitals as a college student at UNC. Then her life was touched by cancer when she lost her stepfather to leukemia and supported a close friend who battled cancer for years.
Ginger responded by getting involved at UNC Lineberger. She and her husband Ed have been active members of the UNC Lineberger Board of Visitors for 18 years. They have loved learning about the latest advances in cancer prevention and treatment and supporting the cancer center with their time and resources.
In the mid-1980s, Ginger established a special holiday tradition. It started informally as a coffee for young mothers at the neighborhood drugstore and then transitioned to a full-blown holiday celebration in their homes. Now every December, she and her friend Laura Bromhal host a Christmas tea to celebrate the season. Recognizing that every family is touched by cancer in some way, they decided to ask their guests to make a gift to support cancer research and care at UNC Lineberger. Over the years, these holiday celebrations have raised more than $20,000!
Ginger also chairs a committee that gathers donations for the UNC Lineberger Patient and Family Resource Center. She collects much appreciated magazines and books, coffee and tea packets, warm socks and throws, and gas cards for cancer patients and their families. Ginger understands how cold it can be during hours of chemotherapy. A warm cup of tea or snuggling with a fuzzy afghan can be just the right medicine.