RICHMOND, Va. -- The Beyond Bags gala later month will feature nearly 200 new and gently used bags for the silent auction along with a host of other items to benefit the Central Virginia group that helps cancer patients and their families navigate legal and financial issues.
It is the signature event for CancerLINC, the Legal Information Network for Cancer, which offers legal and financial resources to assist area cancer patients with "all challenges that arise with a cancer diagnosis."
“Beyond Bags is a live and silent auction, and we feature handbags as well as experience items, restaurant gift cards and other types of bags,” Mary Sadovszky, a CancerLINC board member and the fundraiser's event chair, explained. “We've had some designers in the past that were very artistic."
For 26 years CancerLINC has supported cancer patients in central and southern Virginia.
“CancerLINC was started by two lawyers that were also cancer survivors themselves, who saw firsthand the need for assistance, both in the legal and financial planning departments,” Caitlin Olszewski, CancerLINC's outreach and communications manager, explained.
This year's Beyond Bags is hosted by WTVR CBS 6 anchor Reba Hollingsworth.
“We have several designer handbags," Sadovszky said. "We have you know handmade bags, artistic bags, we have hobo bags, Coach bags, Kate Spade, so a wide variety.”
There is also an annual donation from a famous Hollywood actress.
“We have three bags to share from Sarah Jessica Parker. She's donated the bags and all of them are signed,” Sadovszky said.
As the title suggests, other items up for bids include jewelry and hotel packages.
“We have a the Omni Homestead, we have the Jefferson Hotel; we have a hotel in Cape Charles as well as Williamsburg Lodge," Sadovszky said.
If you cannot attend the fundraiser, you can register to bid on CancerLINC's website.
“All of our proceeds from this event do go back to helping CancerLINC supporting in their efforts to support cancer patients,” Sadovszky said.
Beyond Bags is Thursday, March 30 from 6-9 p.m. at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. For more information on CancerLinc, the Beyond Bags fundraiser and other CancerLinc events visit, https://cancerlinc.org
