Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center-South will host a trunk show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to celebrate cancer patients past and present, as well as their families and caregivers.
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Taking on cancer can be a grueling challenge for patients.
So for one day, the staff at Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center-South wanted to do something to help patients, past and present, feel special.
After a three-year absence, Community is bringing its trunk show back to celebrate cancer patients, as well as their families and caregivers. The event will be held inside the lobby of the hospital’s Community MD Anderson Cancer Center-South from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.
Guests can shop booths from multiple vendors, including FigLeaf Boutique, which offers cancer treatment and recovery products such as wigs, hats and scarves, skin care and pink ribbon merchandise, among other items. People can get the pictures taken at a photo booth, snack on a variety of food, and dance to live music.
Giveaways and special activities will all be part of the day.
“It’s almost like a fall festival in the cancer center,” said Donna Raker, a radiation therapy nurse at Community MD Anderson Cancer Center South. “It’s such a fun atmosphere — everybody is walking around, listening to music, having a good time.”
The trunk show has been a tradition at Community Hospital South since 2012. The oncology staff wanted to plan an event to bring the people together to honor their patients and do something special for them.
Twice a year, they would gather vendors together to offer unique products, while bringing in live music and food. The events were held regularly until the final one in 2019; the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel the gatherings.
Only now has the cancer center brought them back.
“It’s patient-focused, something they really enjoyed and that the staff really enjoyed being a part of,” said Amy Thompson, manager of radiation oncology at the hospital. “That led me to try to figure out how we could bring it back.”
Organizers call the event a “trunk show” because during its earliest days, vendors would literally haul their stuff out of their trunks.
“It was kind of like the old road shows, where people were literally just selling their wares out of their trunks,” Raker said.
The focus is on fun and positivity, but the day is also meaningful for both patients and the cancer center staff. Many former patients will come back simply to thank those nurses and doctors who treated them during their cancer journey.
“It’s definitely light-hearted that day. It’s not like you’re walking into a cancer center; for a lot of people, that’s hard,” Raker said. “That day has a different feel. It’s very joyous.”
The event offers a nice contrast to the emotional stress that comes with caring for patients with cancer — something both the patients and the caregivers appreciate.
“Every day, we come in here, and we’re dealing with these patients that come in here and are fighting for their lives,” said Samantha Franklin, a radiation therapy nurse with the hospital. “On the trunk show day, even though they’re still dealing with a lot of stressors, it puts a smile on everyone’s faces.
“We want to say we appreciate you.”
IF YOU GO
Community Health Trunk Show
What: A chance to celebrate cancer patients, past and present, along with their families and caregivers. The event will feature music, food, vendors, giveaways and more.
When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday
Where: Lobby of Community Health Network MD Anderson Cancer Center-South, 1440 E. County Line Road, Indianapolis
