Our staff wanted to not only show their support by wearing pink, but also give back to our local communities, to people who are actually living with the disease.
Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) November 29, 2016
This October, the Premier Group, a leading owner and operator of funeral home businesses in the US, sponsored a unique corporate-wide initiative to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Employees at Premier’s funeral homes wore pink ties and scarves to show their support for the cause. Also, the businesses developed special initiatives to back local organizations that support breast cancer treatment, awareness and research. Local initiatives included donations, fundraisers, volunteering, and other efforts. The Premier Group provided financial support and assistance to develop and sponsor these locally focused initiatives.
“Many - if not most - people have been affected by breast cancer in some way,” said Premier CEO, Barry Bedford. “Our staff wanted to not only show their support by wearing pink, but also give back to our local communities, to people who are actually living with the disease.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month as a company,” said Troy Centazzo, Premier’s President. “But what’s really special about this initiative is that all of our local teams developed support programs that are focused on the specific needs of their communities. It’s been a bottom up, not top-down approach.”
Premier Group’s funeral homes are invested in their local communities and each made donations to organizations that offer educational resources, provide support for survivors, and fund breast cancer research. Recipients included local branches of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which provides services on the state and city level. Other donations were made directly to local medical clinics such as the Leah M. Fitch Cancer Center in Lawton, OK, and the Elizabeth Reilly Breast Center in Hendersonville, NC. Some funeral homes chose to sponsor community-specific fundraisers that each benefited breast cancer research, including a local softball tournament and even a “Tractor Pull” put on by a local high school.
With locations throughout the country, Premier wanted its funeral homes to come together to show support for this important cause. These businesses serve families that are directly impacted by breast cancer, and many staff members have even battled cancer themselves.
“One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer and even men can be affected,” said Bedford. “If anything, our team hopes that our initiatives motivated people to take action with their health since early detection is key.”
Community Support and Involvement
A critical aspect of Premier’s approach to providing funeral home services in smaller communities is its extensive support of causes and charities that are important to the staffs and the areas they serve. In recent years, Premier Group funeral homes have leveraged their community influence to successfully raise much-needed awareness and funds for important local causes. Cancer-related organizations that Premier funeral homes have supported include Relay for Life, the Danny Bell Cancer Center in Poplar Bluff, MO, and the United Cancer Assistance Network. In June, Premier Sharp Funeral Home in Tennessee hosted a silent auction fundraiser benefiting the Oliver Springs Historical Society that raised over $4,000. In January of last year, Missouri’s Cotrell Funeral Service raised $6,000 for the United Cancer Assistance Network during their 135th anniversary celebration.
About the Premier Group
Founded in 2011, the Premier Group is a privately-held owner and operator of funeral homes in smaller, or “secondary,” markets in the United States. The company is led by industry veterans and focuses on partnering with the leading funeral home businesses in their market areas. Premier provides its local funeral homes professional services, like back-office support, technical assistance, and funeral home marketing so the local staffs can focus on supporting their client families and communities.
For more information on Premier Group or selling a funeral home, visit http://www.premierfuneral.net, call (317) 566-2072, or email info(at)premierfuneral.net. Connect with Premier Group on social media by following us on Twitter: @premierfuneral or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/premier-funeral-management-group.
