Invincibelle® Spirit, the pink-flowered ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea from Proven Winners, has met a monumental fundraising goal in its three-year partnership with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). BCRF offers partners the unique opportunity to fund a researcher if they donate $250,000 within BCRF’s fiscal year. Funds raised from sales of the flowering shrub, along with those from Pink Day events hosted by garden centers, will support the work of Dr. Carey Anders of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for all of 2013.
BCRF encourages partners to weigh in on which researcher they’d like their funds to support. Proven Winners ColorChoice suggested a North Carolina-based researcher in homage to the state where Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea was developed by Drs. Tom Ranney and Richard Olsen at North Carolina State University’s Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Center.
Dr. Anders’ BCRF-funded research focuses on new therapies for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), an especially aggressive form of the disease associated with a high rate of recurrence and low survivorship. Dr. Anders’ research embodies the translational approach championed by BCRF: that promising laboratory research should beget clinical trials. Her work shows especially encouraging results for women who have experienced brain metastasis, a common occurrence with TNBC diagnoses.
“We are so excited to show gardeners who have planted an Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea and the garden centers who have hosted Pink Days that their efforts are truly bearing fruit,” says Tim Wood, director of marketing for Proven Winners ColorChoice, “Supporting the work of Dr. Anders is a poignant testament to the power of the garden and nursery industry.”
Over $472,000 has been raised since Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs introduced the plant in 2009. One dollar from every Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea sold has been donated to BCRF. Hundreds of garden centers across the US and Canada have also contributed to the cause by hosting Pink Day fundraisers.
For more information, please contact Shannon Springer at shannon@springmeadownursery.com.
About Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs
Proven Winners ColorChoice is the brand name of Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., a market leader in flowering shrubs, potted liners, and starter plants. Located in Grand Haven, Michigan, Spring Meadow Nursery has over 500 varieties in their catalog, including 200 varieties marketed under the Proven Winners ColorChoice brand, including Incrediball® Hydrangea, ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea, My Monet® Weigela, Wine & Roses® Weigela, Quick Fire® Hydrangea, and Invincibelle® Spirit Hydrangea. For more information, visit www.colorchoiceplants.com and www.springmeadownursery.com.
About The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, is an independent not-for-profit organization committed to funding scientific research to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. In October 2012, BCRF will award $40 million to 197 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and China. With 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the most fiscally responsible charities in the country. For the tenth time since 2002, it has earned 4 stars from Charity Navigator. Additionally, BCRF is the only cancer organization rated an “A+” by CharityWatch. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.
Source: Proven Winners