By DENISE MOE
For the Reporter
Synergize, the Carmel-based professional group building relationships to create an impact, honored family caregivers at its latest 4:30 Meetup. During a lively evening at Hotel Carmichael, the group raised a total of $3,400 for their nonprofit beneficiary of the month, Cocktails and Caregivers.
Formerly called Cocktails and Chemo, Cocktails and Caregivers began as a blog run by newlyweds Joe and Amanda Clark. Two months before the couple’s wedding, Joe was diagnosed with colon cancer. They were able to blog from two unique perspectives: Joe as the patient, Amanda as his caregiver.
Amanda Clark herself spoke at the event to explain the heart behind her work. “I learned that that word ‘caregiver’ was a badge of honor,” Clark said. “And the more that we owned our story, the more we started to see a ripple effect. We started connecting with families like ours and young cancer patients across the country.”
Since Joe’s passing in 2014, Amanda led Cocktails and Caregivers as it continued to evolve. Today, the organization serves caregivers everywhere through care cards, social support groups, and grants. The foundation’s work is “rooted in Joe’s message to ‘Live Loud, Love Deep, Cry Hard, and Take More Pictures.’”
“To go through something that should have broken you and then turn that pain into a purpose that serves others is something truly amazing,” said Synergize Founder Arron Stanton, who spoke at the event. “At Synergize, we believe our stories have a bigger impact on other people than anything else, and Amanda’s story is living proof that it’s true.”
Synergize chose Cocktails and Caregivers as their beneficiary to honor November’s designation as National Family Caregivers Month. The group benefits a different nonprofit each month through the 4:30 Meetup. So far in 2021, they’ve raised $88,719 for over a dozen charities through memberships and donations.
The group’s final 4:30 Meetup of 2021 will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Hotel Carmichael. Funds raised at the event will provide Christmas gifts to kids through the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Community Foundation’s Shop with a Cop program. First-time guest tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite at this link.
About Synergize
The mission of Synergize is to create a group giving selfless individuals the opportunity to meet in complete harmony, led by the desire to build transformational relationships that change the world. The only rule? No jerks! Visit synergizeindy.com to learn more.