Hope is a powerful thing.
When Artie Mingo's son was born with a severe blood disorder, hope is what kept Artie and his family going as his son endured transfusions and other needed treatments.
"As I was sitting in yet another hospital waiting room, I picked up a copy of Time magazine to try and focus on something else," he recalls. "As I was sifting through pages, not really reading, I came across an article about Stand Up to Cancer, a grassroots organization that is changing the way the disease is being researched. At that moment, I knew I had to get involved somehow, to help make a difference."
Artie's family's business, Mingo's Evergreen Products, has been making handcrafted, freshly harvested balsam holiday wreaths for over 56 years.
"I asked myself, 'What does our company stand for?'" Artie relates. His answer: "to be a champion for a cause that can bring hope to literally millions."
And the way he sought to do that was by creating an organization that will raise money to help people with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
However, Artie took it a step further. Rather than the traditional round wreath, his company created a unique wreath in the familiar shape of the ribbon that's become synonymous with the fight against cancer.
And Wreaths For Hope was born.
