Neighbor News
Cumming Teen Making Waves Against Childhood Cancer
Grace Drawdy, 17, fundraising for Swim Across America - Atlanta
Grace Drawdy, 17, is not letting coronavirus put the brakes on her fundraising efforts to help stop pediatric cancer. The senior at South Forsyth High School has been involved with Swim Across America - Atlanta for the past five years and served in a leadership role on the organization’s Junior Advisory Board for the past two years.
When she’s not logging laps (she swims 6-8 miles each week), the ambitious teen is making jewelry for Pearls with a Purpose, a business she founded when she was in 7th grade to help raise money for charity. She’s been donating to Swim Across America - Atlanta, which funds research efforts at the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, for over four years and has raised more than $8,000 for the organization. Her entire jewelry collection is on display and for sale at The Gypsy’s Farmhouse (598 Veterans Memorial Blvd Cumming, GA.)
This year, when Swim Across America - Atlanta postponed their in-person open water swim event and moved to a virtual Coast to Coast Challenge, Grace put out a call on her Instagram account offering to make mailbox bows for a minimum donation of $20. Her neighbors in Cumming’s Chattahoochee River Club stepped up in a big way, helping Grace raise over $1,400 to-date for her favorite charity.
Find out what's happening in Cummingfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Just because the swim was cancelled doesn’t mean that cancer is cancelled. There are still millions of kids suffering at the hands of this horrible disease that we can put an end to,” says Grace, who was originally inspired to raise money for pediatric cancer by a trip to Destin, FL for a Lighthouse Family Retreat, a faith-based organization that helps strengthen families living through childhood cancer. “I wanted to go on a mission trip to Uganda, but now I’m so thankful for my time at Lighthouse Family Retreat. That experience, coupled with my love for swimming, made Swim Across America - Atlanta the perfect charity for me. If we find a cure for cancer we might not need Lighthouse Family Retreats any longer!”
To learn more or support Grace's fundraising efforts, visit her web page at: