Giving Back

Lafayette Family Foundation & Foundation to Cure Melanoma

All proceeds from our fundraisers stay local in Maine. The Lafayette family regularly makes generous personal donations to numerous local causes.

community

Lafayette Hotels is extremely focused on giving back to their community. This is often done quietly, as Danny and Carla remain humble and do not do charitable acts for the press or recognition it may bring. One of the most substantial causes the company donates to is the Champion the Cure Challenge, held each year in Brewer, Maine. Although they have always been passionate about finding a cure for cancer, their passion and commitment increased when their son was diagnosed with melanoma at age 18. They pledged $2 million to CancerCare of Maine, which was the center’s largest donation to date. One million dollars went to fund the building itself, and the remaining one million was set to endow a fund for cancer research. This has brought the Brewer area the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute, where world class research and cancer care takes place.

Champion the Cure Impact

Raised for local cancer research & treatment since 2010.

$ 0 Million

Raised in 2024 by 130 Lafayette Team Members

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Take a walk though the halls of the Lafayette Hotels Headquarters and you will find row upon row of heartfelt thank-you cards from charities, individuals, and groups. Photos of decades worth of sports teams sponsored by the Hotel Group decorate the spaces between offices. The community involvement Lafayette Hotels has prioritized from the company’s start is one of their best kept secrets.

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Other causes they have donated to include the National Folk Festival, Acadia Hospital, MS Comprehensive Treatment Center, the University of Maine (areas of athletics and performing arts), HA Project Graduation, Alzheimer’s Association, Literacy Volunteers, and Good Shepherd Food Bank. Lafayette Hotels also sponsors youth sports teams, including Little League, Softball, and Football. Whew! Danny and Carla have given away millions of dollars. It is not only about what dollar amount you can give. They also donate their time to their communities, church, and schools.

care

More About the Lafayette Cancer Center

In 2019, the Lafayette Family Foundation donated $95,000 to the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute and its collaborators for melanoma research. Doctors from the Cancer Institute collaborate closely with colleagues from Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor, Maine; as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts on joint research and studies. The Foundation to Cure Melanoma donated $20,000 in 2019. $15,000 was donated to Dana-Farber for melanoma research and $5,000 was donated to the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute. Total donations for the year totaled $115,000.

Lafayette Family Cancer Institute

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center is accredited through the American College of Surgeons and recognized for outstanding achievement. We are proud to offer many national clinical trials locally. Northern Light CancerCare of Maine currently has over 70 adult and pediatric trials available. The modern facility is located in the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute in Brewer. The Institute is equipped with the most advanced cancer treatment technologies in northern New England as well as private and shared treatment areas, where families can join their loved ones receiving care.

Northern Light CancerCare has been selected as the only organization in Maine to become a member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Care Collaborative, a program that will bring many benefits to those affected by cancer in the community. In addition, EMHS has entered into an affiliation with Dana-Farber that will help bring leading-edge cancer treatments to surrounding communities throughout the state. Membership in the collaborative enhances educational opportunities for staff and offers opportunities for consultation with medical specialists at Dana-Farber in Boston for complex cases. In addition, many of the latest Dana-Farber clinical trials will be available in Maine for patients at Northern Light CancerCare.

together

Lafayette Hotels is headquartered in Eastern Maine and employs over 1,000 people. In addition to many other local charities, we make numerous donations to organizations such as: University of Maine, the Red Cross, and the Lafayette Family Cancer Center to find cures for cancer – to name a few. You can help cure cancer by staying with us. The Lafayette Family of Hotels is committed to helping find cures at this world-class institute in Maine. We believe that the Institute will bring help and hope to cancer patients and their families. Our 30 properties located in Maine and New Hampshire are all participating in fundraisers for this effort.

Nancy Cayford, an associate at the Fireside Inn & Suites in Waterville, raised over $5,000 with an annual yard sale she organized and sponsored. Several of our hotels sell bottles of water with proceeds going to cancer research. The Best Western White House Inn sells stuffed moose, and hosted the Run for Hope 5K which raised $191,500 from 1994 to 2009. This event has expanded and become the Champion the Cure Challenge – continuing the legacy of the Run for Hope. Since 2010, the Champion the Cure Challenge has raised over $7.5 million dollars for local cancer research and treatment! Our 2024 Lafayette Team had over 130 members and raised over $112,501 – our most raised ever!

Donations can also be sent to:
The Lafayette Family Foundation
155 Littlefield Avenue
Bangor, ME 04401
(This donation is tax-deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.)

Giving Back

Lafayette Family Foundation & Foundation to Cure Melanoma

community

Giving Back

Champion the Cure Impact

care

More About the Lafayette Cancer Center

Lafayette Family Cancer Institute

together

Thank you from the Lafayette Family and the entire Lafayette Hotels Family

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