Bill French Jewelers donates $600 to Pink Warrior Angels

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press

Those undergoing cancer at any time have a lot to deal with, and those dealing with it during Covid have it even rougher. The Pink Warrior Angels of Texas (PWATX) do their part to alleviate some of those stresses and donations, like the $600 donation given by Bill French Jewelers on Wednesday, will allow them to help even more people.

Bill French Jewelers, an independent home-grown jeweler in Copperas Cove raised $600 with a raffle fundraiser which he presented to PWATX on Wednesday at 2 p.m. For the raffle, Bill French Jewelers raffled off a Melodies in Motion clock worth about $750. They sold tickets for $5 for one ticket or $20 for five tickets.

Store owner Bill French said that he knows that many families are facing hardships right now with the ongoing pandemic and the recent winter storm, and those who are undergoing a cancer diagnosis have even more stresses on top of all of that. French said that his business is committed to helping out in any way that they can. It’s important to him that not only is his business known for being honest and trustworthy, they also want to be known for helping others.

“Everyone knew my dad in this town, he spent 35 years of his life donating to this community,” said French. “So we’re trying to keep up the tradition in his honor and help out organizations that need help…We want to be known as a local business that gives back and supports the community.”

PWATX is a local non-profit organization with the goal of providing both financial and emotional support to those who are fighting cancer—any form of cancer.

Donations like the one from Bill French Jewelers helps PWATX support families with things like buying groceries, paying for utilities, car payments, making rent or mortgage payments, and more.

“We provide financial aid for people diagnosed with cancer…That helps alleviate some of the stress, especially if they’ve lost their job or because of Covid,” said Anna Larson, Director of Operations for PWATX. “This check in particular is huge. This could be two car payments or four trips to the grocery store. It could pay for the water or the electric for a month or two.”

Larson said that going through a cancer treatment is already stressful enough without having to worry about paying bills or putting food on the table.

More than just offering financial support, PWATX also offers their angel/warrior program wherein they pair a warrior who has already beaten cancer with an angel, someone who is currently battling cancer. This makes sure that the angel is never alone and can talk with and be supported by someone who understands exactly what they are going through.

Thanks to the support and generous donations of people and businesses like Bill French Jewelers, PWATX was able to donate over $25,000 to cancer warriors in 2020.