When Mason was a student in her class for both 3rd and 5th grade, Rebecca became close to his family. She was his teacher when he was at school, as well as at home or in the hospital through Hospital/Homebound services. Through this program, she provided educational services when he couldn't be in the classroom.
With the help of the Ocee Elementary community, Mason's family was able to keep their household afloat by helping them with non-medical bills and the care for the family's other two children. Sadly, Mason's fight came to an end, but his spirit remains strong.
With Mason's footprints now set upon her heart, and a long-time desire to start a charity, Rebecca now knew how she wanted to make a difference in this world. Her dream of starting a charity came to life with the desire to help other families in our community dealing with children fighting their own battles. Her hope was that through this charity, they could help ease their fight by paying non-medical bills - taking over the burden of the day-to-day that can sometimes slip through the cracks when a family's plate becomes too full.
And what better name for her charity than ACE, named in memory of Mase the Ace. And because she knew she couldn't do it alone, she defined her initiative even more, spelling out this name to mean "A Community Effort." Yes, ACE's mission was born and now, with the help of those surrounding her, families are able to receive financial support through ACE's fundraising efforts.
How Does ACE Work?
ACE works closely with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to identify families in need of financial assistance. Presented with an application, ACE reviews each candidate, and once approved, takes over the payment of bills covered within the agreement. With 60 families served just in 2016, and around 90 families total since ACE's inception, they have never had to turn down an application for help.
How Does ACE Raise Money?
ACE runs 100% off of monetary donations through fundraisers as well as individual contributions. Their main fundraiser is the annual ACE Bowl-A-Thon being hosted this year on February 4th from 2:30 - 4:30 at Brunswick Zone Roswell.
In addition to the Bowl-A-Thon, individual donations can be made through the ACE website. There have also been some creative kiddos that have sponsored their own events and gave proceeds to the charity. So the next time your kids want to have a lemonade stand, bake sale, or dog or car wash, ACE would love to partner with them and even provide "Acelets," fun bracelets to hand out to those who donate! Contact Rebecca for more information.
ACE Bowl-A-Thon
At the Bowl-A-Thon, teams of up to 6 people of varying ages and abilities come out to compete in a family-friendly, cosmic-bowling showdown where prizes are awarded, for example, to the winning team, the most-spirited team, and even the worst team, plus so many more!
Prizes this year include:
- A month of lessons from Aqua-Tots
- A month of classes plus a guest pass from Elevate Barre Studio
- Jewelry donated by Kendra Scott
- Gift certificates from Village Burger, Da Vinci's Donuts, Reveille, Crust Pizzeria
- Passes from Sky Zone
- ...and more to come!
Businesses or organizations that would like to become an event sponsor may also get in touch with Rebecca for available opportunities.
To register for the Bowl-A-Thon, click here.
What's to Come in 2017
With a goal to raise $35,000 this year, ACE hopes to serve even more families struggling with childhood cancer. With your help, they can get there.
For more information about ACE, register for the Bowl-A-Thon, or make an individual donation, please visit their website HERE. You can also follow them on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE.
Kevin & Rebecca Polli with their daughter
