PORT MATILDA — A night of cheering for horses, friendly wagers, oversized derby hats and laughter will soon help write another chapter in a 20-year mission of supporting local cancer patients.
The Bob Perks Fund’s Night at the Races fundraiser returns Saturday, Oct. 3, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd Parish Hall in Port Matilda. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The Kentucky Derby-themed event has become one of the organization’s signature fundraisers, combining an evening of entertainment with a cause that directly benefits local families facing cancer.
For Executive Director Cindy Brown, that’s what makes the evening special.
“It’s a wild and crazy fun night with lots of laughter and jubilation,” Brown said. “Owners get to actually win some money. There are betting windows open and it’s just so much fun.”
Guests can purchase $2 wagers on horse races, own horses for the evening and compete in men’s and women’s derby hat contests. The $50 ticket also includes dinner, beverages and dessert, creating what organizers say is an affordable night out while supporting a meaningful cause.
“The girls go all out with their hats,” founder Doreen Perks said with a laugh. “When the race goes on and your horse is winning, people are yelling and screaming, and it’s just really fun. You really win money just like you’re at the races.”
While the races provide plenty of excitement, organizers say the event’s real purpose begins long after the final horse crosses the finish line.
Brown said Night at the Races typically generates between $25,000 and $30,000 each year, making it one of the nonprofit’s two largest fundraising events and an important source of funding for local cancer patients.
This year’s fundraiser also comes during a milestone year.
The Bob Perks Fund is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026. By the end of the year, the organization expects to have distributed more than $4 million in direct assistance to cancer patients throughout central Pennsylvania. Even more remarkable, Perks said the organization is on pace to provide more than $500,000 in patient grants this year alone, a reflection of both the generosity of local donors and the increasing financial strain cancer places on families.
“We’re on track to give out over $500,000 this year,” Perks said. “If we can’t grow events like this and, more importantly, grow sponsorships for events like this, I don’t know how we’re going to continue to maintain the funding that we’re giving out.”
The organization traces its roots back to Perks’ late husband, Bob, who helped establish the local Coaches vs. Cancer program.
While organizations such as the American Cancer Society provide invaluable research, education and support services, Perks said she recognized another need that wasn’t always being met.
Families weren’t simply fighting cancer. Many were fighting to pay rent, buy groceries, keep the lights on or put heating oil in the tank while missing work during treatment.
“When Bob passed away, it was just so simple that we were going to fill that small little void,” Perks said.
That “small void” has grown into a mission that helps people with the everyday expenses that can quickly become overwhelming after a cancer diagnosis.
The Bob Perks Fund provides direct financial assistance for practical needs such as groceries, gas, utility bills, mortgage or rent payments and other basic living expenses that often become difficult when someone undergoing treatment can no longer work.
Brown said the need has never been greater.
“I really want to reiterate how much need there is,” she said. “It’s more important than ever.”
Perks believes inflation has dramatically increased the number of families seeking assistance.
“People that before were doing okay and could have fought through this cancer battle are now looking at the cost of groceries, travel, nutritionals, co-pays and everything else,” she said. “They’re going, ‘Wait a minute. I can’t do this.’”
Brown agreed, pointing to rising transportation costs alone.
“The cost of gas to get to treatment every single day,” she said. “A lot of cancer patients don’t have income anymore because they’re too sick to work. It’s a terrible, expensive disease, and we’re certainly seeing that in our numbers.”
Those numbers represent real families.
Brown recalled a recent thank-you letter from grandparents who unexpectedly found themselves raising their grandchildren while both battling cancer. Living on fixed incomes and facing mounting expenses, they reached a point where they had just $8 left in their bank account.
“When they received our gift cards and our financial assistance, they were so thankful,” Brown said. “They said, ‘You have literally saved us. You’ve literally saved our family.’”
Stories like that are rewarding, she said, because they remind volunteers and supporters exactly why the organization exists.
“When you know that everything you’re working towards is literally saving families, it’s amazing.”
The organization’s impact reaches far beyond those receiving assistance.
During school presentations, Brown often asks audiences to raise their hands if cancer has touched someone in their family or among their friends.
“Almost everyone in the audience always raises their hand because it’s so pervasive,” she said.
Perks believes that reality continues to grow.
“I think it’s just getting worse,” she said.
For those attending Night at the Races, the evening may begin with cheering horses, creative hats and friendly competition. But every ticket purchased, every sponsorship secured and every donation made helps ensure that local families battling cancer have somewhere to turn when everyday expenses become just as frightening as the diagnosis itself.
Tickets are $50 and include dinner, drinks and an evening of entertainment. Those unable to attend can still support the organization’s “20,000 for 20 Years” campaign which celebrates the Bob Perks Fund’s 20th anniversary by raising $20,000 to help additional local cancer patients. Information about tickets, sponsorships and donations is available through the Bob Perks Fund website at bobperksfund.org.
