Austin Hatcher Foundation Opens First Hatch’s House of Hope

September 24, 2009:  On Friday, September 18, 2009, Hatch’s House of Hope, a landmark pediatric cancer care center, opened its doors.  The facility, the first of many the Austin Hatcher Foundation plans to open across the country, is located in the Erlanger Medical Mall in Chattanooga, TN.  The ceremony was opened with remarks by Tom Edd Wilson, President of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.  Also speaking at the ceremony was Jim Brexler, President and CEO of Erlanger Health Systems, and Amy Jo and Jim Osborn, Co-Founders of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. 

Colleen Carter, mother of a young leukemia survivor, described what Hatch’s services will mean to her family.  Based on the fact that 80% of children now survive pediatric cancer, as well as the (high divorce rate among families coping with the disease’s effects,  Hatch’s is designed to help keep the family unit whole, serving needs of each individual family member,  while undergoing treatment as well as afterward.

The services that Hatch’s will provide were developed to treat the social, emotional and cognitive side effects that arise from the disease and its treatment.  Specifically, these services include IEP and neurocognitive testing, educational programming to help affected children overcome their cognitive and learning deficits, emotional counseling for the cancer-affected child, their siblings and parents, and marital and financial counseling to ensure a safe environment to maximize the family growth as a whole.  The facility will also follow these children as they grow, creating the first longitudinal study of its kind.  All services at Hatch’s are provided at no cost to the families.

At the ceremony, Bob Mays, President/Owner of RPM and Associates, offered a dedication prayer for the new facility. Other special guest at the ceremony included Senator Bo Watson, Kelly Brexler, Leigh McClure and Heidi Hefferlin.   Hatch’s House of Hope is sure to become a welcome safe haven to many families from the Chattanooga area, as well as families from across the region. 

Big River Grille Oktoberfest Tapping Party Set to Benefit Austin Hatcher Foundation

September 12, 2009: The Austin Hatcher Foundation for pediatric cancer and Big River Grille & Brewing Works are joining forces during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Big River Grille is donating 10 percent of all sales of their Oktoberfest beer sold during their Hamilton Place location tapping party, to support the opening of the Foundation’s first Hatch’s House of Hope, located in the Erlanger Medical Mall. The party is set for Wednesday, September 16th from 6:00 to 9:00. Big River’s latest seasonal beer, the Oktoberfest Bier, is a medium-bodied lager, amber in color with a toasted malt character and slight sweetness. The restaurant will also be featuring a special seasonal menu throughout the entire Oktoberfest celebration, from September 15th through October 25th. “We look forward to partnering with the Austin Hatcher Foundation,” said Kelly Wilson, Director of Marketing for the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group. The Foundation will have information available at the party detailing the mission of the Austin Hatcher Foundation, the Hatch’s House of Hope concept, and pediatric cancer facts. Hatch’s House of Hope, the first pediatric cancer care center the Austin Hatcher foundation is opening, will open its doors on September 18, 2009.