The Marilyn Arena Foundation

The Marilyn Arena Foundation benefits women and their families battling Stage 4 Breast Cancer or Metastatic Breast Cancer(MBC). We provide financial assistance and life experience opportunities. 

Roughly 30% of women diagnosed with early stage Breast cancer will eventually be Stage 4. This happens when the disease travels to another part of the body and is terminal. MBC affects many families, including my own. My wife, for whom the foundation is named, lost her battle with MBC in August of 2021.  My experience as a caregiver, father and provider led me down this path. Let me explain our mission and hopefully you will help us achieve our goals. 

The MAF conducts outreach to local oncology offices to identify patients who are struggling financially due to the extraordinary costs associated with MBC treatments. We then provide immediate financial support through reimbursement of medical expenses incurred during the previous year. Thankfully, We have held a few local fundraisers and utilized the proceeds to already begin this process. Two local families are already “Friends of the Foundation”. 

We also utilize the generously donated use of a Lake Norman boating club membership to provide a “day on the lake” at no cost to friends of the foundation. These memory making opportunities are priceless to families battling a terminal disease. 

Please consider helping by becoming a sponsor or assisting with a fundraising event; the need for financial assistance is a necessity. Help me help others! Battling a terminal disease should never bankrupt a family. Let's make a difference together!