SHARE iT!
Words by Jeanne Marie Ford If you live in Frederick County, you’ve probably heard of Patty Pollatos. You’ve seen the signs around town: the Patty Pollatos Fund is holding a 5K race to benefit a community member with cancer; the Patty Pollatos Fund is raffling off a house in Thurmont; the Patty Pollatos Fund is holding a dance or sponsoring a penny drive at your child’s school.
"Who is Patty Pollatos?" you may have wondered. Pollatos was a lifelong resident of the Mt. Airy/New Market area. When she was diagnosed with cancer and facing insurmountable medical bills, she ultimately had one simple goal—to be able to die with dignity in her own home. Her dear friend Debbie Williams mobilized community support to raise the $20,000 to make that goal a reality. After Pollatos died in 1992, Williams felt called to continue what she had started. She founded the Patty Pollatos Fund to help patients with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. Twenty years later, hundreds of families and thousands of volunteers have been touched by the organization’s work. WWW.FiNDiTFREDERiCK.COM
41