Featured Volunteer: Kerry Bainter
Kerry Bainter is a single mother of two teen girls. She lives her life for her kids, as she puts it, not through them but simply for them. With their many activities, such as marching band, she has become a natural at volunteering for events and functions.
Kerry Bainter and her two daughters, Taylor and Kemerly
When a friend showed her the Layla Grace Facebook page, Bainter became attached to a cause that was close to home. Breast cancer is common in her family. Since her daughters were young they’ve run in the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure. Her oldest daughter, a junior in high school, has three friends who have passed from cancer in the last seven years. So from the Facebook page, Bainter clicked over to the laylagrace.org blog.
“One Saturday, I literally read the blog from beginning to end,” Bainter said. I started following and checked back at least once a day. It felt like as they were fighting, we were fighting with them. I wanted to be a part of it and I’ve enjoyed being able to help [Ryan and Shanna Marsh] since.”
Bainter said she understands how the Marsh’s publicity could make them seem like celebrities, but she describes them as laid back and amazing to work with.
“I’m inspired by what they are trying to do,” Bainter said. “I felt connected, and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to do something for them, so I showed up to volunteer.”
Since early May, Bainter has been involved with the various fundraisers put on by the Layla Grace Foundation. She helped bring together and facilitate “A Taste of Cy-Fair”— a culmination of over 30 local restaurants, and the same amount of vendors, coming together to let the public sample their food and services. The 3,000+ attendees brought in over $21,000 in proceeds, which went to fund childhood cancer research.
“I though that it was amazing to see so much community support for our first major fundraising event,” Bainter said, a little choked up on the reflection. “Looking out at the tent to see how many people were supporting Ryan and Shanna, I thought ‘Wow. One little girl brought so much to the awareness of childhood cancer.’”
She and her girls arrived the day before the event and helped load an entire pallet of water into a refrigerated truck. They carried over 50 tables (in the Houston heat) across the Northwest Forest property where the fundraiser was hosted. The three were the last to leave that day and the first to show up the very next morning to help set up and run the event.
Bainter has walked with the 360 participants at the NB Hope Walk and is on the committee for the upcoming Charity Golf Tournament. She tries to do as much as she can even though she lives on the other side of town in Clear Lake. She says it is a long haul to get to the Cy-Fair area where most of the events are hosted, but she doesn’t mind going to were she needs to be.
“I’m not trying to be self-centered, but it also makes me feel good that I’m doing something and giving back,” Bainter said. “I want to give back to them and their cause. At the same time, I’m instilling in my children to give back.”
Cancer researchers are still working to improve the lives of those affected with it, but Bainter still stays positive.
“My family motto is: Not a matter of if, but when,” she said. Bainter encourages others who want to volunteer to follow their heart where it leads them. She believes the best experience will come out of getting involved with something they are passionate about.