When cancer touches a neighbor in Walla Walla, Garfield, Umatilla, or Columbia County, it is felt throughout the region, and it has always responded with its whole heart.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation was built on a conviction as simple as it is profound: where you live should never determine whether you survive. We exist to close the distance between a cancer diagnosis and the care, support, and hope that every person in this community deserves.
One community. One foundation. Zero neighbors left behind.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation channels the extraordinary generosity of this region into four focused commitments:
Accessible Care
Direct financial grants that bridge the gap between diagnosis and the critical care families deserve.
Culture of Prevention
Local screening programs and education that detect cancer earlier, when it is most treatable.
Hope Through Research
Funding for breakthrough science and quality-of-life studies that improve daily life for those in the fight.
Needs-Led Giving
We listen directly to local clinicians, patients, and partners to direct funds where the need is most acute.
Clinical Perspective
“As an oncologist in this community, I see firsthand what a cancer diagnosis does to a family. What I also see is how profoundly local support changes outcomes. When patients don’t have to travel hours for care, when families have resources nearby, when the community shows up — people fight harder, and they do better.”
— Dr. Batson, Oncologist, Walla Walla
Our Annual Gala
The Soirée
Each year, our community comes together for an evening of elegance, resilience, and generosity. The Soirée is more than a fundraiser. It is proof that this region will never stop showing up for its neighbors.
Ecosystem of Care
Rooted in Local Partnership
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation works directly with the healthcare providers and community organizations who see cancer’s impact every day:
Walla Walla Family Medical Center
CHI St. Anthony & Columbia County Health System
Garfield County Hospital District & J.U.G.S.
Our Genesis & Mission
Born from neighbors helping neighbors.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation did not start in a boardroom. It grew out of something far more powerful: a community that simply refuses to let its neighbors face cancer alone.
For years, this region rallied together through The Soirée, Walla Walla’s beloved annual fundraiser. Over four years, that shared commitment raised more than $1.9 million, including more than $600,000 in support of vital cancer research.
In 2026, the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation was formally established to give that spirit a permanent home—a local nonprofit dedicated entirely to the four-county region it calls home.
Who We Are
A local foundation for local families.
We are Walla Walla, Garfield County, Columbia County, and Umatilla County. We are the doctors, the neighbors, the business owners, the volunteers, and the survivors who know that the best way to fight cancer in this community is to stay close to it.
As a local nonprofit, we deploy 100% of the funds we raise right here, not filtered through national overhead. We answer to our community, and our community alone.
Origin Story
From Soirée to Foundation.
The Soirée has always been more than an event. It has been a declaration by this community that it stands together. In 2026, that declaration took on a new form.
By bringing The Soirée’s management directly under the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation, we ensured that every dollar raised is deployed faster, more flexibly, and with deeper local accountability than ever before.
This transition marks not an end, but an evolution—one that honors everything our community has built while opening a new era of focused, lasting impact.
Founding Statement
“A new chapter. The same heart.”
“We are deeply committed to helping people facing cancer and to building a foundation that reflects the compassion, strength, and generosity of this region.”
— Tom Flookes, Founding Member
Collaborative Ecosystem
Our Partners
The foundation partners with the healthcare providers and community organizations who are closest to the need. Together, we ensure that resources reach patients and families through the hands of people who know this community personally:
Walla Walla Family Medical Center
CHI St. Anthony
Columbia County Health System
Garfield County Hospital District
J.U.G.S. (Just Us Girls Sharing)
American Cancer Society (Research Partner)
Community Voice
"J.U.G.S. has been providing peer support and connection for patients with cancer in Walla Walla for years. Partnering with Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation means we can extend that network of hope to more patients across the region — and connect them with the financial resources that can make the difference between completing treatment and giving up.”
— Traci Jensen, President, J.U.G.S.
Governance & Guidance
Meet Our Leadership
Tom Flookes
Founding Board Member //
Tom retired from IBM after 40 years of service, during which he held a variety of roles spanning sales, sales management, consulting, program management, and solution development.
Tom has been engaged in the cancer mission since 2013. He served on the American Cancer Society Washington Board of Advisors for nine years, including as Board President from 2018 to 2020. He also chaired the ACS Seattle Hope Gala in 2014, 2015, and 2017, and served as chair of The Soirée in Walla Walla from 2023 through 2026.
In addition to his work with the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation, Tom serves as Board Chair and Treasurer of Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Treasurer of the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Board Member of SOS Health Services. Tom and his wife Dawn have five children and eight grandchildren.
Jason Smith
Founding Board Member //
Jason Smith is an entrepreneur and AI innovation leader with more than 25 years of experience building and scaling technology companies from inception to successful exit. He led rMark Bio, recognized as a Top 10 Global Disruptive AI Company in Pharma, through its acquisition by Within3 following a $100 million Insight Partners growth round, and has additional exits with Cryptocybernetics, xSides, and Gray Area. The AI platform his team built now serves more than 100 life science organizations, including 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies worldwide, helping accelerate safe therapeutic delivery to patients.
Jason's commitment to the cancer mission is longstanding. He has served on the Board of Advisors for the American Cancer Society in Washington State, and extends that commitment through advisory roles with Capita3 Venture Capital, focused on women-led healthcare investing, and as a MATTER Venture Fellow and BARDA/HHS Accelerator Mentor. A recognized industry voice, he has spoken at HIMSS, Reuters Pharma, and NextPharma, and guest lectures at Northwestern and the University of Chicago.
Since 2022, Jason, his family, and their big Mastiff, Ramsey, have made Walla Walla home. Launching new Black Tongue Society, and starting a family winery, REN, here in Walla Walla, which will be releasing in 2028, he has brought that same entrepreneurial energy to this community.
Bonnie Donovan
Founding Board Member //
Bonnie Donovan is Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Redis, where she helps enterprise customers harness real-time data platforms for AI and in-memory applications. She recently relocated from Seattle to Walla Walla with her husband, Brian, and their orange cat, Rooney, and has embraced this community with the same energy she brings to everything she does.
Bonnie grew up in Bancroft, Ontario, a small rural town where neighbors showed up for one another without question. That upbringing shaped a lifelong conviction about the power of community, one that was tested and deepened in 2017 when her mother passed away from Inflammatory Breast Cancer. The care and support her mother received from their small community left a lasting impression on Bonnie and crystallized her commitment to the cancer mission.
She served on the Washington State Board of Advisors for the American Cancer Society from 2020 to 2026, including four years as chair, during which she led the organization to raise $9 million annually. She brings that fundraising leadership and strategic experience to the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation as a founding board member. Outside of her professional and board work, Bonnie is passionate about wine and holds the WSET Diploma, a credential she puts to excellent use in Walla Walla.
Three Pillars. One Purpose.
Cancer does not wait. Neither do we.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation focuses its resources across foundational priorities chosen explicitly because our community told us that is where help is needed most.
Pillar I
Accessible to Care
A cancer diagnosis is hard enough. The financial weight that follows—travel to specialists, missed work, medical bills, and insurance that won't cover—should not be the thing that breaks a family. We raise funds specifically to make sure it doesn't.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation partners with trusted local healthcare organizations to put those resources directly into the hands of the people closest to patients. Our partners know who needs help, what form that help should take, and how to deliver it with dignity. We fund that work, and we make sure the funding gets there.
Through our local partners, support reaches families across all four counties, covering the hidden costs of a cancer journey: transportation to treatment, lodging when families have to travel, childcare, and medical expenses that fall through the cracks of insurance. Because the cost of cancer goes well beyond the clinic, and no one in this region should have to choose between their health and their financial survival.
We are also committed to ensuring that rural residency is never a barrier to high-quality care. Families in Garfield County, Columbia County, and across Umatilla and Walla Walla deserve access to top-tier specialists and treatment centers, and our partners on the ground work every day to make that a reality.
Pillar II
A Culture of Prevention
The best fight against cancer is the one we catch early. We invest in the programs and infrastructure that give our community a head start.
Early Detection
We fund local screening programs to catch cancer at its most treatable stages, before it becomes a crisis.
Screening & Equipment
We help purchase and subsidize state-of-the-art medical equipment so that the best technology is available right here, not just in major urban centers.
Community Education
We invest in outreach that helps our neighbors understand their risk factors and the power of proactive health checks.
Pillar III
Hope Through Research
We are proud to connect this community's generosity to the breakthrough science that will one day end cancer. But we also know that the fight is happening right now, and the people in it deserve better daily lives today.
Quality of Life
We support research aimed specifically at improving the day-to-day experience of patients currently in treatment—managing side effects, maintaining strength, and staying connected to the lives they love.
Local Contribution to Global Cures
Every dollar we direct toward research is a vote for the future. A future where the person diagnosed in our community next year has better options than the person diagnosed today.
Our Annual Signature Fundraiser
An evening built on resilience.
Every year, the Blue Mountain community gathers for The Soirée — our signature annual gala in Walla Walla. It is an evening of elegance, celebration, and collective resolve. It is a room full of neighbors who have decided that cancer will not have the last word in this community.
About the Event
More than a fundraiser. A community statement.
The Soirée has raised more than $1.9 million over the last four years, including more than $600,000 for breakthrough cancer research. That is what this community is capable of when it comes together.
Now operating under the direct stewardship of the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation, The Soirée is entering a new chapter — one with a more direct pipeline to local families in need and a more transparent accounting of where every dollar goes.
Founding Event Note
The Inaugural Foundation Soirée
This year marks a milestone. The Soirée’s first year as the signature event of the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation is not just a continuation of what we have built — it is a declaration of what we are building next. We are preparing for the most impactful Soirée yet, and we want you in the room.
$1.9M+
Total Raised Over 4 Years
$600K+
Directed to Breakthrough Research
Sponsorship & Tables
For sponsors and tables.
Your partnership with The Soirée is a partnership with your community. Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, each with meaningful visibility and impact. From presenting sponsorships to table packages, we have a way for every business and organization to show up for this cause.
The Gala Experience
What to Expect
Celebration
We honor brave survivors and acknowledge the extraordinary courage of those currently in the fight.
Community
The Soirée brings together dedicated donors, local healthcare partners, vital volunteers, and neighbors who share a profound common commitment to this region.
Impact
Every ticket, every paddle raise, and every table sponsorship goes directly to funding the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation’s mission for the fiscal year ahead.
A Message From the Board
“The Soirée has always been the heartbeat of our community. By bringing its management directly under the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation, we ensure that every dollar raised is deployed more quickly and efficiently to the neighbors who need it.”
— Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation
Support Local Families
Your gift stays home.
When you give to the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation, your dollars do not disappear into a national organization’s overhead. They are located in Walla Walla, Garfield, Columbia, and Umatilla Counties. They travel directly from your generosity to your neighbors’ most urgent needs. That is the promise of a local foundation.
Why Give Locally
The case for keeping it local.
The Blue Mountain region is home to nearly 8,300 cancer patients and survivors, and nearly 900 new diagnoses are added every year. These are not statistics. These are your neighbors. Your coworkers. Your family members.
A gift to the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation is a direct investment in the people around you. It funds the grant that gets a Garfield County patient to treatment. It purchases the screening equipment at a local clinic. It supports research that improves the lives of people going through chemo in Walla Walla right now.
Donor Assurance
A promise to you.
The Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation is committed to transparent stewardship. We will report back to our donors and our community on where every dollar went and what it made possible. You will see the impact of your generosity in real outcomes for real neighbors, not just in annual reports.
The Scale of Need
17
New Patients Diagnosed Every Single Week
Facing the logistical, physical, and financial weight of a cancer journey across our four core counties.
Make an immediate impact. Any amount makes a real, tangible difference for families navigating healthcare challenges in our four-county region.
Sustained Support
The Harvest Circle
Join our core community of sustained supporters. A recurring monthly gift provides the foundation with predictable, reliable resources to plan, respond, and deploy year-round.
Soirée Sponsorship
Put your business or family name behind our most visible annual event and the most concentrated moment of localized fundraising impact.
Planned Giving
Leave a legacy that reflects your deepest values. Speak with our leadership group about including the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation in your estate plans.
In-Kind Support
Pro-bono professional goods, specialized services, and clinical medical expertise are incredibly welcome. Reach out directly to discuss what you can offer.
Financial Translation
What your gift makes possible.
We map every dollar directly to strategic assistance metrics across our local ecosystem:
Contribution Level
Direct Operational Impact Outcome
$50
Helps cover one full day of critical travel to an urban oncology treatment center for a rural patient.
$250
Provides focused, reliable childcare support so a parent can attend oncology therapies worry-free.
$1,000
Funds a direct patient emergency grant to immediately cover essential medical bills or missing utilities.
$5,000
Contributes directly to purchasing local screening equipment that serves hundreds of preventative clinical cases.
$25,000+
Anchors an entire clinical research partnership milestone or a massive multi-county health education initiative.
Our Monthly Giving Initiative
Plant. Cultivate. Steward. Give Back.
The Harvest Circle is a community of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations who make a recurring commitment to ensure that every person facing cancer in our region has access to the resources, care, and support they deserve.
The Growing Season
Named for our land. Built on a truth.
The Harvest Circle takes its name from the harvest that defines life across Umatilla, Walla Walla, Columbia, and Garfield counties — the wheat fields, the vineyards, the orchards, the ranches. Every farmer, vintner, and rancher already knows a simple truth: what you put into the ground, you give back to the community.
Cancer doesn't distinguish between counties, zip codes, or occupations. Neither do we.
What Your Monthly Gift Supports
Every Harvest Circle gift directly funds all four pillars of the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation:
Prevention & Screening — So more cancers are caught before they become a crisis
Removing Barriers to Care — So a diagnosis doesn't also become a financial catastrophe
Cancer Research Funding — Channeling local generosity into science that moves forward
Locally-Led Giving — Every dollar raised here stays accountable to the people it serves
Your Growing Role
Membership Tiers
Join a community that grows together. Each tier comes with cumulative benefits, meaning you always receive everything from the tiers below yours.
SEEDLING
$25/mo
For anyone ready to plant a seed in their community
★ Listed on website & annual report
★ Receives annual report copy
CULTIVATOR
$50/mo
For donors ready to grow their commitment
All Seedling benefits
★ 2 tickets to Signature Cocktail Contest
★ Digital member badge
STEWARD
$100/mo
For meaningful ongoing investment
All Cultivator benefits
★ 25% discount on all events
★ Early event ticket access
BENEFACTOR
$150/mo
For our most committed champions
All Steward benefits
★ Exclusive State of the Foundation event
★ Named recognition at The Soirée
★ Annual donor input survey
All benefits are cumulative — each tier includes everything from the tiers below it. The first 50 donors who join at the Cultivator level receive 2 complimentary tickets to our Signature Cocktail Contest, a pre-Soirée event where winning cocktails and mocktails are featured at The Soirée.
The Power of Regular Giving
Why Monthly Matters
$300
Annual Impact of $25/mo
$1,800
Annual Impact of $150/mo
The Heart of Predictability
Monthly donors provide the Blue Mountain Cancer Foundation with something as valuable as the gift itself: predictability. Reliable recurring revenue allows us to commit to programs, build partnerships, and plan for the long term — not just respond to the immediate.
Monthly giving is how communities build enduring institutions. The Harvest Circle is not a one-time campaign. It is a permanent, growing community of people who believe that where you live should never determine whether you survive.
From the Fields to Your Neighbor
"Just as the harvest comes each year, so does the need. Monthly giving transforms our foundation from a seasonal response into a steady presence in people's lives. It's the difference between emergency relief and lasting support."
— Tom Flookes, Founding Member
Ready to Grow With Us?
Join the Harvest Circle
Every month of commitment strengthens our ability to serve every person facing cancer in our four-county region.
