Fran Stanhope, left, stands Sept. 13 with her husband, Bob, at the Dempsey Center in Lewiston. Fran Stanhope was selected this year to be the Amanda Dempsey Award recipient, according to Katelynn Davis, Dempsey Center marketing and communications director .
Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal LEWISTON — Fran Stanhope considers herself a vessel to help people funnel donations to the Dempsey Challenge for the Dempsey Center every year. “Every year that I’ve fundraised, I’ve raised more than the year before and it blows my mind every time because I just can’t fathom that people, kind of, just keep giving me money — giving Dempsey money through me,” she said. She now uses her voice to help others through a difficult time she is all too familiar with herself.
After being diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer in 2016 that ended up recurring a couple of years later, she understands the value of the services the Dempsey Center provides. Her work to help raise money for the Dempsey Challenge for the last roughly seven years and advocacy for the center has set her apart from others and it is part of the reason why she was selected this year to be the Amanda Dempsey Award recipient, according to Katelynn Davis, Dempsey Center marketing and communications director. “It’s not just the fundraising, she truly, truly cares and speaks from the heart about the center,” she said.
“She’s a huge advocate ...
for the center in getting people to come here and access our services .