ACS McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The American Cancer Society is celebrating 20 years of providing free lodging for cancer patients and their caregivers at the McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge in Greenville, the only Hope Lodge in North Carolina. One of just 33 Hope Lodge facilities in the country, the McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge has provided free accommodations for approximately 4,000 cancer patients and their caregivers, giving them access to care that might otherwise be unattainable.

“I had always been a go-getter, doing things for everybody else,” said Maravaughn Holloway, who spent three months as a guest at the McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge last fall, giving her access to her cancer treatments and saving her from a nearly two-hour drive each way from her home in Hyde County. “It was strange having someone do something for me. But when I came here and met the staff, I saw they had genuine love and concern. It was like, I’m home. I always call this my home away from home.”

This home away from home opened in the spring of 2002 after Dr. Bill McConnell and Dr. Mary Raab raised more than $4 million for its groundbreaking. “The greatest need that Dr. McConnell and I saw from our patients was for lodging and transportation,” said Dr. Raab, recalling the couple’s dream to establish a Hope Lodge in Greenville to improve access to care in eastern North Carolina. The McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge not only provides cancer patients a safe, free place to stay, it also gives guests free rides to their appointments at Vidant Cancer Center. Over the past 20 years, the McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge has provided more than 177,000 nights of free lodging and more than 43,000 shuttle rides to appointments. Dr. McConnell passed away last summer, but not before seeing the impact of his vision and hard work.

As it reflects on 20 years of providing hope and lodging in Greenville, the American Cancer Society has launched a fundraising campaign to ensure it will be able to continue meeting the needs of cancer patients in eastern North Carolina well into the future. It held an anniversary celebration at the Hope Lodge on April 3 to celebrate its history and look ahead to the future.

“It was an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the American Cancer Society McConnell-Raab Hope Lodge, and to remember Dr. Bill McConnell,” said Bob Frazier, director of philanthropy for the American Cancer Society. “We were joined by many family, friends, donors and colleagues to celebrate Dr. McConnell’s and Dr. Mary Raab's wonderful vision and passion for helping cancer patients and their families by looking back on the Hope Lodge's first 20 years and looking forward to the next 20 years and beyond.” To learn how you can help support the Hope Lodge and cancer patients in eastern North Carolina, email bob.frazier@cancer.org.