Canna Crush: Crushing Cancer with Crush OG and Angels of Hope
It’s that time of year again: Crush OG is back to give back! High Minded specialty strain Crush OG was created in 2022, when Chivonne Rush, Digital Marketing Manager at Stash Ventures (handling all things digital for High Minded as well as Timber Cannabis Co. and Cloud Cannabis), was diagnosed with breast cancer. After sharing her diagnosis with her coworkers, Chivonne quipped that she didn’t want any hoopla about the cancer, just a strain named after her. That joke became CRush OG, borrowing its “C Rush” from Chivonne Rush, who has used it to create a lasting impact, in partnership with Angels of Hope.
Angels of Hope is a Michigan-based nonprofit that provides support to families who are navigating cancer treatment with a child in the home, usually referred through hospitals or social workers. The organization provides financial aid services for families in need. After a thorough vetting process and looking over each family’s finances, Angels of Hope will pay their bills. With the ability to help with up to 3 months worth of bills for each grant recipient, Angels of Hope can alleviate some of the stress of mortgages, car payments, electric bills, and other necessary expenses that may pile up as medical bills mount and routines are disrupted. Cancer is already so stressful, Angels of Hope hopes to mitigate that nightmare, at least a bit.
In a typical year, Angels of Hope provides services to upwards of 250 families, including nearly $1.5 million of financial support. Michael Kernen, who serves on the board of Angels of Hope, calls it “putting bandaids on bullet holes.” When your reality is cancer, everything else feels small. Angels of Hope works to add as much good to challenging situations and diagnoses as possible. And it’s not all bills and tax returns! The organization hosts plenty of social events for the community as well, including bringing families to local sports games, borrowing a food truck to make tacos, hosting golf tournaments, and a holiday gift program.
Angels of Hope also offers resources and additional types of support beyond financial assistance. They have partnerships across the state and connections with many medical care providers, making them a hub for resources and enabling them to better help patients find the care they need. Angels of Hope is a 100% volunteer run nonprofit organization, which relies on third parties as its main source of funding. Their annual black tie gala in the spring brings in much of their annual budget. Michael emphasizes that their community partners are how Angels of Hope is able to do what they do. From partnering with local car dealerships to get patients into reliable cars to access treatment, to school fundraisers and staff volunteer days, every bit helps.
Crush OG’s namesake, Chivonne Rush, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, says after diagnosis, “Your world is falling apart. Having this [support] is huge, it’s why we do it. You can’t turn lemons into lemonade but you have to be able to do something rather than wallow in it. It’s healing to know, because the people who get through it have guilt, because there are people who don’t. Giving back helps to alleviate that.”
This cause is near to our hearts and close to home in more ways than one. Not only is Angels of Hope a local Michigan organization, but its impact reaches many of the same communities our cannabis does – Three Rivers, Mount Pleasant, Muskegon, Grand Rapids. When Crush OG first debuted, Chivonne visited Timber Cannabis Co stores across the state to talk with staff. She found that nearly everyone had a story of themself or someone close to them struggling with cancer. “Everybody has a story. Everybody deals with this,” she says. The important question is, “what can we do to help?”
Brelynn Woodrick of Higher Hopes, the philanthropy arm of our company adds, “it’s great we get to work with an organization where we know contributions will impact the communities we’re placed in.” Angel’s of Hope’s mission aligns with our goal of micro-impact; not small, but individual. We love to support organizations that provide individualized care tailored to each family’s unique needs rather than one-size-fits-all services.
Michael explains that the organization strives to help people down to the micro level. “We’re helping pay a mortgage, or for groceries. It’s the nitty gritty. We’re not sending thousands to a treatment center for research – although that’s important. We are directly affecting the people affected by cancer.” It can be as granular as making sure a child has something to eat or a ride to treatment. Even having basic necessities covered can be challenging in the face of cancer.
Chivonne can speak to the difficult realities of the illness and treatment. She recalls one Fourth of July weekend, when she was so sick, she couldn’t walk, and had to be admitted to the hospital for fluids. “It is that bad. You don’t know it until you live it. I had to be helped out of the shower, I was so weak. If I’d had small children, I don’t know how it would have worked. There are days you just cannot do anything. It’s not stuff you want to think about, but this is why we need to raise money for the people undergoing treatment with a giant family at home.”
Brelynn adds, “we’re really grateful we can work with Angels of Hope and that they are allowing our donation to go towards something we’re passionate about. We know this will impact women and families with breast cancer and we’re grateful they’re helping us to utilize the funds in ways that are very important and personal to our organization because of employees like Chivonne.”
Want to help support Michigan families battling cancer? Pick up anything from the High Minded Crush OG product line and proceeds will benefit Angels of Hope. You can also donate directly, volunteer, share this blog, or refer someone in need. “Whether it’s $20 or $5000, it doesn’t matter. It still makes a difference,” Michael says. “We’re just trying to spread the word. It all matters. It all adds up. Find out more ways to lend a hand at www.angelsofhope.org
