Your Injury, Our Fight!
Your Injury, Our Fight!
When Bruce Laderberg’s sister-in-law, Laura Kesser, died from complications linked to breast cancer just over two years ago, he had no intention of letting her be forgotten.
Laderberg and his family set up The Like Fund to raise money for breast cancer charities in the Tidewater area. On March 5, the nonprofit will be hosting its first big fundraising event when hundreds of cornhole players and their families are expected to converge on Norfolk Collegiate School. Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers is one of the sponsors of the event.
Laderberg, who owns the Norfolk-based Bruce Laderberg Insurance Agency, chose cornhole because numerous golf fundraisers and 5K runs are held every year in Hampton Roads.
“There are too many golf tournaments and runs,” he said. “Cornhole is something that, even if you are not in great shape, you can come along and enjoy and bring your family for the day.”
“We have set up this Cornhole for the Cure tournament to keep her (Laura’s) memory alive and to raise money for breast cancer,” Laderberg said. He has fond memories of his late sister-in-law.
“She lived on Chicks Beach. You’d go over there, and there were always parties going on. She worked hard, and she played hard and she was a wonderful person,” Laderberg said. “Laura developed cancer four or five years ago. Although she didn’t die of breast cancer she had lots of problems from it and it led to her death.”
Laderberg hopes to raise at least $25,000 to fund mammograms, education and research into breast cancer. The proceeds of the cornhole tournament will go to Susan G Komen Tidewater, a breast cancer nonprofit.
Laderberg said he has faced many challenges in setting up The Like Fund but has no regrets. “It’s been way harder than I ever imagined. In starting a 501 c 3 there are all sorts of legal things you have to do. It’s been a work of joy for me. I really have enjoyed doing it,” he said.
He wants to give maximum exposure to the businesses that support Cornhole for the Cure, making cornhole boards with the company’s logos on and using the images in advertising.
“There’s going to be a ton of people there. Even if you don’t play cornhole, come by, eat lunch and enjoy the entertainment. I think you’ll have a wonderful day there,” he said.
Laderberg said Norfolk Collegiate, the school that his children attended, is an ideal venue for the tournament because it has two side-by-side gyms. One will be used by professional cornhole players and the other by the social cornhole players. Over 1,000 people are slated to be there, and there will be about 300 participants.
He said players are attending from cornhole associations in Richmond, the Virginia Peninsula, North Eastern North Carolina and Virginia Beach.
“I’m so happy to have Cooper Hurley as sponsors,” Laderberg said. “John Cooper is a good friend of mine. “Cooper Hurley is not just about the dollar. They are helping in the community and I really appreciate that.”
Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers has supposed good causes across Virginia and north-eastern North Carolina. To contact Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers call us at (757) 455-0077 or see CooperHurley.com.