Commerce Distributor Show raises thousands for Barbara Hauf Cancer Foundation

For the third year in a row, the Commerce Distributor Show held a silent auction to raise money for the Barbara Hauf Cancer Foundation, which was established to provided financial assistance to people in the horticulture industry with family members battling the disease.

The foundation was started after Scott Hauf, a respected and well-known member of the hort community, and wife Barbara saw their finances depleted once she was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer. The Haufs lost her income, had two boys in school and used up all the money available in their health insurance plan. A group of industry people teamed to put on a silent auction at the Commerce Distributor show that year and raised more than $30,000 to help the Haufs.

Barbara died the following year, but the founders of the program decided to continue fund-raising efforts for hort people facing similar challenges and established the Barbara Hauf Cancer Foundation. Skip Shorb, owner of American Plant Food Company in Bethesda, Md., has become a spokesperson for the foundation, which had a booth set up at this year's Commerce show in Baltimore earlier this month.

Shorb said the Commerce Show raised another $30,000 via the silent auctin in 2009 and was hoping to raise more than $50,000 this year. "The money is earmarked for people in the industry dealing with the financial burden of cancer," Shorb said. "This is available to anyone in any part of the horticulture industry."

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, and you would like to apply for assistance, you can obtain the documents at www.barbarhaufcancergoundation.org. Shorb said that in order to help as many people as possible, the maximum amount given to an individual will be limited to $2,500.

"The foundation relies on the generosity of the green industry to raise funds," Shorb said. "We appreciate any help people would like to provide." If you would like to find out more about the project or if you would like to make a donation, contact Shorb at (301) 656-1880, ext. 50 or e-mail him at skip@apfgarden.com.