Stridin' and Survivin' to Host Vendor Fair to Raise Money for Local Cancer Patients

Our Daily Show Interview! Stridin' & Survivin' Spring Sip & Shop March 2nd!

EDWARDSVILLE - Community members are invited to enjoy a vendor fair while supporting cancer patients.

Stridin’ and Survivin’, a nonprofit based out of Hamel, funds research, services and gas cards for local patients. The organization will host their Spring Vendor and Craft Sip & Shop event from 1–5 p.m. on March 2, 2025, at The Hall in Edwardsville, and you’re invited to come out and shop.

“Obviously we haven’t found the cure, but we’re striving to get there,” said Alice Bartels, founder of Stridin’ and Survivin’. “Being able to at least help these families in some way is great.”

There will be 32 vendors at the vendor fair, and Bartels promises everything from makeup, spices and kettlecorn to stained glass, wood crafts and kaleidoscopes. There are frequent drawings throughout the day for attendance prizes.

Stridin’ and Survivin’ is still working to determine their featured drinks, but Bartels teases either mimosas or specialty cocktails. The KCs will also provide a barbeque meal for shoppers to enjoy. Admission and parking are free.

“People can eat and shop and do it all,” she said.

Bartels founded Stridin’ and Survivin’ in 2010 after her own battle with breast cancer. The organization has approximately 12 active members and a few others who regularly volunteer.

Events like the Sip & Shop and the upcoming dinner auction in late March raise money for Stridin’ and Survivin’ to donate to local cancer patients. Their Fuel the Cure program is a major part of the nonprofit’s work. Through this program, they provide gas cards to community members who are going through cancer treatment.

“We have been working hard on our Fuel the Cure program and last year we were able to help 85 individuals with gas cards. We donated more than 800 care packages to local cancer care centers. It’s been a busy year but a good year,” Bartels said. “We would like to do more. Maybe at some point we’ll have the funding to do more, but right now we are busy trying to keep up with everybody."

The Fuel the Cure program provides gas cards to patients throughout the St. Louis region, and they hope to do more with the program in the future to help cover other expenses.

Bartels noted that they often hear from people who say the gas cards or care packages “hit them at just the perfect time,” often after they have received a large bill. She pointed out that cancer doesn’t discriminate, and many people don’t have the savings to manage all the expenses that come with treatment. Stridin’ and Survivin’ aims to ease some of that burden.

Looking ahead, Stridin’ and Survivin’ hopes to do more for community members who are going through cancer treatment. The nonprofit has big plans for the future, and all of their work is funded through donations and events like the Sip & Shop. Bartels hopes to see many people come out on March 2 to support the organization and help them do more for local patients.

For more information about the Spring Vendor and Craft Sip & Shop event, click here. To learn more about Stridin’ and Survivin, including how to donate, visit their official website at StridinAndSurvivin.org.

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