Paint the Town Gold - A Story About Finding Your Purpose

Dana Boutwell’s crowning moment wasn’t just about winning Mrs. South Carolina Strawberry Festival Queen in 2013. Instead, her heart would be forever changed as she realized her platform was indeed her life’s purpose … making a difference in the lives of kids battling pediatric cancer. We spoke with Dana about her commitment, spanning over a decade, to raising funds for research to develop new, improved and less toxic treatments for kids in the fight of their lives. 

C4KC: In 2013, you won the title of Mrs. South Carolina Strawberry Festival Queen. What inspired you to raise funds in support of Childhood Cancer research initiatives? 

DB: When I competed for Mrs. South Carolina Strawberry Festival Queen in 2013 it was a platform based pageant, which means each contestant represents a cause that they are passionate about. My dear friend Melanie Kauffman's 2-year-old son Daniel had been diagnosed with leukemia several months prior, and I felt called to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to share his story. I competed and won the title. Melanie introduced me to more families in our community whose children had been diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Some of those kids had lost their lives to this insidious disease - the number one disease killer of kids in the U.S. That’s when my heart was forever changed ... I knew my purpose was to make a difference in the lives of kids battling cancer.

I first heard about Cookies through Melanie. She had hosted a few bake sales and I had baked cookies for them. When I decided to compete and raise awareness for childhood cancer, the organization was the first thing that came to mind. I called and asked if I could represent CFKC with my title if I won. The answer? ... "Absolutely!" 

C4KC: Tell us how 'Paint the Town Gold' came about.

DB: After winning the crown, I knew I wanted to use my year to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to raise funds in support of the mission of Cookies for Kids' Cancer. I wanted people to know that September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and gold was the color that represented childhood cancer so I decided to “Paint the Town Gold” with gold bows. At first, I wasn’t sure how to go about my idea, but after brainstorming with Melanie and friends, I was introduced to local florist Fredda Smith, owner of Buy the Bunch. One of Fredda's best friends, Tricia Witherspoon, lost her daughter Jenna to childhood cancer at age 12. Fredda immediately wanted to do whatever she could to help raise awareness so she agreed to make the gold bows at cost. We decided we would sell the bows to raise awareness and funding. The town of Fort Mill, S.C. was a huge support and they displayed the gold bows on lamp posts down Main Street.

If I set my mind to something I give 110%, so my goal was to make the entire month of September about childhood cancer. I did so by hosting a fundraiser called '30 days for a Cure' and each day a local business would donate a percentage of their profit or a flat donation to Cookies for Kids' Cancer. In return, I would make a “celebrity” appearance in my crown at their location. At some locations I would also host a bake sale. One of the girls I competed with happened to work for Shutterfly in Fort Mill. She made some calls and Shutterfly joined us by sponsoring our fundraising calendars so we could share event dates and times on social media and hand out calendars to businesses to spread the word. 'Paint the Town Gold' was represented on the calendar as part of the '30 Days for a Cure'. My friend Jenny worked for the Fort Mill Times and she wrote an article in the paper. The local radio station WRHI raised awareness and our local TV news station, CN2, did a story to help get the word out. Friends would also share on social media. It was truly a community effort.

It was also a family effort. My dad made me a wood cookie that I could use for my events. It became a very popular photo op for our supporters. A Fort Mill tradition was born. We did five years of '30 Days for a Cure.' 

C4KC: As a Mom, tell us how you got your kids and community schools involved.

DB: As a mama of four boys, I wanted to include them as much as possible in my awareness / fundraising efforts. I would have them help bake and volunteer for some of the bake sales that we hosted. They would visit me at some of the locations during '30 Days for a Cure' and would help deliver bows for 'Paint the Town Gold'. I was very involved with their elementary school at the time, as a volunteer and a classroom mom so I reached out to the schools and asked them if they would host a day during September and allow the kids to donate $1 to wear a hat to school. We called it 'Put a Lid on Cancer' and I would come in my crown during morning drop-off and wave to the students as they arrived. The schools loved the idea and I did the event at several elementary schools in Fort Mill and an elementary school in neighboring Rock Hill. I also made appearances at all of the middle schools and both high schools participated in a 'Gold Out Football Game'.  There was enormous enthusiasm from the local school community and students. It was great to see kids and teens getting involved!

C4KC: You've continued your initiatives over the years - tell us more!

DB: Our fundraising efforts continued way past my year as Queen in 2013. It inspired me to continue competing so I could use my crown for my cause and continue making a difference. In 2016, I was crowned Mrs. South Carolina International. It was a platform based pageant, and naturally I wanted to use my crown to continue fundraising through CFKC. I further competed for the title Mrs. International. I finished in the top 15 out of 85 women representing every state and many countries around the world! It was a very cool experience and worth every effort to use an international stage to continue to spread the word about childhood cancer.

With my title, I also reached out to the Charlotte Knights, our local baseball team. They were willing to do a day called “StrikeOut Cancer” to help further the cause. One of our local pediatric cancer survivors even threw out the first pitch! I was able to talk before the game about the need for funding for critical research for kids' cancers, and we had a video that played that raised awareness and highlighted our local childhood cancer families. It was a very special day! 

C4KC: 2024 and still going strong?

DB: Proud to say it's been twelve years of 'Paint the Town Gold!' We have raised over $350,000 to date with the annual OXO match / Bake a Difference campaign! Kids need our help and we will continue to do all we can in support of kids and families. 

C4KC: Dana, many thanks to you, your family and the greater Fort Mill, S.C. community for your unwavering commitment to our mission. You all embody the true spirit of what it means to 'Be A Good Cookie!' We'll be sure to keep an eye on your Cookies for Kids' Cancer - Fort Mill, S.C. Facebook page and follow all of your efforts - we appreciate you!

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