| About Us |
Heart of Passion operates as a not-for-profit organization, recognized under provision 501(c)3 of the IRS code. No part of our organization's net earnings inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, and all contributions are deductible on federal income taxes. Heart of Passion was incorporated in the State of Georgia on July 15, 2004. A quick video history of the event that started it all - Red Carpet Day. History In June of 1997, at eleven years old, I was diagnosed with cancer. This didn’t mean much to me at the time, but, after a year of chemotherapy, it meant everything. I was left feeling beaten and alone with no apparent place to turn. These pains were not relieved even at camps specifically catering to teens with cancer because, to my surprise, most of the other campers had been diagnosed at a very young age and couldn’t even remember their treatment much less be able to relate to the emotional effects that I was experiencing. Frustrated at not being able to find support and encouraged by a ski trip just for recently treated teens, I decided to create a retreat for teens with cancer in the Southeast. I thought of fun things I would want to do with my friends, and I put them on paper. Six Flags Over Georgia was the very first supporter to see potential in this vision brought to them by a 15 year old girl. By this point, my cancer had relapsed, and I was undergoing a much tougher regimen than before. I made a few friends at the hospital, but we were all so sick that we communicated, at most, with understanding glances and maybe an occasional email. This gave me even more resolve to see my “Red Carpaet Day” retreat through, though, because I would just tell myself that everything would be okay then. “I’ll talk and laugh with Chloe and Sarah at RCD. We’ll all be well then,” I would tell myself, and I tried harder to plan the best reunion I could for us. Finally, in May of 2002, after a year of planning, 36 teens from GA, NC, SC, and TN came to Atlanta for the first ever Red Carpet Day, but I never could have imagined the impact it had on me and my friends, new and old. Erica, a girl from Charleston, thanked me, saying she had never before felt comfortable with her cancer until she came to RCD. I was shocked. My playtime could change lives. Until then, RCD was just a game – a chance for a little fun. Now, I realized, I had the chance to really help people. I grew steadfastly determined to provide this environment for support for as many people in as many ways as possible. By this time, CURE Childhood Cancer had decided to continue RCD on an annual basis, and I was free to relax in the knowledge that it would always be taken care of. I resolved myself to enjoying my senior year of high school; however I was keenly aware that I wasn’t helping enough where I could. With a second relapse and the constant reminder that the world of cancer doesn’t always allow for much time (Chloe and Sarah didn’t make that first RCD. We never had our celebration.), I knew it was time to give everything I could. My vision towered over me, though - I needed to create something much bigger than myself, and I needed to create something that could carry on the vision without me, should the need arise. On July 15, 2004, I founded Heart of Passion, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the emotional support of young people with cancer. Ever since we've sought to inspire passions in young adults - no matter their health - and we don't forget that HoP is where fun is always in style. Savannah Solomon
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