Our Board
of Directors
Christina:
President,
Board Member
Kevin: Treasurer, Board
Member
Beth:
Vice President, Secretary, Board
Member
Russ:
Director, Board
Member
Chris:
Director, Board
Member
Christina-
The Rina Agriss Blair Foundation was established in
August of 2011 with a dedication to celebrate the life of Rina and
encourage people to be aware of the dangers of Melanoma, “says
Christina LaFountain, Rina’s sister and Founder/President of the
Rina Agriss Blair Foundation.
Christina is dedicated to spreading awareness of the
dangers of skin cancer to the local community in memory of her
sister, Rina. One of the foundation’s biggest messages to the
community is not to avoid the outdoors, but to simply be smart,
responsible, and most importantly be aware of the risk factors of
melanoma.
In the previous years, the Rina Agriss Blair
Foundation donated all funds raised to the Melanoma International
Foundation and Melanoma Research Foundation, but this year all money
raised will be donated to a local organization as we want to have an
impact on our local community.
Christina’s favorite memory of Rina was when she
visited Rina right after she moved from St. Thomas in the US Virgin
Islands to Atlanta, GA. Christina who was eight years old expressed
to Rina,” I wish you still lived in the islands, I miss the blue
water.” Just a few hours later, no questions asked, Rina booked a
getaway for just the two of them to the Grand Caymans to go see the
blue water Christina yearned to see.
Christina’s friends and family often describe her as
sweet, caring, and at times, funny! When she is not working and
volunteering for the Foundation, she enjoys spending time with her
husband, their two dogs, friends, and family.
If you would like to contact Christina LaFountain,
she can be reached
here.
Kevin-
Foundation Treasurer, Kevin LaFountain, became
involved with the Foundation through his wife, Founder, and
President of the Rina Agriss Blair Foundation, Christina LaFountain.
From the moment Christina expressed her desire to create an event
/organization not only in honor of her sister Rina, but also to
provide support to Melanoma victims, survivors, and families, Kevin
without a doubt wanted to be involved.
Kevin is thankful and fortunate he was given the
opportunity to know and love Rina in the short-lived time they had.
Rina instantly treated Kevin as one her closest friends or family
members from the first time they met. She had “the ability to bring
people together and make them all feel welcomed and loved, says
Kevin.”
Proceeds raised by the Rina Agriss Blair Foundation
from this year are different from the previous years in that our
fundraising efforts benefit Roper St. Francis Cancer Center right
here in the Lowcountry.
One of the our core purposes is to continue keeping
Rina’s spirit alive with the same perseverance, ambition, passion
for life, and devotion for others exuded by making a difference in
the lives of those affected by Melanoma with offering courage and
determination to Shine On.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five
Americans develops skin cancer during their lifetime. Through
donating and volunteering, we can provide an instant impact on the
health of our local community. The Rina Agriss Blair Foundation will
continue to focus on the fight against Melanoma through education
and increased public awareness. This alone could save lives by
identifying Melanoma at an early, curable stage.
Kevin loves being with his wife Christina LaFountain
and enjoying the Charleston scene and all the city offers.
If you would like to contact Kevin LaFountain, he can
be reached
here.
Beth-
Foundation Vice President and Secretary, Beth
Weisser, was initially approached to share her thoughts with
Founder, Christina LaFountain, with the creating a Foundation in
memory of Rina.
Belmont Abbey College is the beginning of a
remarkable friendship as Rina was one of Beth’s first friends to
meet at college. Rina’s infectious spirit and personal drive were
the two traits that simply inspired Beth.
One important aspect of the Rina Agriss Blair
Foundation is “we are a small group of caring people with big hearts
and will do what we can to fulfill Rina’s wishes,” says Beth. This
Foundation is family and keeping her spirit alive means a great deal
too every one of us.
For those who are interested in donating, the
Foundation certainly appreciates supporters like you to succeed in
our mission. Help spread the word and create awareness through
exposing our Foundation’s fight against Melanoma.
Beth describes herself as grateful and enjoys
spending time with family and friends, tennis, sailing, traveling,
music, and sitting on the porch.
If you would like to contact Beth Weisser, she can be
reached
here.
Russ-
Russ Robinson, Foundation Director and new Board
Member, first became involved with the Foundation through his
daughter and Foundation Social Director, Haywood Robinson.
The first memory that Russ personally experienced is
when his grandfather was diagnosed with skin cancer. The incidence
of Melanoma has been increasing for 30 years and claims the life of
one American every hour, making Melanoma the most deadly form of
skin cancer.
The Rina Agriss Blair Foundation is devoted to
providing the community with information about early detection,
prevention, and becoming familiar with the risk factors associated
with Melanoma and determine if any of them apply to you.
In Memory of Rina Agriss Blair and all those who have
suffered from skin cancer, we dedicate our resources and funds to
help fight skin cancer and save lives to our local community. Please
visit
www.RinaFoundation.org for further
information about donations.
Russ enjoys golfing, helping those in need, and yard
work in his free time.
If you would like to contact Russ Robinson, he can be
reached
here.
Chris-
Foundation Director, Chris Cook, became
involved with the Foundation through the current Board Members and
whom he has know since college. The conception of the Rina Agriss
Blair Foundation and “the continuous fight to raise funds and
awareness has been beyond inspiring,” says Chris.
The first Melanoma memory Chris experienced were
Rina’s wishes to take care of himself and pass along the fight that
she gave for so many years.
If Chris could pass along one message about the
Foundation, he would remind people of the simple steps they can take
to avoid the disease completely or the sign to look for early on, as
Melanoma is usually curable when found early and treated properly.
We are committed to keeping her spirit alive through educating the
community how to protect themselves and their loved ones from
becoming victims to Melanoma.
Whether you decide to provide a monetary amount to
support Melanoma research and medical trials or volunteering to
increase community awareness, your generous support is vital to our
success.
Chris enjoys volunteering as a coach for youth soccer
player, giving back, and being positive about life in hopes others
will benefit from his positive attitude.
If you would
like to contact Chris Cook, he can be reached
here.
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