The Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation is inviting the Memphis community to its Tequila and TacoFest Saturday at 66 N.Main from. The event is from 2 - 6 p.m. with proceeds going to families in need of financial support for surgical transplants.
“Primarily what we do here at the foundation is partner with different hospitals that cater to Bone Marrow," said Eric Dunn, a former board member and current executive director of the non-profit Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation. "Now, the main time when you hear about St. Jude and Vanderbilt Hospital, we hear about most organizations paying for their treatment or paying for their stay while they're in a specific city or state and that's primarily what we do. We make sure that every family that we serve here has a place to stay, funding for medication as well as 15% of funding for the surgery.
"Bone Marrow surgery is about $350,000 per patient and insurance only covers 80%. As a foundation, we try to make up that 50%, and also we try to make up that 9% which is why we partner with different agencies that can help fund us to support our families.”
According to Dunn the event not only helps in raising money for families in need, but also spreads awareness about bone marrow transplants and helps get Black communities more involved when it comes to transplants.
Dunn hopes the event will be filled with name-brand vendors owned by well-known individuals.
“Our major tequila vendor is Cincoro Tequila who is run by Michael Jordan – everyone knows who Michael Jordan is – as well as Cazadores, and Disbelief Tequila,” Dunn said. “[As for the taco vendors] my event coordinators reached out to a few popular taco trucks. Slutty Salsa will not be [at the event], which was one of the ones that was on the list. However, Mexico in Memphis, if I’m not mistaken, and one more will take their place I know of.”
Tickets are available online, however if you come unable to make an online purchase, tickets will be sold at the ticket booth for $25. Without a ticket, “no one would be able to access the bar or get a tequila tasting unless [they] present the punch card and wristband,” Dunn said.
TacoFest will be hosted in downtown Memphis March 26. The proceeds will go to the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation.
