DI survivor launches auction to raise money for cancer cures

Joannah Sampson has spent the past two Octobers inviting her Daniel Island neighbors to eat ice cream, play bingo, learn about wellness, and talk about cancer.

This year, the invitation is simpler: come to one auction, bring a friend, and help keep the research going. 

The fundraiser Sampson started in 2024 returns Wednesday, Oct. 7, with a public silent auction at Claremont Daniel Island on Farr Street. 

Resident Marc Winter is leading the effort this year, with help from a team of volunteers. Admission is $20 and includes beer, wine, and light hors d’oeuvres; bidding will run from 4 to 7 p.m. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a cause Sampson knows personally. She has survived kidney cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. Her husband, Gerry, has faced B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and stage 3 melanoma. Their experiences led her to raise money for research that reaches beyond any one diagnosis. 

“When I first became involved with LOWVELO, I had no idea how my efforts would be received or where the adventure would take me,” Sampson said. “I have been amazed by the number of people who have made the fundraiser such a success, whether through donations of money or time or auction items.” 

She first organized neighbors at Overture Daniel Island in 2024, filling the month with socials and other events to support LOWVELO, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center’s annual cycling fundraiser. 

The following October brought another full calendar of wellness programs and gatherings. According to Hollings, Sampson and her Daniel Island volunteers raised nearly $12,000 across those first two years.  

The fundraising has also given Sampson something she did not expect: relationships with patients, survivors, caregivers, and neighbors who trusted her with their own stories. “It has allowed me to not just be a survivor, but a thriver!” she said. 

Those connections matter especially now. Gerry is still grappling with his cancer diagnoses, Sampson said, and she continues to work through side effects from treatment.  

“I am so very grateful to Marc and his lovely volunteers for taking the lead on this worthwhile project,” she said. “Cures are possible in our lifetime, and every penny counts!” 

Winter has his own reason to care: one of his best friends died of pancreatic cancer. He has lived on Daniel Island for three years and said local businesses have been supportive of the auction. Items include hotel stays in downtown Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Daniel Island. His LOWVELO fundraising team, Claremont Daniel Island Vibes, is still seeking sponsors and auction donations, with a goal of raising more than $9,000. 

This year’s auction also opens the doors wider. Winter said previous auctions were held for residents, while the Oct. 7 event welcomes the broader Daniel Island community. 

The need for research is easy to find close to home and beyond it. About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. The money raised through LOWVELO supports cancer research at Hollings, including work on triple-negative breast cancer, the type Sampson survived.  

Sampson hopes people who attend leave knowing what their neighbors have done together over the past three years – and that the work is continuing while she and Gerry face cancer’s lasting effects. 

“It is gratifying to see that the work goes on and that our community has a strong connection with, and dedication to, seeing cancer research continue,” she said.