The Haunted Group donated $40,585 to the Phoenix Children’s Foundation on Thursday, Oct. 26, to conclude their “Month of Giving” in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The Haunted Group is a hospitality group that runs the Tavern Hotel and several Cottonwood and Jerome restaurants, including the Haunted Hamburger, Bocce and the Tavern Grille. Throughout September, six of the group’s seven restaurants donated the proceeds from a “Glimmer-ita,” a craft cocktail formulated for the Month of Giving.
Haunted Group owners Eric and Michelle Jurisin started the Month of Giving to thank the Phoenix Children’s Hospital for its role in helping their 6-year old grandson, Braxton, become cancer-free.
The Jurisins aimed for a donation goal of $25,000 but ended up with $40,585 for the Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
“To be honest, we’re not surprised,” Eric Jurisin said. “The Verde Valley has been good to us. People were donating money without even buying the cocktail. They just wanted to give to the foundation and they saw the importance of it.”
Braxton was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer. He is now cancer-free after spending six months in intensive treatment at PCH.
“It truly began while we were exiting the hospital,” Eric Jurisin said. “We said we would do something in return for all they did for us.”
The “Glimmer-ita” cocktail featured a mix of tequila and triple sec with edible glitter. The concept was created by Nicole Jurisin, Braxton’s mother. Gold is the color of the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month ribbon, so Nicole wanted the drink to sparkle and be golden. She also wanted the drink to glimmer.
“It’s like the opposite of a trigger,” Nicole Jurisin said. “It’s those little moments that spark happiness that we felt when we were in the hospital. The services that the foundation provided sparked those little moments of joy in a dark time for us.”
The Phoenix Children’s Foundation has over 150 programs that are funded solely through donations. The Haunted Group’s donation will directly benefit these programs which include the service animal program and the child life specialists program.
As soon as they entered the emergency room with Braxton, Nicole Jurisin said, a specialist brought him a gift, explained what would happen and tried to reduce his apprehension. The child life specialists have a schedule throughout the month of activities for the children, such as bringing costumes and pumpkins to carve for Halloween.
“Never get too high and never get too low because it’s always shifting,” Nicole Jurisin said for those who have a child going through cancer treatment. “Enjoy those highs when you can and don’t get caught up too much in the lows because it’s going to keep shifting. It’s a rollercoaster.”
“The Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders was there for our family when we needed it most,” Eric Jurisin said in a press release. “Our grandson is healthy, happy and thriving as a result of the care he received there. We knew that we needed to find a way to express our gratitude and ensure that future patients have access to the programs that made Braxton feel comforted and cared for during his battle … We are thrilled to support the Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders with this donation, which was made possible by our incredible Verde Valley and Phoenix communities.”
“We’re really happy just to be able to thank the community for supporting the fundraiser and making it possible for us to pay it forward,” Nicole Jurisin said.
