Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center Breaks Ground

Country star Darryl Worley’s dream of opening a cancer treatment center in his hometown is finally coming true. On Wednesday, March 3, at 10 a.m. CST, the groundbreaking ceremony for The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center is set to take place in Savannah, Tenn.

In 2005, Worley and representatives of Hardin Medical Center and Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation joined forces to put a plan into action to open The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center, which will offer both radiation and chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients. The building will be located on the campus of Hardin Medical Center and is envisioned to allow cancer patients to receive therapy without the long drives currently required of many who need these treatments.
 
"It's been our dream to build this cancer treatment center here in Hardin County for several years now, and the people of Hardin County and the West Tennessee area have done a lot to help make this dream a reality," said Worley in a statement. "We have a really high cancer rate in our general area and all of our lives have been affected by the dreaded disease, so there is a lot of passion in this for everyone."
 
"Having the capability to provide additional therapies here in Hardin County will save so many hours of traveling for patients," said Hardin Medical Center CEO, Charlotte Burns. "I know it is this human side of combating cancer that has touched Darryl's heart so deeply."
 
"I know what it cost when they had to go out of town for treatment. I don't want anyone else having to make those trips, adding to what they are already going through," Worley said. He lost both of his grandfathers and one of his aunts to cancer.
 
After his loss, Worley knew he was in a unique position to put his vision to help others into action. "Both my mom's dad and my dad's dad died with cancer. One of them would not even try to make the long, back and forth, out-of-town trips for radiation therapy," Worley explained. "People just shouldn't have to go through that kind of stuff, and I'm excited to know this center will help so many. This is going to be an emotional day for us all when we break ground. It's been a long time coming."
 
The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center has received a guaranteed maximum price of $2 million for construction of the building. The Hardin County Community and Healthcare Foundation, Inc. has taken on a mission of raising the construction costs, already raising more than $1.6 million to date through donations and pledges. Of the money already raised, the singer's own charity, The Darryl Worley Foundation, has made a $600,000 donation to the cause.
 
"No one is exempt from this disease," Worley said. "Although a cure has not yet been found, we must do what we can to treat cancer patients with the technology available to us."
 
The treatment center has hopes of opening its doors by early 2011. In the meantime, Worley will continue his fundraising efforts through his annual Tennessee River Run event, where proceeds also benefit charities such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Donations to The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center can be sent to Hardin Medical Center, 935 Wayne Road, Savannah, TN 38372.
 
For more information on The Darryl Worley Cancer Treatment Center or The Darryl Worley Foundation, visit his Web site, www.darrylworley.com.