ALAW is proud to sponsor the Ruth Cheatham Foundation Gala in Dallas, Texas, and is honored to support the foundation’s mission of providing education and financial aid to young cancer patients and survivors.

The foundation was co-founded by Douglas Whittemore, US Bank, and his wife, Lindsay Whittemore, in honor of a close family member who battled the disease for a decade.

The event will also showcase the awarding of 20 scholarships to teen cancer patients and survivors.

The Ruth Cheatham Foundation was co-founded by Douglas Whittemore, SVP and Operations Executive for Mortgage and Consumer Default Servicing for U.S. Bank, and his wife, Lindsay. She is the charity’s president, while Douglas is the treasurer.

Douglas Whittemore told DS News that the Ruth Cheatham Foundation was named for a beloved family member who passed away following a 10-year battle against cancer.

“What amazed us both was the massive outpouring of support we saw from all of the youth Ruth had taught over the years,” Whittemore said. Spurred by stories of young people Ruth had inspired during her life and recognizing that adolescents were an underserved cancer patient population within the U.S., Whittemore said that he and Lindsay decided to launch an organization designed to address those needs.

“In the past year, our scholarships granted have grown 128%, and we hope to sustain that level of growth in the years to come,” Whittemore said. “These young adults are simply amazing, and it shows through their perseverance and tenacity throughout life’s challenges.”

The gala is supported by an array of mortgage and default industry sponsors, including ALAW, Altisource, Auction.com, Marinosci Law Group, McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, McCarthy & Holthus, Nationwide Title Clearing, Phelan Hallinan Diamond & Jones, Radian, ServiceLink, Xome, and more.

Whittemore also thanked the group’s mortgage industry supporters. “It speaks to the character of many of the professionals in the servicing world,” he said. “When we partner as a group, it’s encouraging and astounding what we are capable of doing.”

The second annual Ruth Cheatham Foundation Gala will include appearances by former Dallas Cowboy Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown, and former WFAA news anchor Alexa Conomos, Dallas TV personality Courtenay Dehoff, and Sadie Keller, Founder of the Sadie Keller Foundation.