From Cornhole to Compassion: Operation Love Bigger Inc. Holds Fundraiser and Fuels Support for a Local Breast Cancer Patient and Nonprofit Organization, Boxes of Hope 

By Emily Wright

LOCK HAVEN— Wednesday evening, Operation Love Bigger, Inc., a local non-profit organization, made two generous donations to the Boxes of Hope 501(c)3 breast cancer nonprofit organization founded by Traci Fotorny and also to a local breast cancer warrior, Chayna Guiswite, as she continues to undergo breast cancer treatment. The checks were presented at the Boxes of Hope headquarters located in downtown Lock Haven, with eight of the 12 Operation Love Bigger, Inc. members present. 

Operation Love Bigger, Inc. is a group of friends and family that have been coming together since 2023 to lend a hand to individuals and families near and far who are battling homelessness, addiction, recovery, and disasters, to name a few. 

Operation Love Bigger held a cornhole tournament in May to raise funds in memory of Shirley Gaines, who passed away in 2023 after her battle with breast cancer. The first cornhole tournament was a success, with a total of 12 teams coming out to play and a number of community members who came to support the cause. Because of its success, the cornhole tournament will be an annual event that continues in Shirley’s name. 

Operation Love Bigger reached out to Traci after the cornhole tournament not only to let her know that they’d like to donate to Boxes of Hope but also to ask her for the name of a local breast cancer patient to whom they could also make a donation. According to Traci, Chayna Guiswite was the first to come to mind. 

Chayna is a 31-year-old Clinton County native who was diagnosed with stage 3, grade 3 breast cancer in October 2023. She discovered a lump seemingly out of the clear blue sky, and after being evaluated, her doctors determined that the lump had already grown 4 centimeters. 

The cancer had spread to Chayna’s lymph nodes, and she has since had several removed in addition to undergoing a double mastectomy. While Chayna has completed chemotherapy, she is still undecided in terms of whether to undergo radiation treatment due to the lack of case studies that show success for patients like her, as well as the many side effects it can cause in the long and short term. She reports that while she’s not in remission, she “has no evidence of disease” but still needs to continue immunotherapy treatments. For the time being, Chayna travels to Pittsburg once every week for treatment.

In the midst of her battle with breast cancer, Chayna is also the mother of two young children and the wife of Aric Guiswite. While continuing her treatment, Chayna and her family are also packing up and searching for a new place to live before their lease ends on August 2nd, a daunting task for a breast cancer patient due to the inability to lift heavy objects or reach to high areas. In a recent Facebook post, Chayna reached out to any local friends willing to help her with the process of packing and to ask about anyone who might be willing to rent to her and her family, which also includes her dogs, cats, and a few chickens. “If you know anyone willing to rent to us, or if you’re willing to rent to us, we would be forever grateful!” she said in her post. “We still don’t know where we’re going, but we are hopeful God has a plan, and it will all come full circle!” Chayna says that she hopes to be able to find a place in the Jersey Shore area. 

Traci learned about Chayna’s breast cancer battle through a mutual friend and, without hesitation, sent her a care package, also known as a “Box of Hope.” Chayna said that when she received her Box of Hope, it brought her joy and reassured her that she is not alone on her journey. Chayna expressed her gratitude to the members of Operation Love Bigger, Inc. for their generous contribution of $300.00 as she continues her treatment. 

Traci is a breast cancer survivor who radiates positivity and loves to share it, as well as God’s word, with those who are on the same journey as she once was. She completed her breast cancer treatment in May 2019 and sent her first “care package” to another woman who was undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the time. The woman later told Traci that when she received the care package, it was “like receiving a box of hope,” and so “Boxes of Hope” was born. 

Operation Love Bigger, Inc. contributed $100.00 to Boxes of Hope, which Traci says will go towards the cost of shipping out more Boxes of Hope. The boxes are stuffed with handmade mastectomy pillows and other thoughtful gifts for women who are undergoing breast cancer treatment or who are recovering from surgery. 

Operation Love Bigger, Inc. plans to continue its pursuit of helping others in the community, with the next fundraiser set to begin on July 1. This fundraiser will be based around each day of the month of July, and the funds that are raised will go toward families in need of school supplies. Those interested in participating can sponsor any day in July to make a contribution and donate the amount that corresponds with the day. July 1 would be a $1.00 donation, July 2 would be a $2.00 donation, and so on. At the end of the month, a winner will be chosen.

To learn more about the next fundraiser and to get involved, search for “Operation Love Bigger Inc.” on Facebook. 

To make a contribution to Boxes of Hope and learn more about the organization, visit the website or Facebook page. 

Boxes of Hope Address: 18 E. Main Street, Suites 4 & 5 (Second Floor), Lock Haven, PA

Facebook: facebook.com/PinkBoxesOfHope/  

Website: www.boh4bc.org   

Phone: (570) 502-2524

Email: info@boh4bc.org 

For donations and related info: www.boh4bc.org/donate