Hats & Tea 4 Me fundraiser in Fresno County supports brain-cancer survivors

Hats & Tea 4 Me was set for Sunday, May 17, at Rancho Playa del Rio Vineyards in Fresno County near Kerman, bringing 100 women together for a tea and luncheon, wellness stations, local vendors and a silent auction. Tickets had to be purchased by midnight Thursday, May 14, and sponsorships were also available, giving the event a clear fundraising structure as it blended a garden-party setting with a community cause. Proceeds were slated to benefit people in the local community battling brain cancer.

The fundraiser is the signature annual event connected to Hats by Me, the social impact initiative of Kool Breeze Solar Hats. Dr. Vernice Nellon, listed by Livewell BHC as chief impact officer, has been identified as the person who discussed the event in a live in-studio interview. Kool Breeze Solar Hats first launched in 2013, and its hats are made by hand in Fresno, tying the fundraiser to a local business with deep county roots.

Organizers framed the gathering around women’s self-care, wellness and sisterhood, but the cause was more than celebratory. May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month, and the timing gave the event added meaning for families coping with a diagnosis that can quickly change daily life in Fresno County and beyond. The National Brain Tumor Society says more than 1.3 million Americans are living with a brain tumor, 108,810 people are expected to be diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2026, and 18,350 Americans are projected to die from a malignant brain tumor this year.

The broader cancer burden is also substantial. The American Cancer Society says about 18.6 million Americans were cancer survivors as of Jan. 1, 2025, and that number is expected to keep climbing. The CDC’s U.S. Cancer Statistics tools provide county-level data, underscoring why local fundraisers like Hats & Tea 4 Me can matter in places where cancer touches families directly. In that context, the vineyard event was not just a social outing, but a Fresno County benefit built around women, local commerce and support for neighbors facing brain cancer.