The only 100-percent female owned wood treatment plant in the U.S. is helping out cancer victims in southern Illinois.
Perma Treat of Illinois, located in Marion, announced a campaign Friday called "Delivering the Power of Pink."
President Sara Bond says one dollar of every utility pole sold by her company will be donated to the Coach Kill Cancer Fund administered by Southern Illinois Healthcare.
"Find someone who's doing this work, get behind them and do what you can to help people. That's what I'm about and this is about southern Illinois. I think there's a lot of people fighting that and if I can make one life breathe easier because we looked outside of our business and went out of our way to help them, then I feel like I'm winning."
Bond says she doesn't have a monetary goal in mind because they are just now building their utility pole business.
"We're a 34-year-old treating plant. We've done a lot of DOT work, dimensional work. We've sold a lot of decks and pole barns, but this is a new endeavor for us, so it can only get bigger."
SIH Vice President of Community Affairs Woody Thorne says support from local businesses like Perma Treat is vital for the non-profit organization.
"Everybody we serve are the folks that own these businesses, that work in these businesses. So, we're all in this together."
Thorne says the Coach Kill Cancer Fund has assisted 1,200 patients with funds totaling over $550,000.
