Lives We Celebrate

Travis Branch
March 30, 1977 - June 13, 2010

Travis Branch, the reason behind the first Swing for a Cure tournament. Travis was an all-American boy, a friend to all, an excellent golfer, and a College of Charleston grad. At the College, Travis met the love of his life, Carrie, and by spring of 2001 they were engaged. A year later, Travis was diagnosed with stage four nasopharyngeal carcinoma cancer. He received radiation and chemotherapy for several months. In the midst of intense cancer treatment, Travis and Carrie married. Shortly after, the newlyweds found out the treatment was successful and Travis was cancer free! They also had two boys together, Parker and Tyler.

Unfortunately, in 2005, Travis was diagnosed with a different type of cancer, hemangiopericytoma, an extremely rare form of sarcoma cancer. Travis knew a difficult road was ahead. He underwent countless surgeries, radiation treatments, and flew around the country seeking treatment over a 5-year period. Despite his efforts, there was no miracle cure. In his final days, Travis shared his idea for a fundraising event written on a napkin with his brother, Giles. Unfortunately, Travis’ vision of a charity fundraiser was never realized as Travis passed in June 2010, just shortly after his 33rd birthday.

Eric Crawford
April 4, 1978 - January 17, 2015

Eric Crawford loved life and was outgoing, passionate, and humorous. He met his wife Meredith in San Diego one summer during college. He graduated from Lehigh University with an engineering degree and went on to have a successful sales career. In 2004, Eric and Meredith were engaged and moved to Charleston. They were married in 2005 on Kiawah Island. They had two children, Kaylee and Connor. When he wasn't spending time with his family, he was playing baseball, surfing or offshore fishing.

In early 2014, Eric started having pain in his knee and the orthopedic doctor discovered a tumor in his left femur. After determining he had osteosarcoma, he was referred to Hollings Cancer Center. Hollings Cancer Center is home to one of only two orthopedic oncologists in the state. He immediately began chemotherapy, then reconstructive surgery, followed by more chemo. In November, a scan revealed that it spread to his lungs and chemo wasn't working. His leg pain returned and breathing trouble began, which eventually landed him in the hospital. After an 11 day stay, he passed away quickly and peacefully on January 17, 2015, surrounded by family and friends. He was only 36.

Roger Allen
May 26, 1947 - November 20, 2015

In 2002, Roger and Karen Allen moved to Charleston, South Carolina, with their daughter Anne-Taylor to grow the Great Clips franchise throughout the Charleston area. They quickly developed close ties with the stylists and employees in their salons, as well as with members of their local community and the larger Great Clips family. With a combination of business acumen, a charming smile, and plenty of wisdom to dispense, Roger soon became successful and beloved. He enjoyed life by painting, sailing, walking, biking and traveling in their RV to explore new places.

Roger and Karen's lives were changed in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Spindle Cell Sarcoma Cancer. As he began treatments at Hollings Cancer Center, the Allen family experienced an outpour of love and support from those around them, including the local and national Great Clips family. Throughout surgeries, clinical trials, and treatments, Roger bravely fought the tumors. Unfortunately, Roger passed away on November 20, 2015.

Thom Schmenk

When Thom Schmenk went into retirement, he set a new fitness goal to ride his bike every day. Thom had always loved cycling, but now he had the time to really commit to it. So, when he discovered a lump on his inner thigh, he assumed it was simply a result of overworking his legs. He and his wife, Judy, were shocked into silence when his doctor informed them he had cancer. Thom was told he might lose his leg, and the doctor also hinted that he should get his affairs in order

A meeting with Dr. Lee Leddy, an orthopedist at Hollings Cancer Center, changed the tone of his prognosis. Thom had a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma called leiomyosarcoma, but Dr. Leddy and his team had a plan, which included radiation and surgery. Soft tissue sarcomas can develop in muscle, fat, blood vessels or any of the other tissues that surround the organs of the body. Fortunately, Thom had the kind that was encapsulated in the muscle, which meant it was contained. On March 5, 2019, Thom celebrated five years of being cancer free! He is back on his bike and raising money for sarcoma research through Swing for a Cure. Three years before he was diagnosed, the treatment protocol that saved his life did not even exist. Thom is now committed to paying it forward and supporting the research and discovery of new sarcoma treatments.

Thank you

Today, all four families, along with survivors, current patients, and friends have joined forces to provide an outlet of hope and a platform for cancer survivors, friends and families coping with the adversity of cancer by joining the cause. We know Travis, Eric and Roger are watching over us as we come together to help raise funds in an effort to find a cure. Thank you for joining us and supporting us over the past eleven years.