The Petals of Hope Foundation is bringing back its signature fundraiser for an eighth year, with the Crystal Ballroom in Altamonte Springs set to host Taste the Hope on October 4. This year's theme, “Spectrum of Hope: Every Color, Every Cure,” recognizes people affected by many forms of cancer, and organizers expect roughly 175 guests to fill the ballroom starting at 2 p.m. at 1012 State Road 436.
As reported by WFTV, the event will feature food sampling, live entertainment, a silent auction, raffles, educational resources and personal stories from those touched by cancer. Proceeds support the Petals of Hope Foundation's broader programs, including its Transport-to-Care Fund, which helps Greater Orlando patients with limited resources or family support get to medical appointments. The station reports the foundation has contributed approximately $70,000 toward the transportation program, according to Petals of Hope.
The fund was created with AdventHealth in 2015, per the same account, addressing a gap that public health programs often can't fill on their own. National Institutes of Health research shows that transportation barriers — including travel distance, vehicle access and lack of public transit — disproportionately affect minority and low-income cancer patients, contributing to delayed diagnoses and missed appointments, according to National Institutes of Health findings. That same body of research notes that non-medical transportation costs and logistical obstacles often cause low-income cancer patients to miss necessary chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
A Sorority's Nearly 80-Year Legacy in Orlando
Petals of Hope operates as the charitable arm of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated's Delta Omicron Omega Chapter, according to the WFTV report. The chapter was chartered on October 24, 1947, according to the Delta Omicron Omega Chapter. The foundation itself was established in 2012 and now counts more than 240 members, the station's report notes, relying on donations and volunteer service rather than government funding.
Beyond the cancer-focused gala, the foundation's programs stretch across education, health awareness, food insecurity and school-supply donations, per the WFTV account, and members log more than 5,000 hours of community service each year. The foundation has awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to date, according to Petals of Hope, money that helps students cover post-secondary education costs. For 2026, the foundation and Delta Omicron Omega offered seven $1,200 scholarships, according to the Petals of Hope Foundation.
Community Outreach Beyond the Ballroom
The foundation's local footprint extends well past its flagship fundraiser. It hosts the annual Shower of Love fellowship luncheon at the James R. Smith Neighborhood Center in Orlando, offering lunch, social entertainment and information on health, wellness and economic well-being for local senior citizens, according to Petals of Hope Foundation materials. On June 28, 2025, the foundation hosted the 3rd Annual Black Business Expo at Dr. I. Sylvester Hankins Park, promoting minority entrepreneurship and community economic development.
The Hannibal Square Heritage Center materials also mention the Charmettes Club of Orlando. The foundation is associated with a 501(c)(3) designation and an address at 4700 Millenia Blvd in Orlando, and relies on donations.
Filling Gaps Alongside Growing Medical Infrastructure
The Transport-to-Care partnership with AdventHealth helps patients reach care. Separately, public and clinical resources address diagnosis and treatment.
Those public and clinical resources address diagnosis and treatment, but getting patients through the door remains its own challenge — one that hyper-local fundraising like Taste the Hope is designed to help close. Last year's iteration of the gala took a different tone entirely, staged under a “Met Gala Edition: Celebrating Black Excellence in Fashion” theme, according to a report from the foundation's Facebook page. This year's theme recognizes people affected by many forms of cancer. With Taste the Hope supporting Petals of Hope programming, organizers are hoping this year's Crystal Ballroom crowd helps keep more Central Florida patients on the road to treatment.
