Granny’s house    

Rob and Kirsten Hodgson, who have lived in central Florida since 1990, formed Granny Nannies that same year as the result of their own personal situation—the need to find trustworthy, reliable and affordable care for his grandmother, Esther Dowding, in her own home.

Today, Granny Nannies is a home health-care agency that specializes in providing nursing care by Certified Nursing Aides (CNAs) and Home Health Assistants (HHAs) for the elderly, or for individuals or couples with special needs. Starting in one small office, Granny Nannies has grown to 12 offices throughout Florida, which now account for combined annual revenues of more than $12 million. Three of these offices are company-owned; the others are franchises. Three more offices are slated to open in the next six months, and the company will be expanding into Panama City and Atlanta.

Hodgson’s involvement with the American Lung Association began about eight years ago, after one of his employees contracted and died of lung cancer at an early age. In those eight years, Hodgson progressed from volunteer to board president of the Central Florida Division, which encompasses ten counties. A board member for the past seven years and president for the past year, Hodgson has been instrumental in putting the organization’s fund-raising efforts into high gear. He helped to coordinate past events such as the Oxygen Bash, a biker-themed event held at Orlando Harley Davidson. And this year he created the highly successful Cars for the Cure, a car show/fund-raiser, which took place February 12th at Colonial TownPark.

Hodgson took his passion for cars and turned it into a fund-raiser. Cars for the Cure was his idea from start to finish: he conceived of the event; secured the location; signed local sponsors; enlisted auto exhibitors, each of whom paid an entry fee of $40; and coordinated promotional efforts. In addition to the support of event sponsors (including Colonial TownPark, Ferrari Maserati of Central Florida, Seminole Harley-Davidson, and Bentley of Orlando) and exhibitors, the public’s response was terrific. All told, the event raised $25,000—all of which of which goes to the ALA. “Nothing goes in anyone’s pocket,” Hodgson points out.

The success of the first year’s event has laid the foundation for next year—bigger and better, it will also feature celebrity cars, a formal ball and a black-tie auction. “We are indebted to Rob for his vision and initiative in spearheading the Cars for the Cure event,” says Stephanie Hutchinson, area executive director of the American Lung Association of Florida. “[His] commitment to the mission of the American Lung Association and his admitted passion for high-performance cars developed into a successful fund-raiser that we hope will continue for years to come.”

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