Central Arkansas is home to several top cancer treatment centers, attracting patients from all over Arkansas and throughout the country. No matter the distance, these individuals all leave behind their familiar surroundings and local support networks. That’s when the 20th Century Club’s Lodge steps in to offer both emotional and practical assistance, helping patients and families concentrate on healing and recovery.
While its original mission in the 1940s was assisting the Red Cross and United Service Organizations with the war effort, the 20th Century Club pivoted to cancer-related issues in the 1960s after a treatment facility opened in Little Rock. The mission soon became providing no-cost housing to medically and financially qualified patients receiving treatment in central Arkansas.
The lodge works with various local cancer care centers and is independent of any specific hospital or health care provider. Patients are placed at the lodge after a referral is placed by a social worker at their treatment facility.
Lodging was initially provided in a historic residence located in Little Rock’s Quapaw Quarter district beginning in 1984 until ongoing maintenance became increasingly challenging and expensive. As a result, the organization pursued the development of a modern and efficient facility, culminating in the opening of the 20th Century Club’s Lodge in April 2011.
The lodge now boasts newly renovated interiors with stylish furniture and decor and updated televisions to provide guests with a welcoming, modern atmosphere. Outside, the organization’s symbolic bridge has been refreshed, and together with the attractive landscaping designed by the grounds committee, the exterior is just as appealing as the inside of the lodge.
“In my role, my goal is to expand awareness of our organization among the public and cancer treatment facilities,” 20th Century Club President Tonya Franzetti says. “I want to ensure that every cancer patient who needs and qualifies for a supportive place to stay during treatment knows about the lodge and feels welcome.”
Franzetti says it’s hard to choose her favorite lodge activity, but she lands on a communal one.
“The activity closest to my heart is the dinner members provide four nights a week,” she says. “You’ll find us preparing meals, serving, cleaning up and spending time with our patients and their caregivers. It’s one of the many ways we strive to help them feel a little more at home during a challenging time.”
Franzetti’s decision to join the organization was motivated by personal reasons.
“My mother-in-law passed away from cancer, and she was so fortunate to be able to have outstanding care right here in Little Rock,” Franzetti says. “[I got involved] because I wanted to be able to help other cancer patients that have to travel to Little Rock for lifesaving treatment.”
20th Century Club member and 2026 Hope Ball co-chair Christy Lund also came to the organization with a story of her own.
“All that I do is in honor of my beautiful, remarkable, memorable mother,” Lund says. “She battled cancer like a true warrior, but it took her life at 55. She is my ‘why,’ and this is my labor of love. She would have absolutely cherished our lodge and the blessings we provide.”
Laura Westlake, fellow member and Hope Ball co-chair, knew the lodge’s value, but her husband’s leukemia diagnosis gave her a deeper understanding of truly supporting someone through tough times.
“What surprised me most was how much more there is to cancer than the medical treatment,” Westlake says. “There’s the exhaustion, the travel, the financial strain and the constant juggling of normal life with a crisis that never leaves your thoughts.”
She describes families travelling far for treatment, couples living from packed bags and caregivers trying to stay strong while struggling privately.
“That’s why being a member of the 20th Century Club means so much to me now,” Westlake says. “I don’t just understand the mission, I feel it. I know what it’s like to want comfort, stability and a place to rest where you don’t have to worry for a moment.”
And if feedback is any indication, the lodge is meeting its marks on guest satisfaction.
“It’s truly difficult to single out a particular instance as every guest brings their own unique story, and all of them are beyond special and inspirational,” Lund says. “I can just speak of the letters I have personally seen or received that have created mountains of emotions and answered my ‘why.’”
Westlake agrees it’s about the collective.
“There isn’t just one person who represents what the lodge is all about. It’s the collection of stories and moments we share with the patients,” Westlake says. “We’ve received so many handwritten notes and letters from guests thanking us for serving meals, helping the lodge feel like home and for simply spending time with them laughing, crying and listening. Those small connections are what stay with me.”
James and Misty, guests from Dardanelle, described the lodge as a “godsent blessing,” noting that staff, volunteers and fellow guests all came to feel like family.
Brenda and Butch from Texas said all the smiling faces at the lodge continually gave them hope.
“Each message, each hug, each moment of gratitude reminds me that the lodge is far more than a place to stay,” Westlake says. “It’s a community built on compassion. It’s those countless stories together that embody the heart of the lodge and what makes it special.”
“The lodge is not just a building, it is a lifeline,” executive director Ashley Harris says. “It is a warm, safe room when a patient has nowhere to go. It is a meal shared with people who understand. It is a hug in the hallway from someone who remembers your name, your story and your struggle. It is a caregiver’s sigh of relief after holding in fear all day long. And for many patients, it is the difference between fighting cancer or forfeiting hope.”
“Cancer has no doubt affected all of us in some way, shape or form,” Lund says. “Cancer is inescapable, but that does not stop cancer support and research from continuing. This alone is our mission and drives everything we do at the 20th Century Club.”
According to Lund and Westlake, many nonprofits are seeing funding and volunteerism trend downward. Fortunately, the trend has not affected the lodge, highlighting the dedication and shared mission of its volunteers.
“In a world of less volunteerism, less financial giving and less awareness, I encourage the community to be a part of our cause and realize you can and will make a difference,” Lund says.
The Angels of Hope program is one of these difference makers. This program consists of young women entering their junior year of high school who volunteer their time with patients at the lodge and collaborate with other cancer-focused organizations within the community.
“The Angels decorate all the lodge common areas, as well as each guest’s room door for each holiday,” Lund says. “They sing Christmas carols, do art projects with our guests and share in the fun of our weekly Bingo games, just to name a few. The list goes on and on with their heartfelt giving. That is why we call it a ‘home away from home’ as that is exactly what we provide to our guests.”
Lund says the Angels infuse youthful energy into the lodge that is desperately needed.
“Our guests are dealing with so many challenges, and the energy and excitement the Angels of Hope bring to the lodge on a daily basis truly provide an environment full of uplifting and loving energy,” Lund says.
Angels are expected to complete 25 hours of service, though some dedicate as many as 100 hours. Those who reach this requirement receive the Service Above Self Award at the annual Hope Ball. The nine-month program wraps up with a final presentation during the gala, where Angels don their classic white gowns and gloves at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Westlake is excited to honor her own daughter at this year’s ball.
“Watching my daughter, Lilly, serve as an Angel for the lodge has been a very meaningful experience,” Westlake says. “Seeing her walk into a room full of cancer patients with such kindness, confidence and a willingness to help has made me incredibly proud.”
Westlake hopes her daughter and other Angels see that giving back not only benefits those served, but also builds character, resilience and purpose in themselves.
“I hope being part of the Angel program teaches her lessons that will stay with her long past high school,” Westlake says. “Lessons like compassion, service, empathy, gratitude and understanding that small gestures can make an enormous difference in someone’s hardest moments.”
Beyond honoring the Angels for their service, Westlake says the purpose of the Hope Ball is to connect guests with the mission of the lodge and show them just how their generosity directly changes lives.
“This event isn’t just a fundraiser,” Westlake adds. “It directly impacts the lives of cancer patients and their families, and being part of something that meaningful truly inspires me. It allows me to give back in a way that feels personal and purposeful.”
Of course, the evening has its own tangible purpose. The Hope Ball is 20th Century Club’s sole fundraiser, and its goal is to bring in enough proceeds to fund the lodge for a full year.
“It is a monumental responsibility that I feel honored to co-lead with Laura and our wonderful committees” Lund says. “We could not successfully do what is needed for this event without the help of a strong and resourceful leadership team and network of passionate members.”
“Co-chairing the Hope Ball has been an honor and a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” Westlake adds. “What I hope to bring to the fundraiser is enthusiasm, creativity and a deep commitment to making the evening both memorable and impactful.”
And while an elegant evening filled with flowers and gratitude awaits attendees, the nonprofit is in need of support year-round, and donors can sponsor a patient and caregiver for any number of nights.
“When you support the 20th Century Club, you are literally giving patients the nights they need to survive,” Harris says, “A safe room, a warm meal and a community of care that can change the course of someone’s fight against cancer.”
“I wish the community knew just how life-changing the lodge truly is,” Westlake says. “It’s not simply a place to stay. It’s a home, a support system and a source of comfort during one of the hardest seasons of someone’s life. My husband’s journey taught me compassion on a new level, and being part of the 20th Century Club allows me to turn that compassion into action.”
The Lodge by the Numbers in 2024
- 3,622 total nights
- 1,000 patients and caregivers
- 131 first-time guests
- 8,000+ volunteer hours
- 13 states
- 78 cancer variants
- 5 treatment centers
Hope ball
Benefitting the 20th Century Club
March 7, 6 p.m. | Statehouse Convention Center
Info: hopeawayfromhome.pw/the-hope-ball
PHOTOGRAPHY
JASON MASTERS
HAIR & MAKEUP
JESSICA HUMERICK
CLOTHING
BARBARA/JEAN
JEWELRY
LAURA B. LUXURY
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