Owner of Clermont diner gets results for Lake County cancer patients, families

PaPa acts as unofficial HQ for Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation

Clermont, Fla. – Kay Simpson, owner of PaPa's Diner in Clermont, is this week's Getting Results Award winner.

Simpson's day starts at 6 a.m. as she prepares her restaurant for a cast of regulars. Many waiting at the door for opening at 7 a.m.

Most mornings people can find Russell Conrad at his normal spot at the counter. He said he comes for the conversation and Simpson's biscuits, made just the way he likes.

"I only come six days a week," Conrad said. "Because they ain't open on Sundays."

The restaurant fills up quick with customers eager for the classic breakfast items. But at PaPa's, comfort food takes on a whole new meaning.

The diner is the unofficial headquarters for the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation. Simpson, a foundation board member, will spend hours after work helping to plan the foundation's fundraising events.

"I don't do it alone," she said while scrambling eggs over the grill. "My dad had cancer, and when he finally passed away and I couldn't do anything about it ... this kind of helps with the frustration."

She opens her doors and her heart to people dealing with the stress of a diagnosis.

"It's the patients, helping the patients," Simpson said. "A lot of them come in here, and they need a hug. They need someone to listen. They need help. They have a choice of paying their bills or buying medication. That's where we step in."   

Simpson was nominated by Conrad for her continued support of the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation. GCCF is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to provide support for residents of South Lake County as they cope with the emotional and financial aspects of dealing with cancer.

GCCF fundraisers include everything from the Clermont Music Festival to  Bras for the Cause, a runway show and auction for custom decorated bras and boxers.

"The foundation is 100 percent volunteer," Simpson said. "So the money doesn't go anywhere but in the community to help families, and that's what I like."

Simpson estimated the group has raised more than $200,000 for families dealing with cancer.

"We get them help," she said. "More than once, I've had people say, you made a difference, your check got there, and it helped me pay my mortgage. That's why I'm passionate about it."


About the Author:

Paul is a Florida native who graduated from the University of Central Florida. As a multimedia journalist, Paul enjoys profiling the people and places that make Central Florida unique.

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