It’s back — and better than ever! The 2023 Surviving & Thriving Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon will be one to remember as its all volunteer-driven committee celebrates 20 years of hosting the annual event promoting breast cancer awareness and honoring local breast cancer survivors.
The luncheon, which is sponsored by A&M Health and hosted by Pink Alliance, helps to raise money that the organization uses toward helping breast cancer patients in the Brazos Valley. In 2022, over $137,000 was provided by Pink Alliance to 86 females and one male toward breast cancer services like insurance deductibles, co-payments and medical treatments in the Brazos Valley.
The event will feature a lunch provided by the Hilton College Station & Conference Center as guests learn more about Pink Alliance and survivors within the group. The organization also hosts a raffle of a David Gardner jewelry item to raise funds to help support the event. This year’s guest speaker Kelly Corrigan, sponsored by St. Joseph Health, is a breast cancer survivor, who is also a New York Best-Selling Author and the host of the PBS Series, Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan.
Known as a gifted storyteller and successful journalist, Kelly will share her story of how the phase of childhood and parenthood overlapped when she discovered she had breast cancer. To make things worse, soon after her diagnosis her father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer.
Through this time of trial, Kelly shares how she overcame her own illness and cared for her father during his and how she came out with one main message — the power of a support system in times of need.
Pink Alliance President Doris Light says she encourages all to come, whether they are a current breast cancer patient or survivor, know a breast cancer patient or are just curious about the cause.
“Our audience is heavy on non-survivors but everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed or has an addiction or something else they are fighting,” Doris says. “While the speaker is almost always a breast cancer survivor, his or her story is often very relatable to survivors and non-survivors alike. They are all very inspirational and uplifting telling a story of being knocked down and coming back up. We all love a happy ending and that is typically what our speakers leave us with.”
To learn more or get tickets to the 20th Annual Surviving and Thriving Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon, visit survivingandthriving.org. Raffle tickets for the David Gardner’s Diamond Double Row Cluster Necklace (value $5,250) are available online as well at $25 each or five tickets for $100. Winner does not need to be present to win.
About Pink Alliance
Established in 2007, Pink Alliance was established as a nonprofit by five local breast cancer survivors who wanted to assist those who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer and be an ally when responding to the needs of the community in regards to breast health and cancer awareness, detection and treatment. The group hosts fundraisers in partnership with community organizations to raise funds to help local breast cancer patients with breast cancer treatments. In addition to financial help, the group also hosts a bi-weekly support group for those living with breast cancer. To learn more about Pink Alliance, visit pinkalliance.org.
