Events
Memorial Hermann’s In the Pink of Health Luncheon Tops 2022 Impact
THE WOODLANDS, TX – Waves of pink and teal washed the room as 900 guests dressed in their best enjoyed the 23rd Annual In the Pink of Health luncheon at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. The annual luncheon raises critical funds to support the In the Pink of Health mission to change lives to reduce the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and assist survivors in their journey. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the September event raised $680,000 and with additional events over the next month, anticipates raising $700,000 for its 2023 campaign.
Popular Radio Personality, Dana Tyson of 99.1 kicked off the program as emcee for the event. Her bright pink and green outfit matched her sunny demeanor as she brought her love for community and high energy to the stage.
Justin Kendrick, Senior Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Northeast welcomed the guests and thanked the top event sponsors. He welcomed back Presenting Sponsors, CeCe and Richie Ray of Kingdom Investment Holdings and Private Luxe Travel. They were met with a loud round of applause when he recognized them as Presenting Sponsors for over 10 years.
Tricia and Jack Futcher, once again, stepped up generously as the Tricia and Jack Futcher Legacy Sponsors. Adcetera renewed their Brand Patron sponsorship, and Mary Ann and Marty Young and Jessica and Trey Brice (in Memory of Melissa Preston) served as Pink Diamond Sponsors. He thanked the In the Pink of Health committee and invited event co-chairs Patti Jorgensen and Michelle Leary to the stage. He introduced them as two great leaders who have a heart for the mission.
Michelle Leary thanked Platinum Sponsors Huntsman, US Oncology Network/Texas Oncology, and Waste Connections and thanked the Premier Party Sponsor Slimlogix and Premier Party Venue Sponsor Howard Hughes along with the Ruby Sponsors. She shared that she has a passion for In the Pink as statistics show that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. As the mother of three daughters and two granddaughters, it’s important to her to beat the odds. She thanked the hardworking In the Pink committee and they all rose to a round of applause.
Patti recounted her experience as a caregiver to her husband who died of cancer, leaving her at 32 years old with five children (two of which were 16-month-old twins). She talked about how her involvement with In the Pink introduced her to Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center where she and her family volunteer their time. She serves to support others fighting cancer.
Anne Neeson, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Memorial Hermann Foundation called Justin Kendrick back on stage so the pair could share the exciting news of Trey Brice & and his wife Jessica making a $1M gift to support the breast center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands in honor of his mother, Melissa Preston. Melissa is a past co-chair of In the Pink of Health and lost her battle with cancer last year. The gift will be recognized in the naming of the breast center, The Melissa Preston Breast Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center.
Each year, a local cancer survivor is invited to share their story. This year, Angela Morgan, a nurse on the medical/oncology unit at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands shared her story about her breast cancer journey. She shared that she found comfort, hope, and support at Canopy and she encouraged everyone to experience it. “It’s like a warm blanket when you walk through the door. The volunteers are amazing and they offer so many programs. It’s a happy place,” she shared in her remarks.
Lizzie Marlow, a student at the University of Texas sang “Stand By You” while guests enjoyed lunch. Her upbeat, effervescent version of the song had guests clapping to the music.
Guest speaker, Elin Hilderbrand approached the stage with her beachy blond hair and tanned physique and recounted her path to writing celebrity and her challenging journey with breast cancer. Guests gave a standing ovation after her engaging, heartfelt talk.
The program concluded with a drawing for five luxury designer handbags and a grand prize of a one week Bahama stay. Elin Hilderbrand drew the winning tickets and guests giddily ran to the stage to claim their prizes.
The event concluded with a book signing where Hilderbrand signed the books sold that day and copies that fans brought from home.
Each January, the In the Pink of Health Allocations Committee meets to distribute the net funds raised from the prior year’s events. This year, $520,000 was distributed to support state-of-the-art technology, breast and ovarian cancer awareness initiatives, unlimited free mammograms, free wigs, and breast prostheses, and to provide funding for Canopy, the Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands.
To support the important work of In the Pink of Health, visit inthepinkofhealth.org.
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