The St. Mary-Corwin Health Foundation’s Think Pink Party packed the Pueblo Convention Center Thursday, Oct. 6, with approximately 2,000 people in attendance, said Jayne Mazur, president of the foundation.
The party was hosted by the foundation and Comcast Spotlight in an effort to raise funds for the $1.5 million campaign to build a Breast Center of Excellence in Pueblo.
A Breast Center of Excellence is a nationally accredited cancer treatment center that specializes specifically in breast health. This includes digital mammography services, support groups and reconstructive surgery physicians, according to the St. Mary-Corwin website.
The event was sponsored by the St. Mary-Corwin Volunteers, Lifetime, Dillard’s, Armstrong Jewelers, Comcast and the foundation. The price of admission, as well as money from drink sales and photo booths, went directly to support the cause.
“It was an energizing celebration of life,” Mazur said.
More than 80 vendors were present at the party and each contributed an item into one grand prize drawing that was valued at $7,000. The grand prize included a set of four tires and several gift certificates to local stores and restaurants.
The event also featured a “Hair-Ah-for-the-Era,” which was a decade-themed hair contest. Nine local salons were assigned the task of recreating the hairstyles from the 1900s to the 1990s. Headlines Salon won the competition with their hairstyle inspired from the 1920s, and received $1,000 worth of advertising, including a free 30-second commercial from Comcast.
Armstrong Jewelers sponsored the diamond ring dig where 14 contestants gathered around a Styrofoam peanut-filled horse trough and felt around for a pink ring pop. The winner was Toni Vigil, who received a diamond halo ring valued at $3,000.
Local artists contributed multiple pieces of art for the silent auction, with 40 percent of the final bid being contributed to the campaign. Throughout the evening, attendees were treated to Zumba and belly dancing classes, multiple prize drawings and pictures of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and the Kardashian sisters.
The St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center anticipates obtaining accreditation for the Breast Center of Excellence in 2012, according to Jayne Mazure, president of the SMC Foundation. The center will provide a continuum of care by having comprehensive clinical services with digital mammography and breast health navigators.
The navigators will work closely with doctors and other medical staff members to ensure that the patient receives comprehensive care during their time at the center.
“Attaining the status of Breast Center of Excellence in Pueblo is within reach, but it takes a hospital-community partnership and dedication to bring this world class standard of care to our mothers, our daughters, our sisters and our friends,” said Erin Gibbs, campaign chair.
“This center is not just about cancer, it is about health, education, prevention and for those given a diagnosis of breast cancer, it’s also about clinical expertise, comfort and confidence knowing that the best place for diagnosis and treatment is here at home, in Pueblo,” Gibbs said.
There are six Breast Centers of Excellence are located in the Denver area; however, the center in Pueblo will be the only one in Southern Colorado. The hospital plans to renovate 8,000 sq. ft. to house the center in 2012, as stated on the hospital’s website.
The foundation will host a series of events in support of the $1.5 million campaign throughout the year. For more information, or to make a donation to the campaign, contact Mazur at 719-557-5298, or by email at [email protected].
