Monday November 9, 2009
Celebrating cancer survivors and their journey of hope
By JADE CHAN
THE theme Men in Black, Ladies in Pink set the stage for the Pink Ribbon Ball 2009 — a charity dinner and dance that was all about celebrating breast cancer survivors and their journey of hope.
The fun gala, organised by Reach to Recovery (R2R) 2009 Sdn Bhd and PinkRibbonR2R, was also a showcase of life after surviving breast cancer.
The evening kicked off with the lighting of the Tree of Hope. It was filled with messages of goodwill and survivorship, and resembled the hope for breast cancer survivors.
Fluid moves: Students from A&C Dynamic Dance Studio wowing the guests with their performance. The troupe from A&C Dynamic Dance Studio, led by Malaysian Professional Ballroom Dancing Champions Alex Lim and Carmen Chuang, sizzled on the dance floor with their routines that featured a mix of ballroom, Latin and contemporary dances.
Datin Maylene Yong and the Glitterama Ladies Charity Group enthralled guests with their lineup of songs, while Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim, Datuk Leonard Tan and James Long, the comedian, also entertained guests with their performances.
The highlight of the night was a fashion show with breast cancer survivors as the models.
The models sashayed on the floor in nine beautiful creations by Espen Salsberg, a former salsa dance champion.
Other activities included an auction of two fabulous gowns by Melvin Lam, and a painting each by Mollie Jackson and Allen Tan entitled Sunrise Flowers and Truefaces respectively.
Stepping out with confidence: A breast cancer survivor modelling a sexy black and red outfit by Espen Salsberg during the fashion show. Proceeds from the event, and the sale of PinkRibbonR2R merchandise, will go towards sponsoring 100 delegates to the 16th UICC Breast Cancer Support Conference in Taiwan in November 2011.
R2R 2009 chairman and Pantai Medical Centre consultant breast surgeon Dr M. Devanand said R2R 2009, just like Reach to Recovery International, was built around the principle of peer support.
“PinkRibbonR2R was initiated as part of a breast cancer support group and is managed by breast cancer survivors,” he said.
“Its mission is to ensure, through corporate and individual support, empowerment and information, that no one faces breast cancer alone or uninformed, while continuing to educate survivors on the issues of breast health care.”
Dr Devanand said in the course of his work, he realised there was a vacuum for breast cancer support as many patients were afraid and not well informed about the disease.
“It is known that patients with proper support and sufficient knowledge in every aspect have a better chance of survival, hence PinkRibbonR2R was formed to address this need.
“Our support group reaches out to patients through phone calls, email, Facebook and website,” he said.
The website www.pinkribbonr2r.my focuses on peer support initiatives and education on various issues related to breast cancer management, nutrition and exercise.
Dr Devanand pointed out that PinkRibbonR2R’s “pink ribbon with a heart” logo symbolises the fight against breast cancer, from the caring heart of volunteers.
“Our pilot project was a fully sponsored trip for 29 breast cancer survivors, funded through a charity drive, to attend the 15th UICC Breast Cancer Support Conference in Brisbane, Australia, in May 2009.
“We recently launched the PinkRibbon Goes Nano project, which aims to provide free Wellness Nano Silver Mask to breast cancer or immune-compromised cancer patients.
“We are hoping to be able to distribute up to one million of these masks that have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties through corporate sponsorships,” he said.
Ladies with sweet voices and kind hearts: The Glitterama Ladies Charity Group enthralling guests at the Pink Ribbon Ball 2009 with their heartfelt performance. A PinkRibbon Wellness Camp will be held in mid-November at Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi, which hopes to teach breast cancer survivors the various aspects of support therapy that enhance survivorship and improve their total quality of life.
While the funds raised from this year’s and next year’s Pink Ribbon Ball would go towards sponsorship for the conference, it would also be used for peer support events, buying of prostheses and educating cancer survivors.
Dr Devanand said PinkRibbonR2R’s ultimate message was to provide hope and support to walk the journey together, and that a breast cancer patient need not journey alone.
Source:
- Fewer fires in Seri Kembangan this year
- Residents say no to extension
- Many RAs are resorting to ads to state their points
- There are more confusing signboards
- Keeping an eye out for conmen
- Chain opens fourth outlet
- PD resort named best family day destination
- Blaze victim still staying in razed shophouse
- Don’t delay moving squatters, says DBKL
- Dead Sea Scrolls on display
- Many RAs are resorting to ads to state their points
- Dead Sea Scrolls on display
- Fewer fires in Seri Kembangan this year
- Dressed to the nines
- Penang bags award for halal industry
- Power disruption
- One-stop centre for hotspots
- Bid by hotel to bake longest Christollen
- 30 % drop in dengue cases in Perak
- MPPP: There is no seating rule
Latest from StarProperty
- Christmas At Home with Will Quah
- Green Seputeh
- Sculptures go retro at Artisan House
- Capturing the soul of digital art
- Bathroom Remodelling
RSS
