Fremont, California (PRWEB) March 11, 2015
HERS Breast Cancer Foundation today announced that they will host a community awards luncheon on Thursday, April 23, 2015. The sixth annual People with Purpose event will recognize individuals whose efforts have supported breast cancer survivors and the foundation’s programs.
The event takes place April 23 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton San Jose Hotel in Milpitas, California. More information about the event, as well as online ticket sales, can be found at http://herspeoplewithpurpose.org/.
Keynote speaker for this year’s event will be novelist Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of four novels that have also been national book club selections. Her titles include: The Wednesday Daughters, The Four Ms. Bradwells, The Wednesday Sisters, and The Language of Light. Ms. Clayton resides in Palo Alto and has personal ties to the breast cancer community.
The funds raised at this event will go toward HERS Breast Cancer Foundation programs, including We Support, YOU Survive, which serves low-income women in need of post-surgical garments. The funds will also support the organization’s Lymphedema Project, which provides specialty sleeves to support the prevention and treatment of this painful condition, regardless of financial status. Funds are being raised through corporate sponsorship, donations, and ticket sales.
This year’s honorees include: Kim Hammer, co-founder of Have a Ball Foundation; Tricia J. McMahon, D.Min, wellness coach and author; Laura Constantine, RN, Clinical Coordinator of the Women’s Center at Washington Hospital; and Susi Folks and Vicki Goss of ChemoCare Bag Ministry.
Kim Hammer and her husband Bob Hammer founded the Have a Ball Foundation in 2005 to raise money for testicular cancer research. Each year they host two golf tournaments; in 2014, they raised a record $294,000. Their fundraising now benefits a wide variety of cancer organizations, including HERS Breast Cancer Foundation. The proceeds are also used to send kids with cancer to Camp Okizu and to endow scholarships for oncology nursing students. Ms. Hammer and her family live in San Ramon and are very actively involved in their community.
In 1998, Tricia J. McMahon co-founded HERS Breast Cancer Foundation and its signature program, Bras for Body & Soul. As the program’s first Breast Care Specialist and Program Director, Tricia’s passion for care and holistic healing engaged the community and transformed lives. From 2004 to 2007 she served as the Executive Director, furthering the organization’s services, breast health education, and outreach to the medical and civic community. Currently living in Oregon, Dr. McMahon is President of Soaring Spirits, Inc. Her practice includes writing, wellness coaching, offering Creation Spirituality retreats, ministering for memorial and wedding celebrations, teaching Parkinson’s agility/dance classes and volunteering with hospice.
Laura Constantine, RN is a Certified Breast Health Navigator and Clinical Coordinator of the Women’s Center at Washington Hospital in Fremont (a location of one of the foundation’s program stores). Laura has been a nurse for almost 30 years and her experience ranges from home health to hospice, general surgery, and oncology. Ms. Constantine has a strong “Patients First” ethic, treating her patients holistically with loving support. She is passionate about her work but hopes to someday live in a world without cancer. Ms. Constantine has resided in Pleasanton for the past 20 years.
The ChemoCare Bag Ministry, founded in 2009, provides care bags to women who must endure chemotherapy. Long-time Livermore residents Vicki Goss and Susi Folks share this ministry, providing their service throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. To date, the two women have given out more than 300 bags to patients in need in 22 states and two countries. The hand-sewn bags are designed to accompany women to therapy and are filled with both useful and fun items. The goal of the ministry is to provide hope, comfort and encouragement to women at a very dark and stressful time. Ms. Folks and Ms. Goss were recently presented with a 2015 Jefferson Award for community service.
Tickets for the event may be purchased online at: http://herspeoplewithpurpose.org/buy-tickets/
About HERS Breast Cancer Foundation (HBCF)
HERS Breast Cancer Foundation believes in restoring beauty and dignity to breast cancer survivors at an extremely vulnerable time of their lives. Every day we bring hope, empowerment, renewal and support, because every woman deserves to look and feel whole. We support all women healing from breast cancer by providing post-surgical products and services regardless of financial status. HBCF is the only nonprofit organization in the Bay Area that provides appropriate products (such as bras, prostheses, lymphedema garments, and wigs) for breast cancer survivors in a safe, comfortable, and understanding environment.
The foundation's services for breast cancer survivors are provided at two program store locations: at the Stanford Cancer Center and at Washington Hospital in Fremont. More information available at http://hersbreastcancerfoundation.org.