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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.
