12th Annual People with Purpose Fundraiser Held May 8, 2021

HERS Breast Cancer Foundation returned to hosting its annual People with Purpose spring fundraiser on May 8, 2021, after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Streaming live via the nonprofit’s YouTube Channel, the virtual event attracted supporters from around the Bay Area and from states as far away as Hawaii and New Jersey. The one-hour program included a welcome by Emmy award-winning reporter and KTVU Fox 2 news anchor Heather Holmes, a message from breast cancer survivor, journalist, and author Joan Lunden, and a patient testimonial by Desiree Maldonado.

HERS presented its Hope, Empowerment, Renewal, and Support awards to the Tri-City Voice, retired District 1 Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Washington Hospital Healthcare System Nurse Tammy Ballantyne, and Dutra Enterprises, Inc. in recognition of extraordinary efforts to support the HERS mission in the areas of patient care, event support, and funding initiatives.

Funds raised will benefit HERS Assistance Programs which provide post-surgical products and fitting services to low income, under-served and uninsured patients. The evening’s live auction and fund-a-need were successful, bringing the organization’s total fundraising to just over $96,000 by the close of the one-hour event.

Given the nonprofit’s event fundraising goal of raising $100,000, HERS will accept People with Purpose event donations through May 31. Contributions may be made securely online via "Donate Now" button on the HERS website https://hersbreastcancerfoundation.org or mailed to 2500 Mowry Avenue, Suite 130, Fremont, California 94538.

Broadcast from the studio of Music Plus Events, members of the HERS team joined the festivities wearing pink pajamas and closed the event with a playful pillow fight. Those present included HERS Board President Kirstin Litz, Executive Director Tina Fernandez Steckler, Program Director Annette Lewellyn, Administrative Director Rebecca Lalwani, patient services team member, Debra Shanley, and volunteers Sharon Yap and Ramil Sumalpong. Music was provided by Grammy-award winning musician Laura Sullivan. To watch the event, go to https://tinyurl.com/PinkPJPartyYouTubeRecording.

Registered guests received a Pink Pajama Party box filled with items including a SoiCo candle, pink satin sleep mask, a rose jelly foot treatment, Jelly Belly Rosé jellybeans and Seattle Chocolates truffles, Deep Steep rose body oil, Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade, and a cocktail kit.

HERS Breast Cancer Foundation extends its appreciation to this year’s generous event sponsors, including Fremont Bank, Gonsalves & Kozachenko, Attorneys at Law, Washington Hospital/UCSF Health, CEFCU, Cargill, Haller’s, HERS Board of Directors, Insperity, McDermott Costa Insurance Brokers, Stanford Health Care ValleyCare, Dignity Memorial and the ABWA Pathfinder Chapter of Fremont. A complete list of sponsors and in-kind donors is available at https://hersbreastcancerfoundation.org/people-with-purpose/.

Major donations include $5,000 presented by Chairman Mike Wallace of the Fremont Bank Foundation, $5,000 donated by District 1 Alameda County David Haubert, $2,000 via Terri Coutee, founder of DiepCFoundation, and $1,000 donation each from Washington Hospital Healthcare CEO Kimberly Hartz Foster, Mary Amyx, Burnitta Nanton, and Chief Craig Steckler (Ret.).

HERS Breast Cancer Foundation closed the event by announcing its next People with Purpose event date: Saturday, May 7, 2022.

About HERS Breast Cancer Foundation

HERS Breast Cancer Foundation believes in restoring beauty and dignity to breast cancer survivors at an extremely vulnerable time of their lives. Every day, dedicated staff and volunteers bring HERS (Hope, Empowerment, Renewal and Support) to breast cancer patients at its Fremont, San Leandro, and Pleasanton locations which are highly regarded for being safe, welcoming, and compassionate environments. HERS is the only nonprofit organization in the Bay Area that provides products that aid physical and emotional healing (pocketed bras, breast forms [prostheses], lymphedema garments, and wigs) for breast cancer survivors regardless of their financial status. HERS has been a “soft place to fall” for survivors since 1998 and its programs are made possible by individual donors, grants, and fundraisers.

For more information on HERS Program Store locations and hours, visit http://hersbreastcancerfoundation.org/hers-breast-cancer-foundation-program-stores/.