Fifth Annual Pink Pearl Gala Honors Lucia’s Angels

Wading River– On Friday, April 5, the North Fork Breast Health Coalition celebrated breast-cancer survivors, providers and caregivers at the Fifth Annual Pink Pearl Gala of the non-profit organization. The annual event was the most successful yet, with 220 guests in attendance and $60,000 raised for breast-cancer patients and survivors. Proceeds from the raffle of high-end gift baskets accounted for about $12,000 of the total. The cocktail reception, seated dinner and dancing to music selected by DJ Phil was held at East Wind, Wading River.

This year’s gala was a tribute to Lucia’s Angels, which was represented by President and Co-Founder Stacy Quarty as well as Co-Founder Susie Barry Roden. The foundation is committed to helping women and families on Eastern Long Island with late-stage women’s cancers including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and uterine cancer. Lucia’s Angels was created in loving memory of Lucia Terzi Bagan.

“The needs of our stage-four cancer patients are very unique and continually changing. Advances in treatment and treatment options, changing insurance policies and other patient support services determine how we can best help our patients now,” according to Stacy Quarty. “We continually ask, ‘What would make your life more comfortable today?’ Our goal is to provide the best financial and emotional support we can during a difficult and challenging time.”

“It is our privilege to recognize the work of Lucia’s Angels. We are so grateful to them for supporting the most vulnerable and very bravest of women who are dealing with late-stage cancer,” says Gala Event Chair Melanie McEvoy Zuhoski. Two of these brave women, Nikki Abbott and Kim Galway, shared their personal stories with the audience and together presented the award to Stacy Quarty and Susan Barry Roden.

The Pink Pearl Sponsor of this year’s gala was the Simmons Point Group of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. With an office in Riverhead, the Simmons Point Group is an experienced group of financial professionals at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC—one of the nation’s most prestigious investment firms.

Shari Einhorn, an Emmy-Award-winning reporter for News 12 Long Island, emceed the Fifth Annual Pink Pearl Gala.She often covers health-related stories for the regional television station. She was also master of ceremonies for the previous four NFBHC galas, which were very successful with hundreds of people attending each of them.

The North Fork Breast Health Coalition is currently led by President Susan Ruffini. The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization supports local breast-cancer patients with programs such as Helping Hand grants. Funds raised by the gala will also allow the group to continue to provide free services such as gentle yoga, reflexology, meditation class and massage therapy to breast-cancer patients and survivors.

Ann Cotten-DeGrasse and her late husband, Antonio, founded NFBHC in 1998 because they saw a great need for such an organization on the North Fork, where there is an especially high rate of diagnosis of the disease. A retired teacher, Ann has also served as president of the Riverhead School Board. The gala was named for the late Pearl Philindas, past president of the coalition.

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