ROANOKE, Va. – The Power of Pink luncheon was a big success again in 2024.
The event at Hotel Roanoke Monday raised money for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, which helps pay for screening for the uninsured and underinsured right here in our region.
Each year, there are 7,800 women and men in the VBCF service area who are diagnosed with breast cancer, and 1,150 women and men who die from breast cancer. The money they raise through events like the Power of Pink Luncheon is used to provide Virginians with knowledge and a voice on the breast cancer journey.
The local speaker this year was Joey Beck. She has been a community advocate for breast cancer awareness. Through her women’s magazine, Bella Magazine, Joey led the charge for fifteen years by educating and advocating about women’s health and issues directly, serving on several committees and boards in many volunteer capacities. One year ago, Joey joined the “breast cancer survivor sisterhood” beside many dear friends and will always be a champion for advocating for yourself and having yearly mammograms.
The keynote speaker, Kristen Dahlgren, is also a breast cancer survivor. In 2019, she was diagnosed and immediately decided to share her story to help other women to recognize the different ways their own cancers could present. Through her reporting, Kristen also learned about the exciting research that was happening on Breast Cancer vaccines. After a conversation with UW Cancer Vaccine Institute’s Dr. Nora Disis, Kristen realized that vaccines for breast cancer was something that was close and achievable. She then founded the Cancer Vaccine Coalition, which partners with the nation’s top vaccine and cancer researchers with a goal of getting a safe, effective breast cancer vaccine to market in 5 to 10 years. Cancer Vaccine Coalition has one mission: to move science forward faster!
10 News Anchor Jenna Zibton emceed the event again this year.