More than $40M raised in the fight against breast cancer
The lump Deborah Michnick felt in her left breast in February 2022 caught her off guard. Having lost her mother to breast cancer when her mother was only 56, Deborah had always been vigilant about getting annual mammograms. When she learned she had triple-negative breast cancer that had metastasized to her liver, Deborah was devastated, she said, but “I wasn’t going to let it ruin my life.”
Deborah’s radiologist recommended she make an appointment with Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, Celebrating Women Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center. Dr. O’Shaughnessy helped Deborah enroll in a clinical trial for women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, and after more than 25 treatments, the cancer is nearly undetectable. Deborah shared her story with nearly 900 attendees at the 24th Annual Celebrating Women Luncheon on October 30 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, thanking the many generous donors who help fund clinical trials for women like her.
“Without your caring and loving hearts, along with your generous donations to Celebrating Women, my outcome—and the outcomes of so many other women—could be very different,” Deborah said while delivering the luncheon invocation.
More than $40 million raised in 24 years
Deborah’s story is a testament to why so many give to Celebrating Women.
Presented for the 19th consecutive year by Tom Thumb and Albertsons Companies Foundation, generous donors—under the leadership of luncheon chair Ola Fojtasek and underwriting chair Amanda Shufeldt—raised more than $2.5 million to support this effort.
Since the first Celebrating Women event, more than $40 million has been donated to advance the fight against breast cancer, and Ola and Amanda shared examples of how this support has provided hope and healing to women and families throughout their breast cancer journeys. Over the last 24 years, this support has been instrumental in advancing diagnosis, treatment and care, including clinical trials like the one in which Deborah is participating, and Ola and Amanda offered their heartfelt thanks and recognized those donors who gave $100,000 or more in 2023: the Mary Kay Ash Foundation, Sammons Enterprises, Myra and Darwin Smith and Mrs. W.H. Smith.
Honorary chairs receive special thanks
Ben Renberg, BSW Dallas Foundation president, had the privilege of recognizing this year’s honorary chairs, Carmen and Jeff York, for their immense impact on this mission and those facing a cancer diagnosis in our community.
The Yorks’ meaningful gifts have included critical support of patient navigators who provide breast cancer patients and other oncology patients with an invaluable partner and friend to help guide them through their journeys. Additionally, the Yorks’ generosity helped make the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge Dallas a reality for patients traveling for their oncology care.
Donors raised more than $2.5 million in 2023 for innovative breast cancer research and patient-centered programs.
“Jeff and Carmen give and serve others because they know the impact these programs have on patients and families battling cancer,” said Ben. “Their family’s personal experience with Jeff’s own cancer diagnosis has fueled their generosity to positively impact the lives of others and they have given generously to support oncology initiatives at Baylor Scott & White. It is our privilege to count them as friends in the fight against breast cancer.”
LeAnn Rimes shares her connection to the cause
This year’s featured guest was international multiplatinum-selling acclaimed singer and award-winning songwriter LeAnn Rimes, who performed two moving songs at the piano and sat down for a discussion with journalist, author and lifestyle expert Rene Syler.
LeAnn shared her connection to the Celebrating Women cause: her mother-in-law and her tour manager’s wife are in remission from breast cancer, and a close friend’s mother passed away from the disease several years ago. “Whether it’s breast cancer or cancer in general, we’re all touched by it in some way,” LeAnn said. “It’s a big fight and I’m happy to be here in support of it.”
LeAnn talked about the stress of entering the music industry at such a young age—she was only 14 when she won a Grammy for her recording of the song “Blue”—and where she draws her strength and hope.
“Music for me is therapy,” LeAnn said. “Music touches upon the places inside
of us that don’t yet have a voice. It gives voice to all the different emotions of the human experience.”
As the luncheon concluded, LeAnn provided some of that musical therapy to those in attendance through her song, “There Will Be a Better Day”—her emotional vocals ringing true for so many. “Though we struggle, still we pray. There will be a better day,” she sang.
Thanks to the generosity of Celebrating Women donors, there are better days ahead for so many women in our community facing breast cancer. For more information on Celebrating Women or how you can help support the fight against breast cancer, please contact Courtney Stoutimore at Courtney.Stoutimore@BSWHealth.org or 214.820.7410.
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