On October 26, 1,300 attendees celebrated the 18th annual Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Celebrating Women luncheon. Presented for the 13th consecutive year by Tom Thumb, the event raised more than $1.8 million to benefit Baylor Scott & White Health’s fight against breast cancer in North Texas.

Peggy and Leonard Riggs Jr., M.D., served as honorary chairmen, and this year’s event was chaired by Tucker Enthoven, with Ola Fojtasek serving as underwriting chairman.

During their remarks, Tucker and Ola announced an anonymous challenge grant – matching dollar for dollar, up to $25,000, any gifts made at the event. Including the match, this resulted in an additional $60,000 raised during the luncheon.

Breast cancer survivor Carolyn Brown was joined onstage by her team of caregivers — more than 20 members of her medical team, family and friends who helped her and her family heal as she was battling stage III triple negative breast cancer.

"When I think of the heroes involved in caring for our patients, it’s not just the doctors and the people behind the scenes, but it is also people who are sitting in the room of a breast cancer event, like Celebrating Women, that really bring forward the way that we care for patients and the way that we treat this disease," said breast surgeon Michael Grant, M.D.

Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe award-winning actress, bestselling author and advocate in the fight against breast cancer, Jamie Lee Curtis, was the featured speaker. She shared an intimate glimpse inside her personal life and breast cancer scare as she was interviewed by Rowland K. Robinson, Foundation president.

Recalling her breast cancer scare at age 40, Jamie Lee shared, "My memory of it was the wait in that room for the diagnosis. Either an allclear, which was my case, or the diagnosis of breast cancer and then the eventual treatment plan and care team stepping in. And what I remember about it, and the reason why I try to stay active, is that moment of feeling alone, even though my sweet husband, Christopher [Guest], was sitting with me. It is a profound moment of truth. … And, as I got the ‘all clear’ from it, I was grateful to my doctor who found it. I’m incredibly lucky, but I’ll never forget that moment."

Over the last 18 years, Celebrating Women has raised more than $30 million for the fight against breast cancer in North Texas.