Elite Casino Events goes pink.
A Sunday morning at the Phipps Conservatory in Oakland, a group of women gathers under a tent decorated in Pink. All of these women have something in common; they are survivors of breast cancer. A disease that affects millions of women worldwide. The brunch highlighted the importance of community, and that no one has to fight the life-altering occurrence alone. More importantly, the luncheon celebrated the many women who have survived breast cancer, one for 28 years!
You are beautiful.
At this event, Elite Casino Events had the pleasure of sponsoring our Emme (Elite’s magical mirror experience). Emme is a mirrored photo booth and a play station all in one! We gladly donated our magical mirror to the occasion because we knew these ladies could use a little magic. Our goal was to make every one of these survivors feel beautiful, empowered, and celebrated! Being that we’re an all-girl crew this mission was one of sisterhood.
Magazine covers celebrate survivors.
When the American Cancer Society contacted us about sponsoring the booth, we got right to work on crafting the perfect emme experience without hesitation. Empowerment and hope were what we strived to create. So we turned to our artist Taren Moran, who crafted a unique magazine cover just for these gals. We wanted to make everyone feel like a star, putting them on their very own magazine. That’s how the creation of the ‘Survivor’ magazine cover began. With added articles like ‘Get Involved! Join a Walk today”, we also wanted to help promote the other American Cancer Society events in Pittsburgh that focus on the fight against breast cancer.
To our delight, the women lined up to have their very own ‘magazine cover‘ picture snapped! Most were adorned in pink dresses, shoes, scarves, and purses to celebrate fellow survivors. They looked stunning against the new pink backdrop we used as the perfect setting for the magazine cover. Each one walked away with a printed photo celebrating themselves as the stars of ‘Survivor.’ Our tribute to the strength, resilience, and hope it takes to fight the emotional and physical challenges of receiving treatment.
It’s still my big and beautiful life!
Brunch began, and we settled in to listen to the speakers, they had arranged for the event. They included stories from survivors like Leigh Ann. The women under the tent became emotional as they listened to Leigh Ann’s story. She described an experience that so many women shared, how the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer can hinder an otherwise ‘big and beautiful life.’ Urging every woman at the 40-year mark to go in for a mammogram, she stressed the importance of early detection in the fight against it. The women who were ready to lend a hand were crucial to her. She recalled the time her neighbor, also a survivor of breast cancer, would care for her children as she spent nights in the hospital for treatment. Community events for survivors help foster these types of connections, finding those who are willing to uplift you when you need it the most. There was a silent pause after Leigh Ann spoke, and you could feel the empathy in abundance.
Hope stands tall.
The chairwoman for the event from Avon, Natasha Lightner, asked every woman who was a survivor of breast cancer to stand up. They sat down as the speaker declared their timeline since diagnosis: 1 year, five years, 15 years, 20. Seeing the women who have fought and survived a disease that affects 240,000 women annually was an emotional moment. Every woman who receives a diagnosis needs to know that there is hope that they can and will be able to return to the lives they had before breast cancer. The woman who stood last had 28 years of being a survivor behind her. We didn’t catch her name, but her name was HOPE to every woman in the room. She radiated it.
Brave warriors.
Our goal was that the mirror booth photos with the cover ‘Survivor’ would always remind these women of their beauty and courage. Their stories give hope to many others who are fighting the same fight, and knowing they’re not alone has to be especially meaningful.
For those in Pittsburgh who may be looking to contribute to the cause, brows through the current ACS events. You’ll be able to find other survivors, caregivers, men, and women in the community, passionate about the fight against breast cancer. We hope you’ll join the fight too – so everybody wins.
By Dawn Takacs and Jessica Sandrock
