SPECIAL EVENT
24th Annual Celebrating Women hits major milestone
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 triplenegative 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 .
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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
C 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
Featured speaker LeAnn Rimes ( center ) with underwriting chair Amanda Shufeldt and luncheon chair Ola Fojtasek
1 . Anita Arnold and Shelle Sills ; 2 . Todd and Heather Furniss ; 3 . Ben Renberg , Christy Lara and Kristi Sherrill ; 4 . Sue Justice , Kim Casey , Gayle Stoffel and Cathy Allday ; 5 . Nancy Gopez , Lisa Cooley and Laura Downing ; 6 . Tucker Enthoven and Pam Perella
1 . 2 . 3 .
4 . 5 . 6 .
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THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE FOUNDATION NEWS / WINTER 2023