The North Fork Breast Health Coalition is hosting its annual Pink Pearl Gala on Friday, April 11, from 6 to 10 p.m. to celebrate and support breast cancer survivors. The event will be held at the Sea Star Ballroom at the Hyatt Place Long Island, 431 East Main St. in Riverhead. Tickets are $150 per person, $125 for survivors. Sponsorships are also available. The gala was named for the late Pearl Philindas, a past president of the coalition.
This year’s gala will honor The Simmons Point Group of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC with the NFBHC Corporate Leadership Award.
“We’re honoring Janney Scott because of their long-standing financial support of our organization,” said Melanie McEvoy Zuhoski, NFBHC president and chair of the Pink Pearl Gala. “They have been on the ground since day one with very generous contributions and always helping and willing to do whatever we need. They’re always the first ones to say, ‘Do you need funding for this? Do you need funding for that?’ They’ve just been extremely generous and we’re very, very grateful for their support.”
Lisa and Anthony Sannino are also being honored with the Community Spirit Award for hosting the NFBHC Stage IV summer fundraiser for the last three years at Sannino Vineyard in Cutchogue.
“Anthony and Lisa Sannino stepped up to the plate when we were looking for a place to hold our Stage IV event,” Ms. McEvoy Zuhoski said. “We started the fund about five years ago, and we started raising money for it by holding an event. [We] were looking for a place to hold it, and they offered to have it there. We don’t pay for anything. They take care of everything. It’s pretty amazing.”
The Sanninos also have a personal connection to the cause; Mr. Sannino’s mother is a cancer survivor.
“[The award] was very humbling. Yeah, not expected. It touches our heart,” Mr. Sannino said. “We feel like [offering our space] is a great gesture to give back because the cause is incredibly important.”
The gala features a gift basket raffle that benefits NFBHC’s Keri Lynn Stromski Stage IV Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund, which helps oncologists treating local patients and doing research. The fund also supports Stage IV thrivers coping with the unexpected costs often associated with treatment. You do not need to be present to participate in the raffle.
The North Fork Breast Health Coalition provides massage therapy, reflexology, acupuncture and exercise classes free of charge to breast cancer patients in the service area. The group also offers $1,000 Helping Hands grants for patients to use as they wish.
“That’s for somebody that’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, their doctor [has to] sign off on the application, but that is money for them to do whatever they want with, whether they need it for co-pays, for transportation or if they want to have a day of beauty before they undergo treatment,” Ms. McEvoy Zuhoski said.
Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.
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