Pink Ribbon Parade Debuts this Fall to Increase Awareness of Breast Cancer
By Linda K. Eaves
As
the old saying goes, everyone loves a parade. The Inaugural Pink Ribbon Parade was held on September 13 at Houston City Hall’s Reflection Pool. It’s mission? To increase awareness of breast cancer. “The main purpose of the parade was to bring visual awareness to breast cancer,” said cancer survivor Amy Waltz. “Each person or business purchased a ribbon for $5,000 and participated in this parade. The parade is not a one-time event. It’s actually a tour of the city. It will be like the Cow Parade in the past where individually decorated cows toured the city.” This campaign has many layers that will benefit cancer patients and survivors in countless ways. Each ribbon purchased will
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raise funds and awareness for the BHCT (Breast Health Collaborative of Texas), a charitable organization of your choice, and your organization. It’s an excellent way to show how your company supports the fight against breast cancer. The BHCT initiative is a network of over 200 non-profit, for profit, social service agencies, survivors and individual members improving access to breast health services in Texas, the purpose of which is to make each program strong. Organizers of the Pink Ribbon Parade are in the process of getting the public to support this event by creating and gathering many larger-than-life size sculptures of uniquely designed pink ribbons that will be showcased in the parade.
Butterfly Kisses Amy was diagnosed in 2008 with stage 2 breast cancer at age 35, the mother of a sixyear old daughter and three-year old twins. “Isabella has been around conversations about breast cancer since she was six years old,” said Amy. “This year when we heard about the first annual Pink Ribbon Parade, nine-year old Isabella and her friend were taking an art class with Betsy Miller, a well-known artist in
Fort Bend Business Journal • October 2011
Hailey and Isabella display Butterfly Kisses at the Art in the Park.
Friendswood.” Betsy, Isabella and her friend, Hailey Moore, came up with Butterfly Kisses. The artwork was done primarily by Betsy with the girls helping her to paint and draw. Butterfly Kisses is a life-size pink ribbon sculpture between six and seven feet tall. The