MORE THAN $40,000 RAISED FOR THE WALKER BREAST PROGRAM AT TMH
The first-ever PinkPower FlamingoChallenge, spearheaded by First Commerce Credit Union and the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) Foundation, was a success, raising more than $40,000 to support the Walker Breast Program and patients during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
First Commerce and the TMH Foundation started the challenge by delivering dozens of pink flamingos to individuals, businesses, organizations and schools in Tallahassee and South Georgia and encouraging participants to fundraise in support of patients fighting breast cancer.
The flocks kept moving throughout the month of October as participants challenged others to join the fun. More than 40 locations participated and raised funds to support patients. October 21 was PinkPower Day when participants painted the town pink by encouraging their teams, families and friends to wear or display pink.
The top fundraisers for the Challenge were: First Commerce Credit Union, Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs, Moore Bass Consulting Inc., Tallahassee Primary Care Associates, in focUS apparel, Tallahassee Homes Realty/Porter Chandler and three generations of the Walker Family.
“We are so thankful for First Commerce Credit Union who came to us with this idea and to all of the people, businesses and organizations that displayed flocks and raised funds in unique ways to support patients,” said Nigel Allen, president and chief advancement officer at TMH Foundation. “We were blown away by the support in our first year. This initiative represents people coming together to support each other when they need it most, and we can’t wait to make next year even bigger and better.”
Cecilia Homison, CEO of First Commerce, was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and successfully treated at TMH.
“I am grateful for the exceptional care I received right here in Tallahassee, and my experience made me realize how being surrounded by the comforts of home can help ease the difficult journey in so many important ways,” Homison said. “I am proud of how, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team found a way to inspire and empower so many in our community to help some of our friends and neighbors as they face their own battles. I look forward to seeing how together we can grow the impact in the years to come.”
Claude Walker, a member of the TMH Board of Directors, helped found the Walker Breast Program at TMH and is a former volunteer leader at First Commerce who served on the Audit Committee in recent years.
“We were so encouraged and thankful to see this many people participating in the PinkPower FlamingoChallenge to support patients fighting breast cancer,” Walker said. “It truly shows how generous our community is and what we can accomplish when we work together.”
The Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center diagnoses and treats more than 1,650 new cancer cases annually, and breast cancer is the number-one diagnosis. The Walker Breast Program offers a comprehensive approach to diagnosing, treating and surviving breast cancer. The program’s new multidisciplinary breast clinic, located at the Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center, streamlines weeks of appointments into a single visit. This compressed timeline means patients receive treatment faster by bringing all of the medical experts together in one location to create an integrated treatment plan customized to each patient’s case. The multidisciplinary breast clinic is the newest expansion of the Walker Breast Program and brings a care model to Tallahassee that is typically only seen at nationally recognized cancer hospitals.
All gifts given through the PinkPower FlamingoChallenge are 100% tax-deductible and go to directly support of local patients and the Walker Breast Program.
