Twenty breast cancer survivors joined nearly 200 men and women of all ages and diverse backgrounds together to celebrate life, at a breast cancer awareness event held at Sobe’s Restaurant, one of suburban D.C.’s premier upscale supper clubs.
Sponsored by 2for2Boobs, a nonprofit group led by founder Tallulah Anderson, of Bowie, the ‘Turn SoBe’s Pink’ fundraising campaign supports women who are breast cancer survivors.
Anderson, a Pittsburgh native, and a Duquesne University graduate is also a three-time breast cancer survivor. She is currently in remission, and she believes this event is a supportive way of “celebrating survivors, supporting warriors and remembering them for never giving up hope.”
October is National Breast Cancer Month, and 2for2Boobs recognizes that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The National Breast Cancer Foundation also reports that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. There are over 3.3 million breast cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today.
“Basically, everyone’s been affected by this disease in some way,” said Anderson. In addition to herself, both her parents, a brother, and two sisters have been diagnosed with cancer. “That’s why I continue to support the fight for myself and other warrior-survivors,” she said. Ms. Anderson formerly worked as Marketing Director for Black Entertainment Television and is now an independent marketing consultant for several D.C.-area clients.
She credits fellow Pittsburgher Jeannette Jones-Hill, for assisting her with program development. Jones-Hill is a Point Park University graduate and runs a line-dancing company that also generates funds to help increase breast cancer awareness. ‘Line Dancing for a Cause’ was formed in 2011 and is formally known as CRG aka Christians Rocking the Gospel.
Participants also included Shonte’ Drakeford, 34, of D.C. The “Stage IV” survivor, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer three years ago. She noted that while she’ll never be in remission, she remains humble and ambitious. The registered nurse also credits her husband for his commitment to her continuous will to enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle.
Former BET personality Madelyne Woods served as special-guest moderator over a fashion show featuring several of the survivor-warriors. Woods is currently a radio personality with D.C.’s MAJIC-102.3 FM radio. She said she was honored to participate in the “after-work” affair.
Anderson said her logo, 2for2Boobs, means “take two minutes to self-check” your mammaries.
“It’s well worth the time,” she emphasized.
For more information about 2for2Boobs, call 301-219-2287.