Breast Cancer event continues to enlighten and inspire

From Staff Reports

It was a packed house with almost a thousand who turned out and turned it up at the 21st Annual Sister to Sister Fitness Festival at the Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center, recently.

The four-and-a-half-hour event which is hosted by the Celebrating Life Foundation was filled with activities that included a 5k walk/run, mammography screenings, health screenings, and various vendors.

“This was an amazing way to kick-off Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Kim McBrayer, president of the Celebrating Life Foundation.

The event was kicked off by Marsha Smith Hill, the sister of NFL Hall of Famer, Emmitt Smith, who shared her 10-year breast cancer survivorship testimony and encouraged women to be screened for breast cancer.

Recent statistics show that Black women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer as compared to white women. Overall Black women have a more than 41 percent higher mortality rate from breast cancer than any other ethnic group.

Guests for the event were greeted by Girls Scout Unit 213 and received hot chocolate, coffee and croissants provided by La Madeleine.

KRNB 105.7’s Lynne Haze and WFAA-TV’s Tashara Parker, kept the crowd energized as they introduced acts from baton twirling Miss Teen Richardson to the senior dance sensation, Divas and Dudes.

“Each year this event gets bigger and better. This was the largest event that we have had at the Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center.” said McBrayer, who awarded a scholarship training session to a senior of the DeSoto Volleyball Team. “We’ve already started plans for next year.”

Proceeds from this event will help the Celebrating Life Foundation with their outreach efforts which include scholarships for those students impacted by breast cancer, a Journey Fund, Chemo Day, the Pink Spoon Campaign and Hope for the Holidays.

Some of 67 breast cancer survivors in attendance received personalized gift bags that included skincare products from the signature collection of Antionette Alexander valued at $250. One survivor received a spa package to the Grand Spa in North Dallas.

The highlight of the event was a drawing for two tickets from Spirit Airlines to travel anywhere they fly. The recipient was an employee of the Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center.

The Celebrating Life Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to making cancer powerless by educating, encouraging, and empowering those most impacted by breast cancer.

The event was sponsored by Texas Metro News, KRNB, WFAA, La Madeleine, Charlton Methodist Medical Center, AARP-Texas, Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center, Herbal Goodness, Antoinette Alexander Signature Collection, State Fair Classic, DeSoto Park & Recreation Center and Spirit Airlines.