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Letter: Thanks for Pink Vail support

Looking out on the crowds of pink elephants, whales and flamingos, it was easy to spot those clad in teal, orange, green and blue. I, myself, was proud to wear every color to represent every cancer we treat at Shaw Cancer Center. Vail Mountain was literally transformed — from a team of rainbow unicorns on the chairlift to survivors skiing in triumph and waves of people riding in honor of their loved ones — the spirit of Pink Vail was everywhere. And, with over 4,500 donations from all 50 states and 12 different countries, people from all over the world learned about some of the great things happening at our small but mighty cancer center in Edwards.

On behalf of Shaw Cancer Center, thank you to the more than 2,400 participants and 4,000 donors who helped raise over $875,000 for patient care and programming for all our patients. Because Pink Vail is underwritten by Vail Health and our generous sponsors, 100 percent of the donations from the event go to ensuring every patient — no matter their gender or cancer diagnosis — has access to complimentary exercise training, nutrition coaching, emotional support, outdoor adventures, a nurse navigator, massages, integrative treatments and much more. These services are shown to improve outcomes and dramatically impact patients’ quality of life but are not typically covered by insurance.

Thank you to our more than 300 volunteers who gave so enthusiastically of their time before, during and after the big event. Thank you to our “Superstars,” who raised anywhere from $1,000 all the way to nearly $30,000. Thanks to the students and teachers at schools throughout Eagle County who hosted fundraisers. And, thanks to groups like Walking Mountains and Vail Honeywagon, and individuals like young DJ Finn Dippy, who donated their time and resources.

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Helly Hansen; our host, Vail Mountain; and our incredible partners at Epic Promise, Vail Valley Surgery Center, US Bank, Diversified Radiology, Smartwool, First Bank, Steadman Philippon Research Institute, Zeal Optics, BOGS Footwear, Denver Health Foundation, Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, Wear Travers Perkins, Encore Electric, town of Vail, Alpine Bank and so many other wonderful companies.

I am continually impressed by the kindness and generosity of this remarkable community. Cancer is difficult for everyone, but thanks to the dollars raised at Pink Vail, our patients at Shaw Cancer Center will receive special care and support to make their journey a little easier.

Stacy Toyama, Vice President, Shaw Cancer Center

Eagle


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