St. Joseph's/Candler, Savannah Morning News and WSAV celebrate annual awareness campaign

The St. Joseph's/Candler’s 19th annual Paint the Town Pink breast cancer awareness campaign wrapped up after telling inspiring stories of survivorship, moving women to get mammograms and raising more that $63,000 for the Telfair Mammography Fund that provides mammograms and other breast health services to uninsured and underinsured women in our region.

“What is unusual today is the gestalt of people that are in this room right now, the constellation of people, that are here purely focused on educating people on how to stay healthy and get screened,” said Paul P. Hinchey, President & CEO of St. Joseph's/Candler. He shared his remarks at the Paint the Town Pink Wrap Up press conference within the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 6. He announced the funding results and thanked those who supported the campaign while flanked by students from the Habersham School, St. Vincent’s Academy and Gadsden Elementary School, who all led initiatives to raise money for Telfair Mammography Fund in October.

Hinchey was also joined by Jill Nevels-Haun, Savannah Morning News Executive Editor, and David Hart, vice president and general manager of WSAV/Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

From Op-Eds and patient features in the Savannah Morning News, to lead WASV anchor Tina Tyus-Shaw’s Healing Heroes Fashion Show and Pink Men’s Club panel, both media partners helped elevate the breast cancer awareness throughout October.

“Together, I feel these stories and columns did more than simply raise awareness. They encouraged action, sparked conversations, and reminded us of the power of a community coming together for a common cause. Businesses hosted events, neighborhoods showed their support, local leaders raised awareness, and countless individuals shared their personal journeys,” said Nevels-Haun.

Hart noted Tyus-Shaw’s ceaseless passion for breast cancer advocacy, while expressing WSAV’s gratitude for being part of the awareness campaign for its second year. “At WSAV, we believe that a local television station is part of something bigger than ourselves, and that’s what Paint The Town Pink is all about,” Hart said.

From the placing of the big Pink Ribbon at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion to the Pinking of Savannah’s City Hall and St. Joseph's/Candler’s 18th Annual Mammography Day (which provided screenings to 257 women) and every moment in between, countless local organizations and individuals played their part advocating for women’s breast health. Even Dame Helen Mirren got in the fray ordering some of Leopold’s Ice Cream’s Telfair flavor, of which a portion of proceeds went toward the Telfair Mammography Fund.

Some of the other key donor organizations and initiatives presented checks at Friday‘s press conference. They included: Livingood’s Clearance for a Cause; Drive Out Cancer: Pink Jeep (with Southern Motors); Savannah Arts Academy; Holy Pie Pizzeria; Two Brothers Roofing; Walk by Faith Savannah, The Olde Pink House; and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

Hinchey also announced the winner for the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside staycation raffle. Women who received a screening on Mammography Day Monday, Oct. 26 were entered into the raffle for a one-night stay and $150 toward food and drink. The winner will be contacted with information on how to retrieve their reward.