Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition's gala a great success

When called on to support the Rockville Centre Breast Cancer Coalition at its annual gala, the village came through more than ever before, raising about $65,000 to help those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It exceeded every expectation that we had and then some,” said Erin O’Sullivan, a co-president of the coalition, along with Peggy McDonald. “It just was such a great night. Everybody was excited to be there, and it was just so much fun. It was such a warm, welcoming crowd.”

The gala, at the Garden City Hotel, celebrated the coalition’s fifth anniversary. Since its beginnings in 2017 as a Rockville Centre initiative, it has expanded, with 37 other villages and towns now involved in the program. It now partners with several local hospitals and health care centers.

The gala honored two breast cancer survivors, Kathy Baxley and Laura Altman, who help run the coalition’s Care Counselor Program. Altman and Baxley work with those who are diagnosed, matching them with counselors who have had similar experiences and overcame their illness. Some 35 cancer survivors take part in the outreach program, offering new patients emotional support, and the program also sometimes offers financial support as well. Some patients have gone on to become counselors.

About 380 people attended the gala, which was the coalition’s first major in-person event since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Donations easily surpassed the goal of $50,000, and O’Sullivan said that the total would likely rise beyond $65,000 when all donations are tallied. All of the money raised is directed to coalition efforts, and funding items such as wigs, mastectomy bras, clothing, massages, physical therapy and anything else a patient might need after a diagnosis.

Baxley called the gala “an amazing success,” and said she was grateful to everyone who came out to help the coalition continue to serve those with the disease. “The support was incredible,” she said, “and I think because of the feeling in the room and how people realized what we did and what we do, they said, ‘This is an organization I want to get behind.’”

The warmth was palpable, Baxley said, noting that a waitress working at the event told an attendee that she has “never felt so much love and light in one room.”

Baxley was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2008, and after undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatments and surgery, she overcame the illness in October 2009. Her cancer returned last November, but she was found to be cancer-free after another successful procedure later that month.

Baxley said that based on her experience, she is a big believer in early detection and yearly testing. She added that because she was tested often, doctors were able to detect both cases early, which increased her chances of survival.

Altman said she was humbled by the recognition, and happy to be able to take part in an in-person coalition gathering for the first time in two years. As a breast cancer survivor herself, she noted, she is glad to have the resources to help others going through what she did, and to have the community’s support.

“We wouldn’t be able to do all the good things we’re able to do for the women who are battling breast cancer in our community if it wasn’t for the support of everybody,” Altman said. “People are so generous and so loving, and they’re really behind our cause.”

Altman was diagnosed in 2016, and overcame her cancer that same year. She said that having support was one of the major reasons she got through the ordeal, and she greatly appreciated the RVCBCC for recognizing her.

The event included speeches from the co-presidents and honorees, a video presentation on coalition activities, dinner, dancing and a performance by the band Mystic.

O’Sullivan called Baxley and Altman “the two most wonderful people I’ve ever met.” She added that she was grateful to the attendees for their support.

“I think sometimes I’m not surprised, because Rockville Centre really does know how to get behind a cause,” O’Sullivan said. “That’s one of the things that’s so great about growing up in Rockville Centre. People show up. It takes a village, and RVC is a part of all of it. It was overwhelming in the best way. You felt the love in that room, and, most of all, you felt the support.”

To learn more, visit rvcbcc.org.