The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘An Evening in Pink’ raises $60K for breast cancer
BRANFORD — Guests wore pink cocktail dresses, pink neck ties and even pink hair at the “An Evening in Pink” fundraiser that brought in over $60,000 to Infinite Strength.
The group’s first gala after the pandemic seemingly went without a hitch at the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club, despite a whirlwind of activity behind the scenes. The ballroom and dining rooms were bedecked with pink hydrangeas, pink paper lanterns and a pink champagne tower.
Dressed in a striking purple sheath, Roberta Lombardi beamed as she hugged guests as they entered on July 16.
“This was the best event we’ve had yet,” Lombardi, a breast cancer survivor, said later.
Infinite Strength, a nonprofit, supports single mothers who are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Affiliated with 30 hospitals in the state, it gives direct financial aid to women to help them with their rent, mortgage, food and other necessities.
And, recipients may get a check in as little as 48 hours in emergency situations, Lombardi said, adding that this is unusually fast for grants.
Shortly after U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, arrived at the gala, she took Lombardi’s hands in hers as the two spoke.
Lombardi said DeLauro promised her a face-to-face meeting to “see how she can help us advocate for women with breast cancer.”
Lombardi said she was encouraged by the encounter: “She wants to help us and she believes very strongly in what we do.”
Early on, DeLauro met with Lombardi when she started the nonprofit a few years ago, a spokesperson for the congresswoman said.
“As a cancer survivor, I know that treatment is emotionally and physically exhausting,” DeLauro said in an email. “No one should have to face financial insecurity, or worry about how they will pay the bills, while working to heal and feel comfortable during the process.
“Infinite Strength, led by Roberta Lombardi and Board Chairman John Picard, is working to change the lives of women battling this disease and support their families,” DeLauro said. “I look forward to meeting with Roberta and John again and continuing the fight to alleviate some of the stress and pain that comes with cancer treatment.”
Lombardi said she was happy to see some familiar faces at the gala. It was nearly a miracle that the event even took place, she added, as organizers were poised to cancel it again this year. It was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was only in mid-May that Infinite Strength decided it would hold their major fundraiser, when Gov. Ned Lamont lifted COVID restrictions for gatherings, she said.
Lombardi noted that without the gala, fundraising was a challenge last year. But that didn’t stop work behind the scenes.
“When we started in 2018, we were raising funds for just one institution and that was Smilow Cancer Hospital,” Lombardi noted. “Now in 2021 we’re really proud because we’ve now partnered with all the major healthcare organizations and they were all represented at Evening in Pink.”
The hospitals participating include Smilow, Hartford HealthCare, Middlesex Health Cancer Center and Nuvance Health. Another major sponsor of the gala was Paxman, creator of the Paxman Scalp Cooling treatment to prevent hair loss for chemotherapy patients.
Infinite Strength has also partnered with DartmouthHitchcock Health in New Hampshire.
The pandemic also made planning this year’s event more complex, Lombardi said.
“It was so exciting, it was also a bit nerve-wracking,” Lombardi said. She and her group, including board Vice President John Picard and Treasurer Nancy Gagliano, planned the event in five weeks, instead of the usual six months. Plus, they had to make adjustments to observe COVID guidelines “to keep everyone safe and healthy.”
“We put it together at lightning speed,” she said.
“Once I got there that night and people started coming in, it was nothing short of incredible,” Lombardi said. “Truly it will go down as one of the highlights for me.”
The next event is Madison Beachcomber Night Aug. 19, when Infinite Strength will be the recipient of 50 percent of the proceeds, split with the Madison Chamber of Commerce.
And Infinite Strength is not done fundraising by a long shot this year.
Lombardi said that to keep up with all of their grant applications, they must raise a minimum $100,000 by the end of this year.
She added in an email, “Since we have seen a huge increase in the number of grant applications we are receiving in the last three months, we will need to double that in 2022.”
The increased demand for the money, is due in part to the fact that “metastatic breast cancer is on the rise,” she said, “and those grant recipients receive monthly support from us. We are the only nonprofit to do this.”