Friends of the WVU Cancer Institute raised nearly $141,000 at the annual Pink Party for Bonnie’s Bus, the mobile mammography unit providing lifesaving breast cancer screening to patients in all 55 West Virginia counties.
The Pink Party is a WVU Cancer Institute signature event where donors and sponsors generously invest in outreach programs and high-quality patient care.
Attendees at the 2024 Pink Party held Monday, September 30, at The G.O.A.T. Country Roads Pub mixed and mingled, enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and participated in a silent auction that included an African safari, basketball tickets, designer accessories and more.
Pink Party title sponsors Ben and Jo Statler hosted more than 200 supporters, including WVU Men’s Head Basketball Coach Darian DeVries and his wife, Ashley, as special guests.
Ben and Jo Statler are the founding donors for the mobile unit. They were committed to providing access to mammography screening in rural areas following the passing of Jo’s mother, Bonnie Wells Wilson, a rural West Virginia resident who died from breast cancer in 1992. Bonnie’s Bus has been on the road for 15 years.
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in West Virginia women.
No woman aged 40 and over who is eligible for screening is ever turned away from Bonnie’s Bus. Grant funds and donations are available to pay for mammograms on Bonnie’s Bus for women without insurance coverage.
“With early cancer detection and prompt treatment, we can transform lives and eliminate cancer disparities in our state and beyond,” Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, M.D., executive chair and director of the WVU Cancer Institute, Jean and Laurence DeLynn Chair of Oncology, and associate professor of surgery at the WVU School of Medicine, said.
“Access to routine screening is a challenge in West Virginia whether due to transportation or financial limitations. Support from the Statlers and all those who have and continue to support the Bonnie’s Bus program is truly a philanthropic effort that has made a profound impact on our communities. Bonnie’s Bus and the backing it receives is making a true difference in the lives of our friends and families.”
Since 2009, Bonnie’s bus has provided 31,000 screening mammograms, detected more than 180 breast cancer cases and paid for at least 2,450 mammograms.
“Bonnie’s Bus is not just about providing mammograms, it’s also about creating a culture of care, awareness and empowerment,” Lauren McCauley-Hixenbaugh, WVU School of Medicine Cancer Prevention and Control program manager, said. “With the power of the Bonnie’s Bus community behind us, we can ensure that every woman in West Virginia knows she is not alone in her journey towards health.”
Pink Party headline sponsors for 2024 included Sherry and Eric Belldina and friends, the Hayhurst family, and Reita Hall in memory of Hubert Wells.
To learn more about supporting Bonnie’s Bus, visit WVUCancer.org/Giving or contact Stephanie McCandless, director of annual giving, events and community relations, at smccandless@wvuf.org for more information.
All contributions are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University and its affiliated entities.
