In 2008, Pleasant View’s Amy Douglas heard the words every woman dreads hearing; “You have breast cancer.” The diagnosis left her feeling blindsided, alone, and with no one to turn to who had been through it.
our journeys and helping people in a time of crisis by supporting both survivors and patients when they need it most.” Sparked by Douglas’ idea to set aside some of the monies raised to help support patients at the local level, Pink Out Pleasant View became Pink Out for Hope, a non profit organization, in 2015. Now driven strongly by their own personal experiences with cancer, it is the unyielding passion of Paula Lee, Shirley Bradley, Sharon Milling, and Amy Douglas that fuels the ongoing success of Pink Out for Hope. Starting from scratch with no previous experience in the non profit field, they have done an impressive job with learning as they go. “We had no one to show us the ropes or how to run a non profit,” Douglas recalls. “We dug right in and made things happen ourselves. The reward in that fact alone has been empowering.” Similar to the original plan for Pink Out Pleasant View, Pink Out For Hope’s mission is to raise money for research, help save lives by increasing awareness through various events and fundraisers, and offer hope to patients by providing them with much needed financial support.
While the valleys of her treatment and recovery were too deep to measure, her journey ultimately proved its purpose when she was asked to organize a 5K by a group of Cheatham County women on a mission to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Eager to find a way to make a difference in the fight against a disease that has taken so much from so many women, Douglas joined Cheatham County’s Dianne Seeley, Lorraine Ridgley, Kelly Ellis, and Dianna Knight to form a local committee dedicated entirely to raising breast cancer awareness. Between its inception in 2011 and 2015, Pink Out Pleasant View raised money for research, hosted numerous events focused on awareness, and started the Booby Bolt. “God allows us to go through valleys for a few reasons,” Douglas says emotionally. “I believe one of those reasons is to carry each other’s burdens. We love sharing
14
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker