For the 12th consecutive year, our Annual Pink Tie Ball united hundreds of Komen Orange County advocates and supporters to raise funds toward breast health services and groundbreaking cancer research. Every year, we seize this opportunity to highlight outstanding men and women who work alongside our organization. In 2018, Komen Orange County recognized five ‘Pink Tie Partners’, for their life-changing contributions to our cause. Get to know them better:
Photo credit: Carol Moore
From L to R: Bill Meehan, Dr. Allyson Brooks, Dr. Devon Lawson, Marica Pendjer and Pete Tzavalas
- Bill Meehan, managing partner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP a long-time supporter of Komen OC mission programs. Bill and his company have supported many of our fundraisers, including our Reds, Whites and Greens golf tournament, Pink Tie Ball and Race for the Cure.
- Allyson Brooks, Ginny Ueberroth executive medical director endowed chair of Hoag’s Women’s Health Institute. Hoag has been a great supporter of our mobile mammography and Latina outreach. Recently, we also partnered to host the first Spanish language cancer survivor conference in Orange County.
- Devon Lawson, metastatic breast cancer researcher and professor at the University of California, Irvine. She is co-leader of the UCI Breast Disease Oriented Team, which she helped establish to facilitate collaboration between UCI physicians, scientists, and local breast cancer advocates to promote an integrated environment for breast cancer research and clinical care at UCI. She also has been a speaker at the Komen OC Education Series for several years.
- Marica Pendjer, principal of Creative Collaborations, a boutique Orange County-based marketing and public relations firm. She served as Komen OC Board President from 2005 to 2007, was chair of the Race for the Cure and 2012 Pink Tie Ball Chair. Her work with Komen has earned her a Cameo Award, BMW Ultimate Drive Local Hero Award, Kellogg’s Rise and Shine Award for outstanding volunteerism, and recognition as Volunteer of the Year.
- Pete Tzavalas, senior vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. He is actively working to bring Komen OC to the attention of businesses and encourage their financial support. His company has sponsored a table at the Pink Tie Ball for several years and brought a new mix of guests to support the cause.
Thanks to the efforts of our Pink Tie Partners and the 450+ guests in attendance, this year’s gala raised $617,000 to help fund our bold goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. Since its inception in 2007, the Komen Orange County Pink Tie Ball has raised nearly $6 million and recognized a total of 84 Orange County businessmen and community leaders as Pink Tie Partners.
Photo credit: Antje Woolum Photography
2018 Pink Tie Ball Committee Members
The Pink Tie Ball is one of several fundraisers we organize each year to help fund breast cancer education and services such as free mammography screenings benefitting women in our community. Join us at our next big event, Race for the Cure, on Sunday, Sept. 23, at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. To take advantage of early-bird registration fee, sign up at www.komenoc.org/race.
