North Fork Breast Health Coalition’s Helping Hands program got a boost from Apple Honda this week. The Riverhead auto dealership presented the coalition with a $4,835 check — money the dealership raised by special breast cancer awareness month promotions.
The group’s Helping Hands program provides $1,000 grants to patients coping with breast cancer, said North Fork Breast Health Coalition vice president Melanie McEvoy of Laurel.
“The grant can be used for any purpose,” McEvoy said. “Nowadays, most everyone uses the money to help with co-pays, which get very, very expensive, very quickly,” she said.
The organization provides 30 to 40 Helping Hands grants every year since the organization was established in 1998, she said.
October is a very busy month for activities to support the North Fork Breast Health Coalition’s efforts on behalf of breast cancer patients and to raise awareness of breast cancer on the North Fork — and and this year was no exception.
Things kicked off with annual Tanger Outlets 5K run/walk on Sept. 27, followed by a month of “pink style” shopping at the outlets, where the proceeds from the sale of “pink style” discount passes were earmarked for North Fork Breast Health Coalition and other breast cancer awareness and assistance organizations.
Apple Honda conducted its third annual pink power campaign, turning its showroom pink and pledging to donate $50 to North Fork Breast Health Coalition for each new car sold during the month of October. The check presented to the group on Friday morning by Apple’s general manager Bill Fields represented the proceeds of that month-long promotion, as well as some additional contributions by customers and employees.
The group was a beneficiary of an Oktoberfest pub crawl in downtown Riverhead organized by Suffolk Theater owners Bob and Dianne Castaldi of Cutchogue. That event raised $1,8000 for North Fork Breast Health Coalition, McEvoy said. Love Lane merchants ran an October promotion to benefit the group and Sonoma Grill in Riverhead had a pink drink special that raised money for NFBHC. Certified personal trainer Paige Romanowksi of Mattituck, owner of Bodyrite Fitness, did a T-shirt promotion during the month of October also.
The fundraisers are all an important source of support for the organization and the many programs it runs, which include, in addition to Helping Hands, free yoga, reflexology and massage therapy services and a support group.
The group’s next fundraising event is its annual gala, where the physicians of Eastern Long Island Hematology Oncology will be honored. The gala is set for March 4 at East Wind in Wading River.
