Page 18 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2021

COAST NOTE
Real men have been wearing pink every October on the Gulf Coast
for six years now. But this year, the Real Men Wear Pink campaign raised $30,000
over their initial goal. With
a total of over $130,000 by October 31, the month was an incredible success.
Real Men Wear Pink is a campaign that raises money to support the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives from breast cancer. Throughout the month of October, 17 local leaders raised donations and urged their communities to take action in the fight against breast cancer. These ambassadors commit to wearing pink during October, raising awareness on social media, and raising a minimum of $2,500.
The 2021 Real Men Wear Pink candidates were Jonathan Maisano, Mitchell Bauman, Jeremiah Blackwell, Brian K. Brown, Jason Burgdorf, Edward Carranza, Turner Colvin, Grant Cooley, Andy Davis, Dr. Mike Finan, John Huck, Timothy
Johnson, John Russell O'Neal, Todd Shaffer, Royal J. Spragio, III, Clay Sweet, and Alex Weems.
The top fundraiser was Jonathan Maisano, president of Maisano’s Fine Wine & Spirits, who raised over $40,000 for the cause.
“We are grateful to all our Real Men Wear Pink participants for lending their voices to our cause,” says Senior Development Manager for the American Cancer Society, LaWanda Jones. “Not only did they wear pink, but they raised awareness about breast cancer
and made a huge commitment
to raise funds to help save more lives. Those donations help us save lives from breast cancer through early detection and prevention, innovative breast cancer research, and patient support.”
According to research done by the American Cancer Society, an estimated 281,550 women and 2,650 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer, while 40,920 people will die from it. An estimated 2,550 Mississippi women will be diagnosed this year while 450 will die from breast cancer.
2021 T-Shirt Design by Dustin Templin.
2021 Real Men Wear Pink Comittee (Left to Right):
Katherine Robertson-Evans, Adrianne Hungerford, Jourdan Hartshorn, LaWanda Jones, Stormi Knippers, Jo Knippers, and Danielle Kangas.
18 | December 2021
story by Victoria Snyder photos courtesy of Real Men Wear Pink
Danielle Kangas, Katherine Robertson-Evans, and Adrianne Hungerford.
Jonathan Maisano. John Huck.
Battle for the Pink 2021 Pickleball Tournament.
Real Men Wear Pink
1.800.227.2345 | www.cancer.org