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WHEELING -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the annual "Think Pink" dinner is set in Wheeling to raise money to assist those locally affected by breast cancer.
The event will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the recently renovated White Palace at Wheeling Park.
"Think Pink" gatherings have taken place each year in Wheeling since 2004, explained organizer Julie Joseph. The first ones were luncheons that took place in the home of breast cancer patient Janie Altmeyer, who invited her closest friends to attend and help her raise money for breast cancer testing in West Virginia.
A special treat at the luncheons was the special lasagna prepared by Altmeyer. The tradition of lunch and lasagna to benefit breast cancer patients continued even after Altmeyer's death, with volunteers and local school crafting the lasagna from her recipe.
This year, cooks for Oglebay and Wheeling parks will cater the event while creating the Janie Altmeyer lasagna, Joseph said.
Also on the menu will be a chicken dish, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables and a mixed garden salad.
fTickets will include regular beverages, and there will be a cash bar. For dessert, the "Think Pink" cookie table consisting of donated deserts will return.
Money raised stays local and goes to patients in the tri-state area, she continued. In past years, it was instead sent to a Kanawha County organization who distributed it around the state.
"That was not a bad thing, but it was not local," Joseph continued. When she asked for a tracking of the money to see how much was coming to the Northern Panhandle, she was told that couldn't be determined.
"Now we transfer the money to a medical liaison at WVU Medicine (Wheeling Hospital). They find breast cancer patients who are in need of gas cards, wigs, or are just needing to pay co-pays," she said.
"Anything surrounding breast cancer treatment care - we can help them with it all."
Additionally, the "Think Pink" money will be used to fund a retreat for breast cancer survivors set for Nov. 11 at the hospital.
"I feel very good that now everything is staying local," Joseph said.
She reports that since starting in 2004, "Think Pink" events have raised more than $200,000 .
Musicians Roger Hoard and Gregg Molnar will provide music during this year's "Think Pink," and new this year local artist Rachel Goodman will be live painting a large work that will be auctioned off at the end of the night.
There will be a silent auction and raffle items, with the big ticket item being a five-day ski trip to Colorado worth $7,000.
Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased by contacting Joseph at 304-312-0307. A table of eight or more can be reserved and otherwise there will be open seating. The team is still accepting donations for the auction or sponsorship, she said.