On October 17, 2011 The Lester and Sue Smith Foundation announced 30 finalists in the Pink Well Challenge, a fundraising effort offering $1 million in matching grants to organizations engaged in breast cancer research, prevention, treatment and patient support throughout the U.S. Dreamed up by Texas oilman, philanthropist and two-time cancer survivor Lester H. Smith, the Pink Well Challenge is symbolized by an active pump jack (oil well) in the heart of West Texas painted bright pink. Smith says it represents how he is using proceeds from his energy industry successes to “pay it forward” in supporting breast cancer research and patient care. A Man’s Pink was chosen as one of the finalists.
All finalists were required to produce a video which was hosted on the Pink Well Challenge website from Jan. 16 th to May 15th 2012. A Man’s Pink video includes a brief description of our mission along with a cross-section of 19 men diagnosed with breast cancer from the United States, Canada, Australia and England accompanied, in the background, by portions of two male breast cancer songs, That’s Why We’ve Added the Blue (Wagner & Pollard) and In Pink There is a Shade of Blue (Pollard & Mitchell) that were written and recorded for the video. The full versions of the songs will be available on CD in March 2012.
The Pink Well Challenge provided us with a fantastic opportunity to fulfill our mission to increase MBC awareness and thereby afford men diagnosed with breast cancer the same survival rates as for women. We were very successful in our initial fund raising efforts and thank the Pink Well Challenge for their matching donations in both Canada and the United States. TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
