Supporters Attend Denim & Diamonds, Presented By The Ellen Hermanson Foundation
Published by Cognac Wellerlane's Corner Magazine
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
TV Host Cognac Wellerlane interviews Co-Founder Julie Ratner, Honorees Jason Belkin from Hampton Coffee Company and Shirley Ruch from South Fork Bakery
Denim & Diamond Honoree Speeches
Supporters and guests gather ed on Saturday March 10, 2018 at Denim & Diamonds, Presented By The Ellen Hermanson Foundation at 230 Elm Productions, 230 Elm Street, Southampton, NY.
Eastenders celebrated their community with fabulous food & open bar, live & silent auctions with award-winning comedian & producer Angela LaGreca, DJ Double S Productions & Mirror Photobooth NYC.
The event Honored Dr Louis Avvento and New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Jason & Theresa Belkin and Hampton Coffee Company, Shirley Ruch and South Fork Bakery.
Media Sponsor included: THE INDEPENDENT. Flowers Courtesy of TOPIAIRE FLOWERS. Food courtesy of 20+ local restaurants, bakeries and caterers. Proceeds will benefit The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital & Ellen's Well.
Ellen Hermanson was an articulate, courageous and indomitable warrior in the war against breast cancer. Her personal battle with the disease began in February 1989, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer while still nursing her six-month-old daughter. Ellen fought against her disease medically by undergoing surgery and aggressive chemotherapy.
Ellen also fought against breast cancer by becoming an activist and advocate. A journalist by training, she used her prodigious talent as a writer to give voice to the needs of breast cancer survivors and to educate her readers about the importance of being well informed, the challenges of living with breast cancer, and the availability of resources to help with the myriad problems that arise as a result of breast cancer. Her remarkable accomplishments attest to her extraordinary inner strength and selfless generosity.
Ellen became an active member of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), which advocates for survivors of all types of cancer. Later she served on its board and edited its quarterly newsletter, The Networker. When Ellen looked to her own heritage for spiritual support and sustenance, she found that what she sought did not exist. Instead of bemoaning this lack, Ellen became one of the founders of the Jewish Healing Center. She also served as the organization’s founding executive director and the first editor of its newsletter, The Outstretched Arm.
Ellen was appointed the first executive director of the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert. Ellen coordinated and organized their annual October symposium, bringing together doctors and lawyers to tackle cutting-edge issues in health law and policy confronting cancer patients. In the fall of 1992, Ellen was diagnosed with a recurrence of her disease, this time in her bones. Ellen continued her work. Although she underwent chemotherapy, and would remain on chemo for the rest of her life, her condition worsened. Ellen’s many projects included editing the Annual Report of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for 1993. In November 1994, Ellen delivered an important speech entitled “One Patient’s Pain” at the NCCS annual conference. She was weak, barely able to walk, and facing hip replacement surgery that her doctors agreed to delay until after the conference. It was at this conference that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor spoke of her breast cancer.
Ellen lost her hard-fought battle with breast cancer on April 11, 1995, at the age of 42. She was working on an article exploring the then new and exciting potential of the Internet as a source of information and sharing for patients and their families. Ellen left a legacy of dignity, courage, determination, grace and love to all who knew her. To honor her memory, The Ellen Hermanson Foundation has been established to support and continue the important work she began.
The Ellen Hermanson Foundation was established in 1997 to honor the memory of Ellen Hermanson and carry on the important work to which she devoted so much of her time and energy. An activist and an advocate, Ellen channeled her journalistic talents to become a forceful voice for breast cancer patients and their families. She educated her readers about the importance of early detection, the challenges of living with breast cancer, the very real but little-discussed or understood issue of pain management, and the debilitating effects of breast cancer on the entire family.
The Ellen Hermanson Foundation is unique in its commitment to helping breast cancer patients and their families cope with the physical and emotional aspects of breast cancer. No patient is turned away from the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center for lack of insurance or inability to pay for treatment. All services though Ellen’s Well are provided free of charge.
The Ellen Hermanson Foundation ensures access to state-of-the-art breast health care and empowers people affected by cancer. The Foundation primarily serves breast cancer patients on the East End of Long Island, New York, and fulfills its mission by focusing on two areas:
providing educational outreach about the importance of early detection, and access to mammography and treatment to medically underserved communities
funding psychosocial support services that address the broad range of issues facing breast cancer patients, survivors, spouses, families, and friends.
Ellen’s Run, an annual 5k (3.1-mile) race, is the signature fundraising event of The Ellen Hermanson Foundation and an innovative, grassroots event, that raises awareness about breast cancer. Held on the East End of Long Island, where breast cancer diagnosis and mortality rates are among the highest in the state of New York, Ellen’s Run draws on the strength of the community and gives back by providing mammography screenings, support and education. Proceeds from Ellen’s Run support the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital by funding state-of-the-art technology. Ellen’s Run also supports Ellen’s Well, a program that provides psychosocial support for breast cancer survivors under the leadership of a specially trained oncological social worker.
For more information please visit https://www.ellenhermanson.org
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