Hampton Jitney Partners with The Ellen Hermanson Foundation to Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Dan’s Papers on Instagram
October 2025

Pictured (from Left to Right): Sarah (Alvarez) DeFlorio (Board Member), Mady Schuman (Executive Director), Ann Ciardullo (Board Member), Cathy Tweedy (Board Member), Julie Ratner (Co-Founder and Chair), Amanda Frazer (Board Member), Geoff Lynch (Pres. Hampton Jitney). Photo by Lisa Tamburini.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a bright pink–wrapped Hampton Jitney coach is turning heads as it travels along the Long Island Expressway, winds through Manhattan, and makes its way across the Hamptons. A generous gift from Hampton Jitney President Geoff Lynch, the “Pink Jitney” serves as a rolling billboard proudly featuring The Ellen Hermanson Foundation. Its purpose is simple but powerful: to spark awareness and inspire curiosity about the Foundation’s mission as it approaches its 30th anniversary. The Pink Jitney is not tied to a special route or event date—it operates on Hampton Jitney’s regular East End–to–New York City schedules, ensuring maximum visibility throughout the month of October. With every mile, it shines a spotlight on the Foundation’s commitment to providing essential breast health care services, early detection, and compassionate support for women on the East End.

Pictured: Cathy Tweedy (Board Member), Sarah (Alvarez) DeFlorio (Board Member), Ann Ciardullo (Board Member), Julie Ratner (Co-Founder & Chair), Mady Schulman (Executive Director), Amanda Frazer (Board Member), and Geoff Lynch (President, Hampton Jitney). Photo by Lisa Tamburini.

Photo by Lisa Tamburini.

After what she described as the “worst year of my life,” Ratner co-founded the foundation with her sister, Emily Levin, in 1996 to help women fighting breast cancer. The foundation, named in honor of their younger sister, Ellen, who died of breast cancer in 1995 at age 42.

“She was such an extraordinary woman. I loved her. She was, in so many ways, my closest friend— we shared a life together in my parents’ house,” Ratner said of her sister, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36.

“Her child was six months old when she was diagnosed and six years old when she died,” Ratner said. “I wanted to carry on her memory. I wanted my niece to know that she had an extraordinary mother, who adored her.”

Ratner said her sister was an activist and advocate in her fight against breast cancer, and when she died, it was important for her to carry on that work.

“I’ll never stop missing my sister,” she said. “I sometimes feel a little incredulous that because she was once here, we’ve been able to carry on what was important to her and other people who I’ll never know–which I love—will be able to benefit from the time she spent with us.”

Ratner recalled that while she had experience running marathons and knew how to prepare for a race, organizing one physically was a different feat. Her mother had pointed out that she didn’t know what she was doing. But Ratner responded, “That never stopped before,” and went ahead with the first Ellen’s Run. They were so ambitious that they called it the “annual” Ellen’s Run from the start. They held the 29th run in August.

There were moments when Ratner questioned how she could carry on without her sister. “It gave me strength, knowing that I was doing something for Ellen,” she said.