Pink Out to Lunch raises money, honors heroes

The 2021 PINK Out to Lunch Fundraiser put on by the Gonzales Healthcare Systems Foundation Board raised a record setting amount of money to pay for mammograms, biopsies and breast ultrasounds for uninsured women in Gonzales County. The event was held Wednesday, October 13th at JB Wells and featured a Pop for Pearls and Prizes balloon pop sponsored by Storey Jewelers and Angels and Outlaws. Additionally, the event was underwritten by Heights Dermatology, out of Houston who work in Gonzales-at Rejuvenate Spa in thrive, the second Monday of every month. 

This year the event featured a style show by Angels and Outlaws with six models, all role models in our community who have discovered, fought and persevered over breast cancer. Four GISD teachers Nora Camarillo, Jinna Lindemann, Coach Donna Smith and Nicole Watts participated as well as nurse Jody Kloesel from Gonzales Healthcare Systems and retired Dr. Stephanie Kodack, a member of the Gonzales Healthcare Systems Board.

This year the Foundation honored Diana Picha from Sievers Clinic and Janelle Lester with Methodist Healthcare Ministries with the 2021 Healthcare Heroine Award. Executive Director of the Foundation, Kelly A. Lindner also surprised Barbara Koricanek with a lifetime achievement award for being a healthcare heroine as a nurse for 54 years and a board member of both the Hospital’s board and the Foundation’s board for over 27 years. 

Stunning flowers by Blessed Events and a terrific cancer fighting salad by the Dietary Department of Gonzales Healthcare Systems led by Cynthia Green fed the over 200 attendees who enjoyed scrumptious desserts from Sweetpea’s Bakery and Events. 

The lunch was a brainchild of Lindner and Andrea Seger, board Vice President in 2019 and has raised more money each event to supplement the CHEER program, originally created by Connie Kacir, current Mayor of Gonzales and Michele Dolezal, art teacher at Gonzales High School to pay for mammograms for uninsured women. If you are or know of a women without health insurance who would like a mammogram, please contact the hospital’s radiology department at 830-672-7581 ext. 1800 and ask to be included in the CHEER program. For additional questions or to donate funds, contact Lindner at 830-672-8757.