With the $32,000 dollars raised directly by the Devils Ridge Ladies Golf Tournament of 2008 the Pretty in Pink Foundation helped 24 patients. For this reason, the DRLGA is especially pleased to have been able to raise a similar amount again this year. Women will receive biopsies, assistance with COBRA payments, mammograms, chemotherapy and radiation treatments as well as funds to cover insurance co-pays. Dollars raised for the Pretty in Pink Foundation work very hard and smart. (Sometimes the most cost effective way to help a patient is to pay her insurance premiums.) All the women helped are from Wake and neighboring counties and, while their ages are typically in the 56 to 63 year old range, there are young women in their twenties and thirties who benefit as well. Barbara Lesperance, chairperson of the 2009 tournament, stated, “Given the current economy, we are extremely grateful to the community, both to the people and to the businesses, for their generous support. Devils Ridge Ladies Golf Association was able to raise $33,860 to benefit women in Wake and surrounding counties through Pretty in Pink.” At the check presentation last week, Bernadette Pickles, Volunteer and Development coordinator for Pretty in Pink, related a story of a woman having her first breast cancer treatment telling another patient that Pretty in Pink had saved her life. It is gratifying to know that there is no recession when it comes to love and sharing. The caring folks in our great community, the staff and members of Devils Ridge Golf Club, the 120 golfers who came out to support the tournament, and the dedicated members of the tournament committee, know that the funds raised this year will help women diagnosed with breast cancer who find themselves without adequate insurance coverage. According to Dr. Lisa Tolnitch, breast cancer surgeon and founder of the Pretty in Pink Foundation, her goal is to see Pretty in Pink become a prototype for organizations in each of our 50 states. In a story broadcast on the NBC Today Show on July 22, two local women were featured telling their stories and the impact Pretty in Pink has had on each their lives after their breast cancer diagnoses. They and other women like them are the inspiration to all of us to continue our support for this very worthwhile charity. Area women who might need the help of the Pretty in Pink Foundation should contact Penny Lauricella, Executive Director at (919)532-0532 or visit their website at www.prettyinpinkfoundation.org. Pretty in Pink is located on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh.