Parker: Month is filled with ways to support breast cancer research

By Penny Parker, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Friday, October 6, 2006

You can hardly cruise around town these days without tripping over a pink ribbon. Even our state Capitol is sporting a snappy pink sash.

Cherry Creek Shopping Center tied hundreds of pink ribbons " 'round the old oak trees" last month, the Hyatt Regency at the Colorado Convention Center has a bright pink "beacon of hope" beaming from its roof, and Denver's Race For The Cure runs around town on Sunday.

"It's like a huge pink tidal wave coming our way," said a gal pal who stuck it out with me through my own breast cancer journey this year.

There are tons of ways to think pink this month and support breast cancer research. Here are some:

• Sense of Security, a local charity that helps breast cancer patients with nonmedical bills, will whoop it up beginning at 7 tonight during the Champagne and Diamonds benefit at The Cable Center, 2000 Buchtel Blvd. I'll be there as the emcee. Tickets: senseofsecurity.org.

• The Diana Price Fish Foundation Founder's Ball is a black-tie affair with sit-down dinner, silent and live auctions, awards ceremony and entertainment by Manuel Molina, beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Tickets: dpfcf.org/pages/specialevents.

• Panera Bread bakeries in Colorado are selling pink ribbon bagels through Nov. 14. Twenty cents from every cherry-chip ribbon-shaped bagel sold goes to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation.

• Local and national artists have lent their talent to this year's line of Tribute Guitars, which can be personalized with the name of a loved one inscribed on the back for a $25 donation. The guitars are on display this month at the Denver Pavilions. To donate, go to artguitar.com. Some of the proceeds go to the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

• Denver philanthropist Sharon Magness Blake will share her breast cancer story at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Anschutz Centers For Advanced Medicine at Fitzsimons, 1665 N. Ursula St. Rachel Rabinovitch, radiation oncologist, also will discuss advances in breast cancer therapy. -RSVP: Alison Faust, 720-848-0395 or -Alison.faust@uch.edu.

• Hard Rock Cafe declares this month Rocktoberfest, with rocker Alexa Ray Joel (daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley) touring on behalf of breast cancer awareness. She'll perform at the Hard Rock in the Denver Pavilions at 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Free admission, but donations taken at the door will go to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.

• Einstein Bros. is selling coffee with a cause with its Rally 'Round the Pink travel mugs and pink bagels. A portion of sales will go to Susan G. Komen.

• Shop till you drop Thursday through Oct. 15 at Saks Fifth Avenue during Key to the Cure, where a percentage of sales will benefit women's cancer research at Denver Health. Come to the free kickoff party from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Saks in Cherry Creek and indulge in "chocolate madness" while watching a fashion show with guest models Janet Elway, Evi Makovsky, Bobbi Barrow and me (for comic relief).

• The KHOW radio team will be out in full force Sunday during Race For The Cure. Look for the KHOW inflatable sign near the Pepsi Center and stop by and say, "Hey," to Peter Boyles, Tom Martino and yours truly, broadcasting live beginning at 6 a.m.

EAVESDROPPING on two men at Elway's:

"We started playing golf before there were holes. We'd hit a dinosaur and call it par."

"Yeah, it was Barney golf."

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Listen to her on the Caplis and Silverman radio show between 4 and 5 p.m. Fridays on KHOW-AM (630). Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMountainNews.com.