The Hinsdale Hospital Foundation’s Open Arms Fund intends to do just that by joining with merchants and organizations in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and Burr Ridge to Paint the Town Pink this month.
The Hinsdale Hospital Foundation’s Open Arms fund was established in 2011 to support breast cancer patients and their families by funding programs to assist patients and families navigate the difficult journey through cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Donations to the Open Arms fund benefit patients at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital.
A local woman who experienced breast cancer and was treated at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital championed the Open Arms fund. Bringing hope and healing to all breast cancer patients and their families is the fund’s primary mission.
Paint the Town Pink kicks off on October 1 with a lunchtime healthy cooking demonstration at Fuller’s Home & Hardware. That same evening, Adventist Hinsdale Hospital will be illuminated in pink light and filled with works created for the Pink Art contest. The artwork will be displayed in the hospital for the entire month of October.
Friends and neighbors will show their support by ordering pink smoothies at The Fruit Store, delighting in a special flower arrangement from Jane’s Blue Iris, and cheering on the Hinsdale Falcons as they play football in bright pink socks. Look for Paint the Town Pink signs at other spots in the area for more ways to help.
Paint the Town Pink participants will help bring free mammograms to uninsured women, as well as the best new diagnosis, technology, and treatment programs.
The month of festivities and fundraising will culminate in a ladies-only cocktail party and fashion show at Continental Auto Sports appropriately titled Rev It Up to Combat Cancer. Committee chair Lisa Hutcherson promises a fun evening of gorgeous clothes worn by Chicago’s best models, presented among the sleek Maserati automobiles. “”Everyone feels passion for this cause,” Lisa says. “Everyone wants to help.”
The best part, she says, is that the proposed site of a brand-new cancer center is directly across the street and will be illuminated to show what will hopefully be a refuge for those seeking treatment as well as a welcoming spot for those with appointments for screenings and tests.
Adventist Hinsdale Hospital is already an amazing resource for local women. The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers has granted accreditation to the hospital’s breast center.
Accreditation is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and performance review. Only seven centers in Illinois hold this designation, and no other centers in DuPage County have been so honored.
Susan tells us that patients rave about the level of care they receive, from routine screenings through treatment and beyond, but that currently the services are spread out among several buildings in various locations. A patient might need to drive to three different spots in a single day. “We heard from patients that they’re receiving outstanding cancer care, but that there is an opportunity to deliver it better,” she says.
The new cancer center will serve patients of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital and Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital and is proposed for construction on Ogden Avenue in Hinsdale. The foundation has committed to raising $11 million toward this state-of-the-art facility.
The new center is expected to open in 2014, and for the evening of October 24, 2012, it will be the focus of all who attend. The red carpet arrivals will be inspired by hope for the future from the moment they step out of the car and throughout the event.
Look for Paint the Town Pink displays at participating merchants in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and Burr Ridge to help bring hope and healing to friends and neighbors fighting this disease.
To purchase tickets for the fashion show, call 630-856-2000. For more information on planned activities, visit hinsdaleopenarms.org.
