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About 300 attendees donned pink at the 50 Shades of Pink event in Allendale, which created community for cancer survivors and their families.
Singer Bobby Elmore performs before a crowd of 300 people at 50 Shades of Pink.
When Carolyn Jones’ daughter Courtney Boyce died from brain cancer in February of 2023, her daughter’s life and battle with cancer stayed with her family.
“She was wonderful,” Jones said, recalling Boyce’s positive attitude during the long fight with cancer. “If you ever came in contact with her, she was always smiling. We gotta hold on to each other and love each other while we’re going through what we’re going through.”
Thus was the purpose of 50 Shades of Pink, an event organized to bring the region together around understanding cancer diagnoses and the effects they can have on communities. The event was organized by Relay for Life, a fundraising effort put on by the American Cancer Society.
“Back in March, we got the news that my youngest daughter Brittany found a lump,” said Ronisha Halloway. “She shared the news with us and of course, being a mom, it takes you back a little bit. [In] our family, we’ve all gone through this disease.”
In rural areas of the United States, cancer mortality rates are higher, according to the National Cancer Institute. This is because of the lack of healthcare access in rural areas, as primary care physicians work in more populated areas; only 3 percent of medical oncologists (doctors who focus on cancer) practice in rural communities. Additionally, in rural communities like Allendale and Barnwell, where the percent of people without healthcare or living in poverty is higher than national averages, a cancer diagnosis can have knock-on effects throughout the community.
Dr. James Simmons, a pediatrician from Port Royal, spoke at the event about his family’s story with cancer as well as the stories of his patients and how it affects communities. Simmons’ story as a pediatrician has been influenced by his late grandmother, who died from lung cancer the same year he started medical school.
“When talking to patients, I didn’t just see cancer as a diagnosis, it was a condition,” Simmons said. “It was something that was part of a person that became part of their story, not just a diagnosis. Unfortunately, it’s something that we all know too well.”
Amanda Pressie, who organized the event alongside other Relay for Life volunteers, said about 300 people attended. Pressie said the event’s success was in showing love to those diagnosed with cancer, and creating a community around those who deal with the effects of a diagnosis.
“I believe we built not only friendship, but it built a family of support,” Pressie said. “We have a lot of younger people who are being affected by this disease. It made them feel that if something were to happen, they would have a support team.”
Pressie wanted the audience and the community to remember Brittany Brown, Anna Remae Abram and Bobby Washington, several community members whose lives have changed due to cancer diagnoses. Pressie shared the story of a local woman who, after being diagnosed with cancer, was put out of work.
“She's a single mother of four,” Pressie said. “She's not able to work because of the cancer. I want people to think about her during the Christmas holiday.”
