The Pink Agenda Spring Gala hosted by Lauren Bush.

The Pink Agenda Converts a Skeptic

There are dozens of charitable organizations that cater to the needs of breast cancer patients in some way. The Pink Agenda is one of them, specifically focused on raising money for care, research, and awareness among young professionals. Though there are many other avenues for interested donors to spend their breast cancer dollar, the organization’s 2010 Annual Spring Gala at The Box made a strong case for their relevance.

Founder and President Marisa Renee Lee gave a heartfelt speech that was a highlight of the evening. While many NYC charity events devolve into a thin excuse to spend a few hours at an open bar, her speech, combined with the audience’s clear and surprising interest in the cause, proved that this wasn’t just some empty party. Lee’s heart wrenching story about her mother’s battle with the disease makes the case for The Pink Agenda indirectly – one knows to hear her speak that any organization she helms is lucky to have  such a dedicated and driven leader. In her words:

“My mom was always very particular about her hair and her clothes, and even more particular once her disease progressed. She even went as far as to provide specific instructions not only about how she was to be dressed, but about what the rest of us were to wear at her funeral. There was to be no black, my sister would expose no cleavage – it is church – and my father would buy a brand new suit. I vowed that I would have a really sweet outfit as well. Just over two years ago, when my mother and I had this conversation, the doctors to her that she had 6 months to a year before succumbing to breast cancer. Unfortunately, her doctor was wrong, and 6 weeks later she passed away. I was 25, I was motherless, and I definitely did not have that sweet outfit lined up.”