Think Pink Lux to Celebrate 15th Anniversary with Ladies Night

Think Pink Luxembourg (Think Pink Lux) asbl is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year.

Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to speak with Carrie Cannon, a nurse, health coach and founding member of Think Pink Lux, about this milestone.

Chronicle.lu: Please tell us a bit about the origins and mission of Think Pink Lux, as well as its connection to the expatriate/international community in Luxembourg.

Carrie Cannon: Think Pink Lux began in 2009 with a simple but powerful idea, to bring friends, families and colleagues together for an evening of solidarity, fun and awareness for women with cancer. What started as a Ladies Night, filled with music, dancing and lots of pink, has grown into a vital support network for women in Luxembourg affected by cancer. We recognised a gap in resources for English speaking women, based on the experiences of women in that group particularly those who are expatriates, non-native to Luxembourg, and often seeking support in English and decided to try to fill that gap offering resources and support.

Our mission is threefold: to raise awareness, provide direct support and fund cancer research. Through events like Ladies Night, the ING Night Marathon and generous donations, we've raised substantial funds to support projects. Highlights include scholarship funding to the tune of €350,000 for cancer research students and the publication of the practical guide, "Living in Luxembourg with Cancer", which has reached over 3,000 individuals and medical centres and will soon be available online. [More on this later]

As a health professional, a nurse and a health coach, I think our health promotion events have a significant impact, particularly our corporate ones. We provide companies with a powerful way to support employee well-being. By bringing health and awareness programmes directly into the workplace, we make it easier for employees to participate without disrupting their workday, making health education both accessible and impactful. A unique aspect of these events is the focus on helping employees understand how to support a loved one or colleague with cancer, which resonates widely. We also highlight the importance of improving return-to-work policies and support systems, as more individuals are working through and beyond cancer. These programmes increase awareness, promote early detection and foster a supportive community that stands with those affected by breast cancer.

We get involved in many community events such as the ING marathon with participants in all disciplines, the Relais pour la Vie, and we also engage with local sports groups especially the Luxembourg ice hockey team the Tornados who always pink up the rink at Kockelsheuer on a home game in October. This year the women's team got involved too. We had a wonderful invite from the Esch basketball team earlier in the year to engage with the community to promote early detection and support for patients and they raised a whopping €4,600 for Think Pink Lux. This has evolved and the Federation for basketball got all the teams involved for October. And of course we are very visible on social media.

Chronicle.lu: How big is the current team behind Think Pink Lux? Are members all volunteers?

Carrie Cannon: Think Pink Lux asbl is run entirely by volunteers: there are eight of us on the team, all volunteers, and lots of others who volunteer their time when needed or for specific tasks. We also have lots of help from companies where staff are given time to support CSR projects. We've formed valuable partnerships with several companies who support us in diverse ways, such as lending equipment, providing volunteers for events and sharing specialist skills like bookkeeping, accounting and - coming soon - an impact assessment. These collaborations also often include direct donations, which are crucial for our work. Funding is the engine that drives cancer research forward. Every breakthrough, new treatment and advancement depends on financial support, and sustained funding is ultimately what will lead to a cure for cancer.

Chronicle.lu: How did the support group grow from having a first "one-off" Ladies Night to embarking on a fifteen-year journey of fundraising and supporting women with cancer in Luxembourg?

Carrie Cannon: The support group is ongoing with women meeting for walks, talks, coffees and day outs together. We now offer women workshops on a variety of topics pertinent to their situation having cancer including self-care, different nutritional aspects of living with cancer, boosting immunity and also creative ones where they can make things together.

This year, in collaboration with Think Pink Europe, with funds raised from the Race for the Cure Europe-wide, we were able to distribute 300 care bags to hospitals in Luxembourg to be given to women diagnosed with breast cancer. The bags were really well received, and we have had some lovely feedback from individual recipients and also the amazing breast care nurses in the hospitals.

Chronicle.lu: What have been some of the highlights/milestones for Think Pink Lux over the years?

Carrie Cannon: With over €350,000 in donations since 2009. We are pretty proud of that but of course couldn't do that without the support of all of the donors and supporters who help us make this possible. We regularly invite researchers to participate in our events with talks, interactive booths and presentations, to highlight their work and offer attendees valuable insights into the latest developments in breast cancer research.

Perhaps our most impactful work lies in direct support for women facing cancer. Through group meetings and one-on-one connections, we provide a safe space for women to share their experiences and find support from others who truly understand. Cancer isn't over when treatment ends, and our support group offers ongoing encouragement, understanding and shared strength. Each initiative at Think Pink Lux is designed to ensure that no woman in Luxembourg faces this journey alone.

[Other highlights include] Race for the Cure [and] the Guidebook...

Chronicle.lu: What about key events or activities, for example Race for the Cure, plus activities/support for men in recent years?

Carrie Cannon: RFTC started in 2019, at Echternach lake which is a great venue, with wonderful support from the commune [municipality] and the Youth Hostel. During Covid, people joined remotely so this year was the sixth edition. Think Pink Lux does this event in collaboration with Think Pink Europe and it is the biggest sporting event for women's health in Europe. It helps breast cancer organisations to collect funds and promote health throughout Europe. 20% of the money raised goes to Europe-wide projects and the rest remains in Luxembourg for our research projects. The event is growing every year with there being 860 participants this year, many of whom are going through cancer and get out there and walk, engage with others and feel supported. We are still working out the money side but think we have raised about €20,000. We rely heavily on volunteers to run the event including a team from Blackrock who join us every year on the registration desk, Alessio Dehani who volunteers as photographer, Lisa McLean from Ara City Radio with Ben Andrews on music and MCing, Ankita Makraria leading a very dynamic warmup and many others to whom we are really grateful.

Recently, we had the idea to start a men's group to support men with partners with cancer or who are going through it themselves. They meet on a monthly basis and feedback is very positive. More information [via email]: r.liebl@soultalk.lu or j.kent@soultalk.lu

Chronicle.lu: Think Pink Lux recently launched the third edition of its "ThinkPink Guide to Living in Luxembourg". What sort of new/updated information can readers find in this guide?

Carrie Cannon: This is a practical resource with lots of information for anyone going through cancer, such as where to buy wigs and accessories, how to talk to children about a cancer diagnosis, health tips, what to take into hospital, questions to ask the many doctors and practitioners that are involved in cancer treatment and more.

The guide is based on the lived experience of expat women in Luxembourg. We added in new information such as more stories from new women, updated the information about the initial women and updated all the contacts and resources which have changed. The hospital ecosystem has changed, so that had to be updated, and we have a whole section on the breast care nurses who do such a fabulous job at each of the hospitals. There was lots more we could have done but you have to stop somewhere. We are working on getting the interactive live version online which should be ready soon.

Chronicle.lu: And finally, how is Think Pink Lux celebrating its fifteenth anniversary? We understand there is an anniversary edition of Ladies Night planned later this month...

Carrie Cannon: Going back to our roots, we are hosting a Ladies Night, so there will be lots of pink.

This anniversary event is taking place on Friday 22 November 2024, from 20:00 to 00:30, at the G.A.N.G food hall (Um Plateau Bar) in Belle Etoile shopping centre. Tickets cost €60 and include a welcome drink, walking dinner and dancing. For further details, visit https://thinkpinklux.com/ladies-night-store/ladies-night-15th-anniversary