The 18th annual Christmas Luncheon and Boutique raised awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Angels, a nonprofit that financially assists patients undergoing breast cancer treatment and needing a helping hand who live in San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Dec. 1 luncheon was held at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach and with the theme With Brave Wings She Flies.
The sold-out event had 640 attendees. More than 20 handpicked vendors were there as well as an array of must-have opportunity item drawings.
Holli Lienau, Breast Cancer Angels board president and Rancho Santa Fe, was on hand for the festive soiree. For the past 15 years Lienau’s husband’s business, Trend Offset Printing, has underwritten the entire event. Lienau is also the founder of her philanthropic organization “Holli”day…Anyday!, which supports local charities, including Breast Cancer Angels.
“It was an unforgettable day with wonderful shopping, great holiday atmosphere, lots of people feeling festive with friends, and the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort was just a beautiful setting,” Lienau said.
The event raised $100,000 according to Breast Cancer Angels executive Debra Stroman, thanks to Trend Offset Printing being its corporate Sponsor.
“A total of $18,000 was from direct donations, raffle tickets came in at $23,000, and the rest of the balance was from ticket sales,” Stroman said.
Lienau explained that 100 percent of the proceeds go to assisting women in treatment for breast cancer.
“We currently assist approximately 155 women living in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties every month roughly totaling more than $500,000 annually,” she said.
Lienau said she hopes guests walked away from the event learning how vital their support is to Breast Cancer Angels so that the nonprofit can assist as many women in treatment as possible.
“Our fundraising extends beyond just the women in treatment — most have families and children, and we assist them, too,” she said. “We assist in the area that a specific woman needs whether it be grocery cards, paying utility bills or rent, helping with transportation such as gas cards, and emotional assistance. We have a social worker on staff that helps the women navigate the complicated avenues of help available, and she also assists with other issues such as managing expenses.”
One of the guest speakers for the luncheon was Grace Murray, who authored, “Striving and Surviving: How to Survive Your Parent’s Cancer?” Her work was published this year, and Murray is now in her first year of college. According to Murray, the goal of the book was to help children of cancer patients while their parents were undergoing treatment — a trying time in for not only the patient but for the entire family.
“Grace was a poised and eloquent young lady who shared how BCA helped her mom as well as her when she was 11 years old and how she wrote a book with the goal of helping children experiencing what she did years ago,” Lienau said.
Stroman said approximately 75 of the women they help every month are moms with young families.
“About 110 are under the age of 50 with 80 under the age of 40,” Stroman said. “Around 30 of the women are over 50 years of age. During our annual Family Party, Grace Murray met with each of the moms and gave children her book — they were excited to meet with her and grateful for her perspective.”
Stroman thanked the participants who come every year and continue to make the event a success. She also conveyed a warmhearted thanks to board member Lori Franklin, who plans the event, and also created the beautiful raffle items along with Diane Shrake.
“We have Angel Donors who give generously before the event begins — this allows us to purchase the gift cards for the raffle items,” Stroman said. “Our volunteers also help make this event a success as well as the boutique vendors who set up and sell items and donated 20 percent of their profits to BCA. And then most of all to Trend Offset Printing for underwriting the entire event.”
To learn more about Breast Cancer Angels, visit www.BreastCancerAngels.org. Murray’s book, “Striving and Surviving: How to Survive Your Parent’s Cancer?” can be purchased on Amazon.
