Photographed above are cancer survivors: Debra Walker; Suzy Rhadigan; Janice Hatchett Cowan; Kelli Ketzler; Ashley Wilk; and Sharon Hall.

The POH Riley Foundation Fights Breast Cancer with Food, Fashion and Sisterly Compassion at the 2008 Sister & Sister Fashion and Beauty Extravaganza

Birmingham, Mich.—  More than $50,000 was raised at the second annual Sister & Sister Fashion and Beauty Extravaganza held Sunday at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.

All proceeds from the event will provide a free mammogram screening for roughly 500 underserved women in Oakland County.

Cancer survivors and Sister & Sister Planning Committee members served as models during the elegant luncheon and fashion show. As women of all ages, shapes and ethnicities strolled down the runway to the upbeat sound of Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine,” audience members were brought to tears by the courage of those who decided to remove their breast enhancements to showcase what it means to be a ‘real woman.’

“I don’t need it,” said two-time breast cancer survivor Sharon Hall as she modeled a black bathing suit with a red shawl. “I’m beautiful just the way I am, 100 percent, all woman.”

Hall, 54, said she never considered getting reconstructive surgery and she wants other women who have endured a mastectomy to know, “they’re beautiful just the way they are!”

“There’s life after cancer,” said Hall, a former Pontiac resident. “It is not a death sentence, and this foundation helped all of us realize this. It’s so important to have the support of a group because cancer is a lonely disease. But I survived. We are all warriors in this battle and we’re going to keep on surviving!”

The event opened with a silent auction, strolling hors d’oeuvres and black and pink décor symbolizing breast cancer awareness.

Mistress of Ceremonies Paula Tutman, WDIV Channel 4 Reporter, kicked off the fashion show featuring clothing from St. John Boutique of Somerset Collection in Troy. A live auction followed the fashion show, including a weekend rental for a Dodge Challenger SRT 8, a one-week time share in Mazzatlan, Mexico; tickets to the Mary J. Blige and Jay Z concert; Pistons tickets and more.

Former Pontiac resident Janice Hatchett Cowan, 73, was the eldest of the modeling survivors. Cowan showed no signs of shyness when it came time to ‘strut her stuff’ in red evening attire and later in an aqua tweed suit.

Cowan is also a two-time breast cancer survivor. After beating cancer in the early 1980s, a tumor resurfaced in the same breast 11 years later.

“All of that doesn’t even matter now,” she said. “Because I’m here, I’m alive and I’m feeling good!”

For 54-year-old Detroit resident Debra Walker, another two-time survivor, the breast cancer came 13 years a part.

“The first time, it was scary,” Walker said. “But the second time, you feel like giving in. It’s like, ‘Will I ever be cancer free?’ But then you get through it, and here I am. My best advice to any woman is to take charge of your life now. Get early detection so you can determine your own fate.”

Teresa Rodges, executive director of the POH Riley Foundation, is the founder of the Sister & Sister Free Mammogram Program. Rodges said the turnout of the event exceeded even her own expectations with a sold-out crowd of nearly 400 guests.

“I was hoping for a great event, but this year, the fashion show was just awesome!” Rodges exclaimed. “Just to see the attendees’ reaction to the cancer survivors— our guests had tears in their eyes.”

“For our cancer survivors, I think this was really a boost to their self-esteem,” she added. “It felt like we all became sisters, supporting one another from this day forward.”