Everyone “Laughed Out Loud and Stood Strong” at the Nancy Owens Breast Cancer Foundation Luncheon

Everyone “Laughed Out Loud and Stood Strong” at the Nancy Owens Breast Cancer Foundation Luncheon

A sea of pink covered the ballroom at Hilton Americas-Houston as over 500 excited attendees paid homage to the legacy of realtor Nancy Owens, who passed away from breast cancer in 2001. The Nancy Owens Breast Cancer Foundation (NOBCF) was subsequently founded, and the luncheon began in her honor. Twenty-two years later, the joy of this event is consistently evident in the faces of those in the audience.

The foundation is uniquely a volunteer-based organization, consisting mostly of realtor-based individuals. One hundred percent of the money raised from their efforts stays in Houston and goes to research in our medical center. The NOBCF has pledged its support of $140,000 to three critical breast cancer research initiatives: the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Department of Nanomedicine at Houston Methodist Research Institute. Leading these projects are Dr. Xiang Zhang of Baylor, Dr. Isabelle Bedrosian of MD Anderson, and Dr. Alessandro Grattoni of Methodist.

Lending her remarkable wit and talent as the luncheon’s emcee was Deborah Duncan, host of KHOU TV’s Great Day Houston. She introduced Terri Guerra, the Foundation’s Chairperson, who passionately expressed her commitment to expanding the Foundation’s reach and continuing its year-round fundraising mission. The annual “Spirit of Courage” Award honors an exceptional individual in the real estate industry who has triumphed over cancer. This year’s honoree was Lori Carper, who Deborah welcomed to the stage to share her journey as a breast cancer survivor. She was followed by the afternoon guest speaker, multi-talented actress, comedienne, writer, producer, director, podcaster, and breast cancer survivor Tig Notaro. The luncheon theme was aptly named, “Laugh Out Loud. Stand Strong,” and Tig’s distinctive humor and inspiration brought this thought to the forefront, and in the process, evoked unbridled laughter from the crowd.

Highlights from the program included a raffle, featuring earrings from Zadok Jewelers, which inevitably became the biggest raffle success in the event’s history!

A successful silent auction included trips to Denver and California. Also, each year the host committee individually donates a bottle of spirits. This year, they were delightfully displayed in a Pink Corkcicle cooler and auctioned.

All-in-all, a beautiful tribute to the legacy of a final wish.

In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned):  Amy Bernstein, Jennifer Hernandez, Peggie Kohnert, Christina Sacco, Elizabeth Rankin Rice, Randee Kaplan, Tamara Mannen, Vicki Fullerton, David Gugino, Megan Jordan, Ellie Riney, Courtney Zavala, Gina Gaston Elie, Shelley Ludwick, Lisa Zadok, Frank Lueth, Ryan Chase, Tara Sondock