What's New?!

May 2017

Pink Wings has been up and running for nearly 15 years now. We started with just a few pink ribbon items on our website in 2002 and now have hundreds of awareness items in many cancer awareness colors to choose from. I am proud to say that most of the product on the Pink Wings website continues to be designed and made exclusively for Pink Wings. We have nearly 300 original pink ribbon lapel pins with many of the popular styles available in Purple, Teal, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green, Gold, White/Grey and other cancer awareness colors. Our pin collection also includes our ever-growing Pink Ribbon Sports Girls (and Guys). You are sure to find something for everyone in your life- from basketball players to volleyball players. We also have a pink ribbon football pin, hockey pin and baseball pin for the guys as well as a boxing glove pink ribbon pin. Every year Pink Wings adds a new dated pink ribbon walk pin. We have pins dating back to 2004. We also add a new bustier pin to our pin collection almost every year.
You can purchase Pink Wings product through our website or by attending one of the many events or tradeshows that we participate in through out the year. You can also purchase Pink Wings product at various stores throughout the US. We are in MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, Memorial Sloan Kettering in NY, NY, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and in Phoenix, AZ as well as Joliet Oncology in Joliet, IL just to mention a few. Our Motorcyle Pins are available in Wild Fire Harley and Oak Lawn Harley in Chicago. 
Late last year we brought in our new Ribbon and Swirl Pink Ribbon design. This design has been a sell out. We put it on our amazing v-neck t-shirts that come in sizes S-3XL. These shirts run big and are a great fit for women and their curves. Shirts come in white, charcoal grey or black. This pink ribbon design is also on our awesome light weight jackets that come in dark pink, black or grey and on hoodies and tank tops!  Our Ribbon and Wings design is available for kids in shirt sizes Youth XS-L and in many different colors. For the men- we have our brand new Tough Guys Wear Pink Shirts in sizes S-3XL.  The Tough Guys Wear Pink shirts are also available for boys in sizes XS, small and medium.  
Our popular Burn Out shirts with crystal pink ribbon are available in sizes M-2XL. These shirts are made in the USA exclusively for Pink Wings. 
We were able to purchase all of the Pink Ribbon Armies from the company that carried them, as they were going out of business. These arm warmers are fantastic for the walks and can also be worn as leg warmers. They are available in many different colors and styles and are available at bulk pricing for fundraisers at a huge discount. They are also available in kid’s sizes (in different styles- not with the pink ribbon). They make great gifts. I love wearing my Armies for training and on my 3-Day walks. They also keep me warm on plane rides. 
Pink Wings continues to help walkers fundraise for their events. We have 2 different fundraising kits on the Pink Wings website. 
As always- we are retiring more pins this year in order to make room for new designs. Be sure to purchase yours before they are gone!

DONATIONS
Courtney, her family, and Pink Wings have now raised/donated over $500,000 for breast cancer research and education through various non-profit organizations including, but not limited to:
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Avon Foundation
American Cancer Society
Young Survival Coalition
FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered)
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Dr. Susan Love Foundation
weSPARK Cancer Support Center
Pink Ribbon Club Foundation
Linda L. Vladyka Breast Wellness Foundation and
Soroptimist of Albany Walk for the Cause
Michelle's Place 
Courtney also donates countless Pink Wings Pink Ribbon Gift Baskets, Lapel Pins, and Tattoos to various organizations and individuals raising funds and awareness for Breast Health. 

FORCE 
Courtney and her sister Erin were the Oregon Coordinators for FORCE for many years. Because of FORCE and the knowledge I have from attending the FORCE conferences and reading the FORCE message board, I made the decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy in 2007. My sister had both of her breasts removed later that year and then had her ovaries removed to lower her risk of breast and ovarian cancer due to her BRCA2 status. My oldest daughter, Sedona, was tested in June of 2013 and her results came back just after her 20th birthday. She has the BRCA2 gene mutation that my sister and I have and now has an 87% chance of getting breast or ovarian cancer in her lifetime.

EVENTS
Courtney keeps busy throughout the year participating in various walks for cancer with and without her family:
In July 2009, Courtney walked alongside her 15-year-old daughter Sedona in the Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day. Sedona was part of the opening and closing ceremonies, carrying the For My Mother flag. Courtney joined Sedona onstage for closing ceremonies as her honoree. This was an important walk for Courtney. It was her 10th 3-Day Walk, her 10th year walking and she was now over 10 years cancer free. Courtney’s Pink Wings team was 21 members strong (and yes- we all wore Pink Wings) and raised nearly $48,000 for the Susan G. Komen Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day. We were the 3rd largest team and raised the 4th highest amount of money. Courtney and Sedona chopped off their hair to donate to Locks of Love on Sunday morning at the 3-Day walk. You can see a photo of this on the front page of the Pink Wings website.
The following year, Pink Wings had a 3-Day team in Chicago. The team was 37 members strong and raised $88,000!! We were the #1 team at the Chicago 3- Day!! I couldn’t have done it without my amazing Co-Captain Lori Rice.
While living in Oregon, The Pink Wings team walked nearly every year at the Portland, Oregon Race for the Cure. I love this event because my little ones can walk with me! We have had upwards of 20 Pink Wings team members walking this event. My favorite part along the route is seeing the “One of a Kind Drum Line”. The leader of the band gave drum sticks to my daughters one year and to their cousins. This makes their day and they absolutely cherish those drum sticks! We always end the walk with an amazing breakfast together.  The kids look so cute in their Pink Wings!
In October Pink Wings keeps busy with events around the country. In Oregon, I had a booth at the Albany Walk for the Cause and the Salem Discover Pink Walk. Now that I am back in Southern California, I have a booth at the Stater Brother's Believe Walk in Redlands and the San Diego Together For Hope Walk. I also fly out to Florida to set up a booth for the FORCE conference. The FORCE conference is a one of a kind event for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation carriers or for those from high-risk families of Breast and/or Ovarian Cancer. It is a great place to speak to the doctors in person, to meet other survivors and previvors, and to hear about the latest in treatments and surgeries. I also have a Pink Wings table at the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Conference in Harrisburg, PA every Octover. I love the Pennsylvania Conference event because I get to stay with a young breast cancer survivor named Debra. She was my roommate in Sri Lanka and lives in Harrisburg, PA where the conference is held. 

Pink Wings will be participating in many events throughout 2017 including:

February- POWER Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada 
March- Young Survivor Conference in Oakland, California. This is a fantastic conference for those diagnosed with cancer at a young age (45 or younger).
April- The Pink Wings team participates in Reality Rally to benefit Michelle's Place
June-  Pink Wings will have a booth at the FORCE conference in Orlando, Florida
August- The Pink Wings team will participate at the Philly 3-Day 60 mile walk as walkers and Youth Corp
September- Essentially Women Focus on the Future Tradeshow in Minneapolis, MN 
October- Stater Brothers Believe Walk Redlands, California 
October- Pink Wings will have a booth at the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Conference in Harrisburg, PA. 

Courtney’s story has now been published in the book: Foot Soldier’s Stories of the Breast Cancer 3-Day (the Los Angeles chapter) and in the FORCE newsletter (September 2014 issue), Mom Magazine (Sept. /Oct. 2014 issue), and Mamm Magazine (Sept. /Oct. 2014 issue). She is also in the beautiful coffee table hardback book titled Lives Inspired: Portraits of Breast Cancer Survivors and is quoted in the book, I Am Not My Breast Cancer.
Last year, Courtney was featured on an episode of Skin Wars (Season 3, Episode 7) titled Survive and Thrive. You can watch Courtney's episode of Skin Wars on Netflix.  
As you can see, things have been pretty busy for Pink Wings. I can only hope we continue to keep as busy in the years to come...until we bring an end to this deadly disease! 
Thanks to you, my customers for helping to keep the dream of Pink Wings alive. 
If you would like to learn more about any of the events that Pink Wings will be attending, please go to the Links page or Upcoming Events page on my website. If  you know of a gift store or a breast cancer center that you would like to see carry Pink Wings product, please have them check out the Pink Wings site or email me with their name and number. If you know of an upcoming event that you would like to see a Pink Wings booth at, please contact me at [email protected] If you need a speaker at an upcoming event- feel free to contact me. Have a great year and thank you for joining Pink Wings in raising awareness and money for Breast Health Awareness!

Courtney Lercara
2-time Breast Cancer Survivor (age 33 and 35)
Owner and Founder 
www.Pinkwings.com 
Phone: 310-663-0482