The Pine2Pink program that had much of Doylestown glowing pink last year to draw attention to the needs of breast cancer patients is expanding its reach this year, according to the nonprofit’s founder, Keith Fenimore.
The unique idea that coalesced around Breast Cancer Awareness Month raised $21,500 to benefit area women suffering from breast cancer. This year, Fenimore said, he’d like to double that amount to help patients with treatment costs, transportation, out-of-pocket and medical expenses, as well as integrated services such as yoga, massage and counseling. All the money raised goes to Doylestown Health’s Cancer Institute to distribute to patients in need.
The positive response to the initial effort has Fenimore encouraged to not only continue the program, but extend it into his hometown of New Hope and Peddler’s Village in Lahaska.
“Pine2Pink is experiencing exponential growth through our expansion from Doylestown to Peddler’s Village and New Hope after just one year,” said Fenimore. “We now are proven, can lean on a track record and are in a place, as a 501c(3), to thoughtfully scale across the United States.” There are 5,000 Pine Streets in the nation, he noted.
To maintain Pine2Pink’s momentum and grow it into a national initiative, Fenimore said, additional support is needed.
“To assure the caliber and authenticity attributed to the foundation remains, we are looking for the right partner to provide a significant capital infusion. I’d encourage a fund, a trust, an investor, brand or business who sees value in Pine2Pink to reach out, step up and help us realize Pine2Pink’s full potential,” he said.
Last year, Doylestown Borough saw the Mercer Museum, the Bucks County Courthouse and other prominent buildings softly lit in pink hues. Dozens of the town’s street lights burned pink and Pine Street became “Pink” Street for the month of October.
“I don’t think any event in support of a charitable cause has ever captured this community’s imagination as quickly and completely as Pine2Pink,” said John Davis, Doylestown’s manager. “In the blink of an eye it went from idea to reality and the feedback was just tremendous. We look forward to what they come up with next.”
Fenimore, 48, who lives in Doylestown Township with his wife, Kristina and two children, said his interest in helping breast cancer patients arose from personal experience – his grandmother and mother both had the disease – and reaching a point in his life where, “I wasn’t fulfilled, I was struggling with purpose.”
Creating Pine2Pink and seeing the impact it’s had has “been amazing,” he said. “It’s hard to encapsulate what it’s meant to me … it’s been very emotional for everyone … to have the money so many helped raise become a ray of light and hope.
“It really found me more than I found it.”
