When Lizzie Hunter and Amanda Lee walked through the main entrance of Sano-Rubin Construction in Albany in early November, they didn’t show up empty-handed.
“So we have a gift for you to open,” Hunter said as she was greeted by the company’s longtime president, Dave Hollander.
The surprise, wrapped up in a tiny jewelry box, was a token of appreciation for a job exceedingly well done.
“Oh my God, it is a ring!” an excited Hollander exclaimed as he tossed aside the tissue paper.
“Yeah, it’s your national championship ring!” Hunter responded.
What You Need To Know
- During October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Capital Region’s Real Men Wear Pink team raised $386,900, the most money in the country
- To celebrate their achievement the local American Cancer Society presented each of the team’s participants with a championship ring
- When the Capital Region’s Real Men Wear Pink team finished first in the country in 2019, the group celebrated with a large party, which was not an option this year due to the pandemic
The shiny piece of bling was a reward for being part of the American Cancer Society’s Capital Region “Real Men Wear Pink” team. The collection of local business and non-profit leaders raised $386,900.84, the most money of any metropolitan area in the country during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“It’s unbelievable,” Hollander said. “I mean, you think about the Capital Region as a third- or fourth-tier metropolitan area, and we’re beating some of the biggest [cities] in the country.”
The local team featured about 30 participants, which means Hunter and Lee had plenty of deliveries to make. At Latham’s Camelot Print and Copy Centers, most of the staff gets involved.
“It always feels great,” said Thomas Popolizio, Camelot’s customer service manager. “It’s such a good cause and for the second year in a row we pulled it off and we’re the best in the country!”
When the Capital Region team finished first in the country in 2019, the American Cancer Society got everyone together at a big party at the Albany Capital Center.
“Everyone came, all of their friends and families, and we had lots of food and drinks and music,” Hunter said. “It was so fun.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic still posing a threat, Hunter says a big celebration simply wasn’t an option in 2020.
“While this is the most exciting accomplishment during this pandemic, we did not feel like it was a good idea to bring everybody together,” Hunter said. “So we are going to celebrate individually with everyone COVID style.”
The pandemic also changed the way the men raised money. Lee Carman calls the campaign a bright spot in a dark time.
“In a weird way, this was totally invigorating,” said Carman, who is Cap Com’s chief lending officer. “It felt like a big positive in light of everything that’s going on in the world.”
More often than not, when Hunter and Lee walked through the front door, they were presenting a ring to someone who’s experienced the horrors of breast cancer firsthand.
“For me, it’s a personal fight, having lost my mother to breast cancer,” said Albany Capital Center GM Doug McClaine, who’s been a Real Men Wear Pink participant for several years. “Annually, it gives me a chance to honor her legacy during the month of October.”
Financial advisor Peter Mortka watched not only his wife Denise beat the disease, but six other women in her family.
“For us having daughters and granddaughters deal with it, we need to get ahead of it, so that’s vital for us,” Mortka said.
Restaurant owner Jaime Ortiz also has a number of women in his own family who have been impacted.
“I couldn’t think of a better cause to put my efforts towards, because it does affect so many people,” said Ortiz, who owns 677 Prime in Albany and TORO Cantina in Colonie.
One of the most important deliveries happened inside the offices of Prime Companies. The business’ founder, Ken Raymond, is the local Real Men Wear Pink team’s top fundraiser and one of its biggest ambassadors.
“I notice from the checks coming in, ‘I lost my aunt’ or ‘I lost my mother,’ ” Raymond said of the small notes that typically accompany a donation.
Raymond’s family has been devastated by cancer.
“I lost a daughter to ovarian cancer,” Raymond said. “I’m a survivor; my mother died of breast cancer. I like working with the American Cancer Society.”
For the team at the American Cancer Society, Raymond’s story and others like it are sobering reminders of why they do what they do.
“This is such a bigger cause than just wearing pink or raising the most in the country,” Hunter said. “You just leave him and you want to do more.”
