5225 Library Rd. #223 Bethel Park, PA 15102

(412) 651-7085
Donate
a
M
Book Appointment

The History of The Pink Pamper

 
It all started one evening in 2008 with a few great friends, some good wine, and a heart to heart discussion. These friends shared a mutual desire to make a difference in the lives of others, especially women who have been diagnosed with cancer. That evening, the idea of designing a non-profit organization for that specific purpose was born. Soon thereafter, that idea became a larger vision and a new 501(C)(3) non-profit with the top priority of supporting women with cancer was born and named The Pink Pamper. The primary focus of the organization was women who desperately needed extra encouragement during a very difficult time in their lives and, in many cases, also needed help paying for things not covered by insurance. The Pink Pamper set out to provide encouragement for these women but also help them pay for things like prescription copays, healthy organic foods, gas for their cars, and even natural-looking prosthetic wigs.
In the beginning, this group of passionate friends began to raise money by taking their rather unique concept for a “Health and Beauty Fair” to a local Crowne Plaza Hotel. Their idea was to turn one of the hotel ballrooms into a combination of a shopping and spa day. The event also included trendy fashion designs, food, and entertainment. The guests could watch as models walked by in outfits provided by clothing vendors. The attendees were able to enjoy several spa type beauty treatments as well as bid on the gift baskets and auction items that had been provided by generous sponsors.

These fairs continued annually for five years and the money raised from them supported the UPMC Cancer Center Patient Assistance Fund which provided money and resources to cancer patients for things that were not typically covered by health insurance, like prescription copays, deductibles, groceries, gas, and prosthetic wigs.
The success of the Health and Beauty Fairs grew over the years in both attendance and money raised. This inspired The Pink Pamper to explore other opportunities for fundraising. In 2014 and 2015, they partnered with a local Macy’s store that hosted an after-hours event called “Sip, Sample, and Save” where ticket holders could amble through the store sipping spirits and sampling food from various sponsors who were set up throughout the store, all while enjoying tremendous savings as they shopped at Macy’s. Also in 2015, the first fundraising casino night, “Blackjack and All That Jazz” was held. It received rave reviews from the guests, vendors, and sponsors and was repeated in 2016.

As the participation from sponsors, vendors, and attendees grew, so did the scale of the events. In May 2017, the inaugural Bubble Ball event was held at The Carnegie Science Center. This event was to raise money for the recently created HaLo Fund, which benefits women who are dealing with hair loss resulting from their cancer treatment and provides them with a $350 voucher toward the purchase of a beautiful, natural-looking wig. The event included copious amounts of food, shopping, dancing, and fun activities for girls of all ages. The 2018 Bubble Ball moved to the Circuit Center and Ballroom in the South Side of Pittsburgh and featured the first “Woman of Courage Award” which was presented to former WTAE-TV News Anchor Kelly Frey, recognizing her as a cancer survivor and advocate.
With continued success and support, The Pink Pamper ramped up its fundraising efforts and also expanded its reach by creating the G.I.F.T. Fund (Getting Involved For women in Treatment) to help women going through cancer treatments by doing holiday gift shopping for their families.

Everyone involved with The Pink Pamper feels strongly that God puts certain people in our lives for a particular reason. It may last for only a moment, for a season, or perhaps a lifetime. No matter the reason that person was put there or for how long, everyone at The Pink Pamper is very grateful for every single one of them. We want all of our friends, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors to know how much we appreciate all of their time, treasure, and talent that they have given.