Thurmont "Think Pink" month raises $15,000

Edison Hatter

(11/16) 2017 was the fourth year Thurmont has honored October as "Think Pink" month. This year, they once again surpassed the prior year’s donation. During the November 14 Thurmont Town meeting, town staff and local business owners presented Patty Hurwitz with their donations.

The Patty Hurwitz Fund began in 2000, after Hurwitz was diagnosed with breast cancer. After that initial experience, Hurwitz and husband decided that they wanted to find a way to provide the best experience for men and women in Frederick County facing breast cancer, so they wouldn’t have to travel far to receive treatment. The fund is used to support early cancer detection methods at the Stockman Cancer Institute in Frederick.

At the November 14 town meeting, Vickie Grinder, Thurmont Economic Development Manager, led the annual check presentation to Patty Hurwitz. Also present were representatives from some of the local businesses that participated this year. In total, 43 businesses in the Thurmont area held promotions to support the Think Pink initiative. Before the grand total was revealed, Laurie Wilhelm, Maggie Doll, Niki Eyler, and Dr. John Moles, talked about the initiatives their businesses supported this year to raise money for the cause.

Wilhelm was present from Catoctin High School, along with some of the football players from the school. For the second year, the high school held a "Pink Out" game during the October 13 football game against St. Paul’s. To raise funds for the cause, the team sold pink t-shirts during the game. Wilhelm commented that her group doubled the amount they raised last year, handing a check for $1,447 over to the fund. Doll, representing Gateway Candyland, commented that all employees wore pink shirts during the month and $1 was donated to the cause for each bottle of pink wine or breast cancer lollipop that was sold. "It’s always fun," Doll said, "everyone gets into it, it’s a great cause, and we love supporting it every year."

Eyler, representing the Eyler Stables Flea Market, commented that her company hung pink ribbons throughout the market and had donation jars to support the cause. Additionally, many vendors chose to donate part of their sales for the month to the fund as well. In the end, Eyler said her group’s donation was four times as large as last year’s. Finally, two representatives from Dr. John Moles Orthodontics commented that Dr. Moles dyed his beard pink and donated $1 from every installment of pink braces. At the end of the month, their donation was twice as much as last year.

The Town of Thurmont was happy to hand Hurwitz a check for $15,000 this year. The first year Thurmont Think Pink raised $4,760, the second year they raised $10,000, and last year the community raised $13,675. Thurmont Think Pink has really grown over the past four years, and Town staff believe it will only keep growing. So far, Thurmont has been able to donate $43,648, a significant amount of the $1.5 million that had been donated to the fund since its founding. "It’s amazing how many businesses participate," Hurwitz commented, "It’s just so great that we all support this cause that is bigger than all of us." "It is a community effort," town Commissioner Marty Burns added, "we get into it and it’s fun."

To learn more about the Patty Hurwitz Breast Cancer fund, visit www.pinkribbonfrederick.org/about-us.