The last of three Paint LoCo Pink launches took place on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine. Like the events at Indian Lake and West Liberty, this one offered encouragement and honored the survivors of breast cancer.
Led by Tammy Gump, chief operating officer of the Logan County Cancer Society (LCCS), the evening started with a reading of the proclamation recognizing October 2024 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a promise from Bellefontaine Mayor Dave Crissman.
“About 15 years ago, the fire department started creating breast cancer awareness T-shirts,” Crissman said, referring to the annual fundraiser. “It keeps growing and growing … and they’re not going to stop.”
The main focus of the night was hearing from breast cancer survivor Melinda Knueve, who shared her experiences after being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in March 2023.
“I’m getting through this and can get back to my normal life,” Knueve admitted. Then she added something her doctor told her after 18 months of fighting off the disease:
“You can’t let cancer bring you down. This was a challenge to overcome, and you won.”
