Funds raised by Arbella employees and matched by the Arbella Insurance Foundation at the 13th annual “Pink Day” event benefits Dana-Farber’s Community Benefits Program
October 19 marked the thirteenth annual Pink Day in which Arbella Insurance Group (Arbella) employees teamed up with the Arbella Insurance Foundation to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The funds raised, over $20,000, support cancer screenings and education for medically underserved populations. Those funds were matched by the Arbella Insurance Foundation for a total donation of $40,314.
“Almost everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, whether they’ve had it themselves or have seen a family member, friend or co-worker struggle with the debilitating disease,” said John Donohue, chairman, president, and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman and president of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “For the 13th consecutive year, Arbella is proud to donate to Dana-Farber and its efforts to bring cancer education and prevention to our local communities. We are truly privileged to have such a prestigious and influential cancer institute in our backyard Arbella’s employees always come together to support Dana-Farber and all the great work that they do, and I am always amazed at their generosity.
This year, Arbella welcomed Dana-Farber patient, Chris Devin, to Pink Day, to share his experience about being treated at Dana-Farber. Devin was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in March 2020 and is currently under the care of oncologist Paul Richardson, MD. Following his diagnosis, Devin immediately underwent five straight days of intensive radiation and enrolled in a clinical trial evaluating the combination of three drugs and the novel CD-38 antibody isatuximab.
During the all-day fundraiser, Arbella employees dressed in pink and purchased pink masks, lanyards and wine tumblers, the proceeds of which were all donated to Dana-Farber. Each company department created baskets made with employee donations and raffled them for additional fundraising, which was matched by Arbella’s Foundation. All employee contributions will support cancer screening through Dana-Farber’s Community Benefits Program, which includes the Mammography Van. To date, Arbella’s Pink Day has raised more than $443,580 for cancer awareness and screening.
Magnolia Contreras, Director of Community Benefits at Dana-Farber, also joined Pink Day to thank employees for their continued support and generosity.
“I’m grateful and extraordinarily humbled to witness the support Arbella has provided to Dana-Farber for more than a decade and especially throughout the pandemic,” said Contreras. “Dana-Farber’s Mammography and Blum Vans are vital resources in our community and with Arbella’s help, thousands of vulnerable patients are able to receive crucial cancer screenings each year.”
As the only mobile mammography program in Massachusetts, Dana-Farber’s Mammography Van provides free mammograms and breast health education to medically eligible women aged 40 years and older. The Mammography Van partners with community-based organizations and neighborhood health centers in its mission to decrease breast cancer morbidity and mortality among medically underserved women and increase survival rates for those diagnosed with breast cancer. During the last fiscal year, the mammography program served approximately 1,200 individuals.
