Arbella employees team up with the Arbella Insurance Foundation for a day-long fundraiser benefiting Dana-Farber’s Community Benefits Program
October 12th marked the fourteenth annual Pink Day, an annual event where Arbella Insurance Group (Arbella) employees team up with the Arbella Insurance Foundation (Foundation) to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Arbella employees raised $21,288 to support cancer screenings and education for people in medically underserved populations. It was matched by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, bringing the total donation to $42,576.
“It is truly a testament to our dedicated and passionate employees that we are now celebrating our fourteenth Pink Day,” said John Donohue, chairman, president, and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman and president of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “We are proud to support Dana-Farber and its outstanding services treating cancer. We are truly grateful to have such a dedicated and compassionate healthcare institute in our own backyard that supports patients all across our New England communities.”
This year, Arbella was honored to welcome Dana-Farber patient Barry Chaiken, MD, to Pink Day. Dr. Chaiken is president of DocsNetwork Ltd where he offers his expertise in clinical transformation, population health and informatics. He is also the author of Navigating the Code, which highlights the importance of information technology in healthcare. After a routine checkup, it was determined Dr. Chaiken had an elevated level of protein in his system, and he was subsequently diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia lymphoma, a rare form of cancer affecting roughly 35,000 people each year. With the help of his oncologist, Jorge J. Castillo, MD, of Dana-Farber, Dr. Chaiken is undergoing a clinical trial and is hopeful the treatment will help him live a normal life.
“Cancer doesn’t have to be an end. Thanks to Dr. Castillo and the wonderful team at Dana-Farber, my cancer will hopefully be a bump in the road of my life and it can be treated in the same ways as hypertension or other diseases,” said Dr. Chaiken.
“We’re so thankful Dr. Chaiken was able to join the Arbella team for Pink Day,” added Donohue. “Our employees are so dedicated to this cause and were touched by his kind words and encouragement.”
During the all-day fundraiser, Arbella employees dressed in pink and purchased Pink Day t-shirts, the proceeds of which were all donated to Dana-Farber. Each company department created baskets made with employee donations and raffled them off for additional fundraising, which was matched by Arbella’s Foundation.
Magnolia Contreras, MSW, MBA, Vice President of Community Health at Dana-Farber, also joined Pink Day to thank employees for their continued support and generosity.
“Every year Dana-Farber receives tremendous support from Arbella’s Pink Day event, which has helped us expand our services to medically underserved populations,” said Contreras. “The generous aid from the employees and Arbella’s Foundation allows us to bring lifesaving cancer detection and prevention resources to people all across Massachusetts.”
Arbella has supported Dana-Farber’s Community Mobile Benefits program, especially funding the Blum Family Resource Center Van, which promotes sun safety and Dana-Farber’s Mammography Van. To date, Arbella’s Pink Day has raised more than $487, 286 for cancer awareness and screening. 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.
Source: Arbella
