Get your pink on

Have fun while raising funds for a local resident fighting breast cancer during “Get your pink on for Melissa!” at The Empourium on Saturday, September 14 from 2 – 6 p.m.
Erin Williams, who is helping plan the event, explained that when she learned that her friend Melissa Roth was diagnosed with breast cancer, she reached out to two of Roth’ friends, Jacklyn Brendle and Janee Laws, along with Jimbo Williams who owns The Empourium, to put on an event to help with bills associated with Roth’ battle.
Erin mentioned that Roth’ diagnosis is just one of many battles she has had to face.
“They are really good people with big hearts and over the past two years it’s really been raining heavy on them,” she said.
Erin added that she works in the health care profession and knows insurance isn’t always great.
“When this happened, I said, ‘I have to do something to help this family,’” she said. “Melissa is just a beacon of strength and I just want to do as much as I can to help them. Everything made during this event is going to the family.”
Roth explained that she was diagnosed with breast cancer on her 40th birthday.
“I had promised a friend of mine that had been diagnosed a month before that I would not put off getting a mammogram and sure enough, I had cancer,” she said, noting that the official diagnosis was on June 18.
She noted that she was diagnosed with Stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma. While Roth said she didn’t need radiation or chemotherapy because doctors caught the cancer early, to prevent having to do so in the future in case the cancer spread, she opted for a double mastectomy, lymph node removals, and has now started the reconstruction process. Roth said she has also started the ovarian suppression process.
“My type of cancer is hormone fed and I still have more surgery to go. I was fortunate not to have to do chemo or radiation. When they found it, it was still in a solid mass and had not moved out of the breast area,” she said.
Making matters worse, Roth said this blow came only a month after her husband had been attacked by a dog, and also found that she had some skin cancers which she is going to see a dermatologist about.
“I didn’t know a lot about breast cancer. They bombard you with a lot of information and doctor appointments,” she said, as she shared that she had to take time off of work and has had to step back to working part-time due to the exhaustion. “My last surgery should be finishing the breast reconstruction and removing my ovaries. I just decided we were going to hit this head on and get it.”
When Roth learned that her friends were putting the event on for her, she said she was very grateful.
“It means everything to me. Those are my people. I love them,” she remarked. “It’s a very emotional and humbling experience.”
Roth also encourages everyone to get a mammogram.
“Don’t delay getting your mammogram, and men are not exempt,” she stated.
The event will include live music, raffles, silent auction, food truck, cornhole tournament, Italian ice cart and local vendors.
Silent auction items include Premier Custom Cornhole boards, Winston-Salem Dash tickets, Endure Beauty Products basket, Cleaning By Cat, Southern Sisters Boutique gift card, 4th Street Brow Studio package, Clark’s BBQ, day spa packages, automotive packages, photography packages, and gift cards to local businesses.
The Empourium is located at 734 East Mountain St.