Кампания Tough Enough To Wear Pink отметит 20-летие на Pendleton Round-Up с рекордной целью в 100 тысяч долларов

Tough Enough To Wear Pink celebrates 20 years at Round-Up Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, September 1, 2026 PENDLETON — This year’s Pendleton Round-Up attendees can expect Thursday to be even bolder, brighter and pinker than before, thanks to Tough Enough To Wear Pink celebrating 20 years in Pendleton. Casey White-Zollman and Jill Gregg, co-directors of the city’s chapter of the national Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign, have been preparing for this anniversary since before last year’s Round-Up ended. Each Thursday during Round-Up week, attendees, performers, announcers and bull riders alike flood the stadium in pink attire to show support for breast cancer survivors. For their 20-year anniversary, the directors knew they couldn’t do it like normal. But they needed the support and resources to make it the biggest year yet. Setting a goal for the 2026 Round-Up “When we approached Round-Up and Happy Canyon boards, they were 100% on board from the get-go, and already started their own conversations of how to rally behind us,” Gregg said. “It seems to be a big group effort going into this year’s 20th.” Tough Enough’s biggest year was 2024, when it raised $51,000. This year, the board challenged the directors to raise $100,000. The campaign raises money through raffles, merchandise and, starting this year, online donations. “Some of our regular sponsors have actually increased their amounts this year, which tells us that they have faith in us,” White-Zollman said. Local sponsorships and community support are essential to the campaign because all donations are funneled back to local beneficiaries. Each year, TETWP donates their earnings to local cancer support organizations like St. Anthony Cancer Clinic, the Eastern Oregon Cancer Network and the Kickin’ Cancer New Beginnings. For this year only, the Good Shepherd Cancer Center in Hermiston also will be a beneficiary. “They see their donation as a direct impact, and it’s an investment in our own community,” Gregg said. The money is intended to support individuals and families affected by any cancer, whether they are currently battling it, in remission, or survivors. Organizations that receive the donations distribute the funds to patients to use however they need to, be it a travel card to Portland for treatment or a mastectomy bra. Survivor gives back to community by volunteering For Katheryn Youngman, a beloved Spanish teacher at Pendleton High School, the impact of TETWP’s work is personal. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and had to travel to receive treatments, some of the organization’s proceeds went towards gas and hotel room expenses. Her breast cancer diagnosis wasn’t the first time Youngman had cancer. It wasn’t even the second time. In 1991, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of chemotherapy and a stint in an intensive care unit, Youngman went through remission. Years later, in 2013, a huge tumor was found in her sinus. It took more chemotherapy and radiation treatment to kill any remnants of the tumor. Around the same time, she began volunteering with TETWP. “I didn’t think I could be involved because I thought it was breast cancer only, but then I came to the realization that it’s for anybody: male, female, no matter what kind of cancer you have,” she said. Three years after the diagnosis of her sinus tumor and beginning to volunteer with TETWP, Youngman was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her optimism and hope during the treatment process inspired her students to start a campaign to get their teacher on the “Ellen Show.” The social media campaign worked, and Youngman appeared on the show in 2016. “I wanted to talk about the importance of having hope and positivity, and having people that are supporting and helping you in your community,” she said about her experience on the show. Youngman said that her struggles with cancer have made her who she is today. Being a part of TETWP has helped her be an advocate for other survivors, and show her children and students that there’s hope during tough times. “I wanted to be somebody that people felt comfortable to talk to,” she said. “I also want to be the face of — not cancer — but surviving.” As a volunteer, Youngman said she helps set up the TETWP booth at Round-Up, sell items and hand out beads. She said she has also talked on KUMA News, a local radio station, during the week of Round-Up to promote the campaign. For their 20-year anniversary, Youngman said she hopes to see more people get involved and show support. “It doesn’t have to be money, it can just be helping, it can be promoting, it can be encouraging others,” she said. “Stop by the booth, say hi and share your story.” Changing things up To celebrate their 20 year anniversary, TETWP has a new line of merchandise, including shirts, magnets, pins, bandanas and lanyards. 100% of the proceeds from the merchandise is donated to local cancer support organizations. TETWP’s annual raffle will be bigger this year, with six items instead of the usual three. Some items include a custom Montana Silversmiths belt buckle, two gift certificates from the Pendleton Hat Company and a Pendleton Whiskey cooler. The organization will also play a new video during this year’s survivor walk, where anyone who’s been impacted by cancer is allowed to walk as a tribute to their strength. Individuals who want to join the tribute but don’t have Round-Up tickets are still allowed to walk. For the first time, TETWP is accepting online donations through Venmo and PayPal, featured on Round-Up’s Facebook page. A QR code connected to the payment services will also be displayed on one of the screens in the Round-Up grounds after the tribute walkthrough on Thursday. The Happy Canyon Arena also invited TETWP to be a part of the arena’s own 110-year anniversary during a Monday, Sept. 14, Xtreme Bulls event. TETWP will have a merchandise booth set up and take donations from attendees. White-Zollman and Gregg said they want to show survivors that they’re not alone in their journey with cancer. “We try to bring hope through the funds that we provide to allow them to take on that journey a bit more easily, and provide hope to their families that there’s support available,” White-Zollman said.