Paying It Forward
Barb Michaud, CSVI Director is the face and passion behind Pinktober. Pinktober was launched ten years ago after a conversation with the General Manager, Kris Macken, at Mahogany Run about an opportunity to pay it forward. Michaud, a breast cancer survivor (or whom she likes to coin “cancer warrior”), who at the time was an uninsured cancer patient heard about CSVI through a friend. Prideful, she reached out to Charlene Kehoe, former Director of CSVI for financial support & resources. Char made the process seamless, and shame-free, and within days a check arrived in the mail for $1500. “It's not what you did, it's not what you said, it's how you make someone feel” and CSVI broke the stigma around asking for help.
Kicking things off at Mahogany Run
Michaud and Morgan Meece (Food & Beverage Manager at the time) took the idea of paying it forward and ran with it, designing a 9-hole golf tournament called Chip In For Pink. Their goal was to raise $5,000 for CSVI. In partnership with Bellows & West Indies, they offered different wines and spirits where a portion of the proceeds raised could go to CSVI. The month-long initiative ended with a wine-tasting event that our whole community was invited to attend and support. With the collective power of the community, that first year surpassed their raise goal and brought in close to $17,000 for cancer patients in the VI.
The Tap & StilL, Pink Drinks, Sip & Dip
In 2014 Barb met by chance, Hooman Pedram, owner of The Tap & Still - Hooman offered and still offers his signature “Pink Bag” initiative where .25 cents of every bag sales went to support CSVI. Over the course of 10 years, Hooman and his team have helped raise over $60,000 for CSVI. Today, you can still experience the pink bag orders at all three Tap & Still locations in Havensight, Red Hook St. Thomas, and Cruz Bay St. John. What inspired Hooman was knowing his donations to cancer would stay in the Virgin Islands.
Mahogany Run was so inspired by the success that they couldn’t wait to expand on the initiatives in 2015 and 2016. They partnered with local businesses that became leveled sponsors. Everything was tailored to support Breast Cancer Awareness - They again partnered with Bellows and West Indies Corp, worked with a local artist who offered to paint women's breasts as a way to empower and inspire women about early detection and prevention and finished their month-long event with a wine tasting. Over the course of 3 years leading up to Hurricane Irma and Maria Mahogany Runs unique offerings supported raising almost $94,000 for cancer patients in the USVI. If you sponsored, or donated to their raffle or silent auction you were the heroes and gratitude remains steadfast to the difference you continue to make. CSVI continues with these restaurant partnerships today with a longstanding concept called Pink Drinks with proceeds from Pink Drink sales collected for CSVI over the month.
“It was the people that came together to make it happen; Bertrand, Amy, Heather, and Nicole. They really cared about their community and still do to this day” says Michaud.
The inaugural Sip & Dip event was created between Michaud and artist Jen Papatoros as a nod to breast cancer survivors. Women really showed up for this unique & taboo event paying $50 a ticket to dip their boobs in paint while enjoying champagne in the company of other women. The result were beautiful, abstract yet unidentifiable works of art to hang on their walls.
Raising $94,000 for Breast Cancer
Year after year, the energy built, the community came together, the companies supported, the sponsors grew, and almost $94,000 was raised in this three-year time warp. CSVI was long noted for their beautiful Gala’s for which Barb would become a passionate advocate and moved on from Mahogany Run to work part-time to champion all things CSVI. All simply from the heart and passion to give back. Today, she remains relentless in pushing CSVI’s mission forward. A mission that leaves NO cancer patient behind. When asked what she would like more Virgin Islanders to remember about CSVI?
Barb says, “Our services are here for any cancer patient on any of our four Virgin Islands - insured, uninsured, and on the MAP program. We turn no one away financially.”
100% of every dollar raised goes directly to serve those impacted by cancer thanks to the Stephenson Family and their businesses. CSVI is a proud partner and fund of the Community Foundation of the VI.
2017 - a Year of Resilience and Bravery
I think we can call 2017 a year of resilience, bravery, and courage with two category-five hurricanes back to back.
Our territory was pretty much halted, as were our fundraising initiatives. As we came on the cusp of Pinktober, after these hurricanes, we weren't sure what would happen. And yet, it is a reminder that there is always something extraordinary in front of us.
The Big Love Ball Project: A Story of Inspiration
There was this incredible company in Vancouver, Canada called the Big Love Ball Company and the Big Love Ball Project.
Barb had one of their six-foot balls in her living room. And one day, it inspired the theater teacher at Antilles, Ms. Eliot, to ask “What are you going to do with that ball?” And I said, “It's not what I'm going to do, it's what you're going to do with it!” A collaboration began, with the extraordinary 2018 Senior class of Antilles.
After just weeks of getting back to school, what the ball ignited for them was the inspiration to create a video that would allow the younger kids to be inspired to understand the statistics of breast cancer in the Virgin Islands. At the same token, they created this love video to support and engage an entire school in spreading that love.
It was beautiful and it was empowering and it wasn't about fundraising. And yet there were people during that hurricane season or following the hurricanes who raised funds for us.
“It was beautiful and it was empowering and it wasn't about fundraising,” says Michaud.
The Pink Bag Initiative
Hooman and his team at Tap and Still were one of the few places that were able to remain open, and he was insistent that the Pink Bag initiative remain.
He was one of the few that helped us raise funds that year (and till this day) and we will be forever grateful for his efforts.
2018 - Painting the Town Pink
We navigated and were inspired in 2018 by creating and expanding the “Pink” movement - Let's Paint the Town Pink! We went to businesses on Main Street led by Pash Daswani and other many incredible businesses and their owners to come up with products within their business, where a portion of the proceeds would go to CSVI. It was extraordinary!
To express our gratitude to a street or streets that were mostly under construction and still facing losses from the hurricanes didn’t yield them for creating this month-long initiative.
Still deeply saddened by the total loss of Mahogany Run, we joined in partnership with their neighbor, Old Stone Farmhouse to recreate our signature wine-tasting event. Barb and her team at OSF were over the top in offering not only their space but exquisite food and service.
It would also be the year that we would partner with Hunter Boots, Amazon, and Zappos who donated several pairs of “Pink Wellies” and thus we created yet another movement - Give Cancer the Boot (GCTB) - where we brought pink boots into schools, businesses and onto the streets to fill. On Saturday evening the St. Thomas Jr Firefighters rallied on street corners to help raise over $3000. These boots have gone on to raise thousands of dollars for CSVI and is a signature initiative to this day.
A Community Who Serves Together
It felt like it was a whole lot about community service in 2018. We're forever grateful to these partnerships. We're ever grateful for Wendy and her team at the Big Love Ball project for creating these beautiful collaterals to assure that no woman is an island. It is where we expanded our partnership to begin spreading the love one button at a time.
BRINGING BACK SIP & DIP
It's the year we would bring back Sip & Dip with Jen Papatouras and Caribbean Fish Market in partnership. Together we empowered women and their breasts by painting them and bringing women together to honor and celebrate all those impacted by breast cancer.
Fete At The Fort
As we went on to inspire a much bigger movement in 2019, we launched Fete at the Fort. We lit Fort Christian PINK. It’s there where we launched and expanded on our LOVE for the VI. Inspired by this movement were Kelly O’Brien Uszenski and Dutch Waters - They created the “LOVE BLOCKS”. They built them from scratch and Kelly went on the road with these “Blocks of Love” and schools, businesses, and alike would pin a ribbon in honor of those impacted by cancer. Kelly went on to curate an incredible video that was presented at Old Stone Farmhouse at the annual Pink Drink event.
Inspiring Donations: The Impact of Generosity
2020 would be the year that we would inspire others to raise funds like Janelle and Jose at Caribbean Surf who partnered with local Main St. businesses to create a PINK Bar crawl - In partnership with Tegan Lucas and CC1 drinks were made, funds were raised and boots were filled. Jillian Curreri was inspired to use her October Birthday to create an evening for her and her friends to wear pink, honor those with breast cancer, and raise funds.
It would be the year more and more bars and restaurants in the territory took to raising funds for CSVI. It was AMAZING!
It would be the year that CSVI would be captured by Kym and George Rapier, whose short stay in the Virgin Islands inspired them to give back in so many ways. CSVI would become one of those gifted recipients and receive a donation of $100,000. Neither Kym nor George wanted anything in return outside of knowing their generosity of spirit would make an impact.
Expanding Our Love Project
2020 was a year that brought not only the world but our territory to a halt with the outbreak of COVID-19. CSVI, like most, would have to pivot and cancel all in-person events. There seemed to be only one thing to do. Expand our “LOVE” project .. by offering “all colors” LOVE buttons .. helping to raise over $50,000. Again, more businesses joined the movement and supported CSVI raising the roof on fundraising. Our newest partner Rock Life Gym did a series of month-long initiatives including bringing back “burpees’ for boobs” raising hundreds of dollars. They finished the month with a “Pink Run” helping to raise over $10,000 for CSVI. Kym’s Angels would surprise us again with another $100,000 donation to support and inspire others to give during Pinktober.
It is impossible for us to name all of those incredible resources, community members, businesses schools, and alike who continue to move the dial so CSVI can continue to provide grants for those most in need
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that was raised for cancer patients in the VI!
The 10 for 10 Program: A New Approach to Fundraising
By Pinktober 2021 some of the pandemic restrictions would be lifted, albeit we were far from any in-person events. Again, much like Irma/Maria, we found out how resilient the community was/is. We may have been masked up but, we were out in the community in force and numbers.
We knew we had to get creative so we created the signature CSVI 10/10 seeking (10) $10,000 partners to support PINKTOBER becoming a $100,000 matching donor initiative. You must risk failure to witness success - and succeed we did. Thanks to Moes Fresh Market/The Market STT, Theodore Tunick Insurance, Bill & Annie Hostetler, HMRT, STX Cancer Specialists, The Westin, and Baker Magras. To ensure we began the month with $100,000, Sharon Hupprich, Calypso Realty, reached out to 10 local real estate agents to ensure we received the final $10,000. We went on to raise over $200,000. Rocklife helped raise $20,000! Signature Witches Night Out and Lattes in Paradise Pumpkin Carving brought in another $20,000. Our GRATITUDE abounds and we hope if we didn’t list you your hearts burst nonetheless that you have made an indelible footprint on those faced with this insidious disease called cancer.
Raising $300,000 For Cancer Patients
When we went into 2022 we wanted to raise the roof!
In 2022 the 10/10 partners led the way with additional businesses, bringing us to 12 new match sponsors!
In partnership with Leatherback Brewery, and, with the support of Packy Gilbert, Jerah Coviello, and Jose Flores, we created the Pink Soca drink, a rum seltzer with sorrel passionfruit.
In partnership with Mutiny Island Vodka, we sold over $9,000 pink drinks.
Community Initiatives continued with our 4th Witches Night Out and our 1st Walk in Faith. Witches Night Out - hosted by Alexis Vanassche raised $10,000. It was the year that Living Hope Cathedral would create what is now a Walk In Faith, where we walked in unison from the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute to the waterfront. The cancer center is hallowed ground that has been closed since the hurricanes, although we remain hopeful that it will, in fact, open within the next 18 to 24 months. This walk brings together all faiths in prayer and testimony for those impacted by cancer, the caregivers, the warriors, and all walks of faith.
By the end of Pinktober we sure did raise the bar! Between Give Cancer the Boot drives, hosted Pinktober events, and our 12 for 10 sponsors, we would yield almost $300,000 for cancer patients in the Virgin Islands!!!
A Community Through The Decade
In 2023 we took a historical look at Pinktober through the decade. That inspired the below photo of the many beautiful human beings that make up the fiber of this strong community.
What made this Pinktober special was our 2nd Walk in Faith held the same day as the groundbreaking of the Kimelman Cancer Center.
You could FEEL the hearts wrapped around the HOPE for the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Center to re-open in 2025!!! Saturday morning marked a beautiful gathering of our community for the Walk In Faith followed by a private groundbreaking event of dignitaries, politicians, and officials as they literally broke ground with shovels in front of the Cancer Center.
Around 50 of our cancer supporters showed their faith in honor of those who survived and those who passed. Everyone opened their hearts in prayer and together they walked from Schneider Medical Center to the waterfront and back.
Coach Craig called everyone to warm up and then led all to prayer. We welcomed Pastor Jeff Neveel and Pastor Ben Rowe of St. Thomas Reformed Church as well as Pastors Carl & Reva Richardson from Living Hope Cathedral.
We were grateful to our community which triumphs over cancer. Thank you to everyone who came out to be part of this special event.
Every dollar this Pinktober was matched dollar for dollar by our generous match sponsors. The Market STT, Moe’s Fresh Market, Heavy Materials, Lucky Jewelers VI, #8TowerGroup, and Annie & Bill Hostetler.
A very special thank you to Leatherback Brewery who canned Pink Soca exclusively for CSVI and raised the bar to raise funds from Pinktober 2023 to Pinkotber 2024. 100% of funds raised by the sales of Pink Soca go directly to cancer patients in the USVI.
We raised almost $200,000!
Gratitude Changes Everything
We may be a small community, but, we are mighty and resilient. We come together, we fight together, and we raise the standard of cancer support in the Virgin Islands together. We stand in unison that gratitude changes everything and the extraordinary people we meet along the way.
In Gratitude.
That’s a wrap for 10 years of raising the bar for cancer patients in the VI!