Company: Pink Ribbon Good, Dayton, OH
Nomination Submitted by: Acceleration
Company Description: Pink Ribbon Good exists to serve every person and family affected by breast and gynecological cancer. We provide free healthy meals, rides to treatment, house-cleaning essentials and peer support so no one is alone in the fight.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Women Helping Women – Government or Non-Profit
 Nomination Title: Heather Salazar, Founder, CEO & President
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated woman, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 200 words used.
After meeting Alexis, a young single mother who was dying of Stage 4 breast cancer and seeking someone to care for her child, Heather Salazar cared for Alexis through her final months and added Alexis’ child to her family. Shortly after, at just 31 years old, Heather was diagnosed with the same aggressive HER-2 breast cancer that took Alexis’ life, and later had a bilateral mastectomy, three months of chemo and a year-long clinical drug trial, leaving her cancer free. It was clear that support from her family and outside networks played a vital part in her cancer journey, so she applied for a grant with no prior experience, and used the limited funding to launch Pink Ribbon Good (PRG) to provide the same support to others battling breast and gynecological cancer. What started as a small non-profit supporting just four families in Heather’s hometown has grown into an organization that serves families across the country, providing free healthy meals, rides to treatment, house cleaning essentials and peer support - and just last year, PRG provided its millionth meal to those battling breast and gynecological cancer. Heather has proved that tragic life events can be the catalyst for something good.
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 131 words used.
Please find the following resources to support our submission, demonstrating Heather’s success in founding and leading a successful nonporift organization that embodies women helping women and commitment to supporting and providing vital services to breast and gynecological cancer patients and their families as they battle the fight of their lives.
- Outline the nominee's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 238 words used.
Under Heather's leadership as the CEO and President, PRG, which she founded to serve every person and family affected by breast and gynecological cancer, has expanded its reach from serving four families in Heather’s hometown to now encompassing six cities including Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, St. Louis, Missouri, Buffalo, New York, and San Francisco, California, with additional cities to be announced later this year and virtual support available nationwide. With an eye to continue PRG’s growth, Heather built a system for the organization to scale quickly by securing partnerships with Uber Health, Fresh N’ Lean, Branch Basics and Riccar. PRG’s collaboration with Uber Health has provided clients over 61,000 safe and reliable rides to and from treatments, and Branch Basics has supplied over 8,700 non-toxic cleaning kits so clients can heal in a safe environment. Heather took the small grant she was given to start PRG and transformed it into a massively successful organization, raising $5.8M in total revenue in 2022, hosting peer and educational events with thousands of attendees across the nation and increasing fundraising efforts, revenue, partnerships and clients significantly ever since. Even further, all of PRG’s services are free of charge and designed to allow patients and their families to focus on the fight against cancer, showcasing the organization's tangible impact and Heather's unwavering commitment to alleviating the burdens faced by cancer patients no matter your age, location or socioeconomic status.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
PRG is filling in a gap in our approach to cancer patient care, making it a holistic experience for the patient and their families that no other organization has addressed to this scale. Passionate about resolving inequities in healthcare, Heather understands how detrimental and costly undergoing treatment can be, so created an organization that offers these services for free through securing partnerships with nationally-known brands to help provide services, especially since 27% of PRG clients screen as food insecure, 27% of PRG clients screen as ride insecure and 58% of clients fall below the poverty level. Even further, studies show that those experiencing cancer with a support system have a higher rate of survival, so PRG combats isolation that many feel with in-person and virtual peer support events, including “Ignite the Fight” galas, survivor celebrations to encourage clients to share their stories, doctor-led Q&A sessions and the newly-launched “Hope in Motion” tour, featuring an Airstream with interactive displays to help educate people of all ages about breast and gynecological health. Heather has innovated new ways to connect with and educate more families and is working to expand PRG’s footprint, having already served over 570 zip codes nationwide. Her leadership has propelled PRG to become a beacon of hope and support for individuals grappling with the challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and through her visionary leadership and tireless dedication, Heather continues to inspire positive change and foster a community of resilience, compassion and empowerment within PRG and beyond.
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