'Breast Saturday Ever': A colorful name for a colorful morning

When Val Tressler of Mt. Pleasant started decorating the borough’s Diamond Street gazebo for Breast Cancer Awareness Month more than a decade ago and collecting donations for a regional charity, it didn’t take long for fellow downtown business owner Denise DeSabato to join in.

The decorations — and the events taking place there — have continued to grow, and this year, the Mt. Pleasant Business District Authority joined in to host a 5K color run Saturday morning, promote local businesses and raise money for the Glimmer of Hope Foundation.

High-powered 1970s and ’80s pop tunes and neon pink were the order of the day as runners and walkers lined up, and Seton Hill University student volunteers took their spots along the course to shower 174 participants with colored corn starch. Thirty-six local businesess helped sponsor the 5K, and volunteers from Seton Hill University, borough police, fire and medics, Mt. Pleasant High School, Passavant Memorial Homes and the community pitched in.

“We had so many sponsors and so many people helping out,” said Daynelle Sanner, community liaison for the business district authority. “The whole community kind of jumped on board.”

Tressler agreed.

“It brings me so much excitement that businesspeople, my church family, friends and people I don’t know come together to help others,” she said.

Proceeds from the 5K go to Glimmer of Hope, a Pittsburgh nonprofit whose mission is to fund innovative programs, treatments, technology, and research in order to prevent breast cancer from advancing. In addition to the run/walk, local businesses also had donation jars set up.

Samantha Hoffer of Madison and her mother, Colleen, joined the 5K in honor of Hoffer’s aunt, who is undergoing treatment.

DeSabato, who owns StukUp Grafix Design & Signs in Mt. Pleasant, donated the placards that ring the gazebo grounds, some advertising local businesses and many bearing names in honor and memoriam.

“Every one of those signs represents a family,” Tressler said.

Fifteen local storefronts were decorated for the day, and the business district authority highlighted business sponsors during the afternoon on social media to encourage residents to both attend the event and do some shopping.

Kathy Hecker and her husband, Bill, live in the borough and were wearing coordinated T-shirts emblazoned with “Team Kathy AKA Survivor” and “Team Kathy AKA My Wife,” respectively.

“I’m a survivor for the past five-and-a-half years,” she said. “It’s beautiful; it brings tears to my eyes to see so many people come together and bring awareness. That’s what’s going to help kill (breast cancer).”

DeSabato got similarly emotional when addressing the crowd before the run got underway.

“This means so much to me. I lost my grandmother and a dear friend to breast cancer,” she said. “This is a fight for all of us, and we’re so thankful for your support.”