The Women of Washington Redskins (WOW) hosted a "Think Pink"-themed pregame party during the team's annual Breast Cancer Awareness game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. Pepsi is a supporting sponsor of WOW's pregame parties.
WOW welcomed the Redskins Charitable Foundation's All-Stars, 30 women currently battling breast cancer, along with more than 200 WOW members.
On 10/15 The Women of Washington Redskins hosted a Pregame Party, sponsored by Pepsi. Mrs. Snyder visited the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation's All-Star Survivors & WOW Members as they enjoyed brunch before kickoff.
"It means a whole lot," said breast cancer survivor and Redskins fan Angela Baker, who attended the pregame party and the team's events in honor of those fighting breast cancer. "Because this is my first time ever going through breast cancer, so it means a lot that people in the world are all looking out for breast cancer patients and it's an honor for me to be going through this and it's amazing. So, I feel very privileged. Very honored."
For Baker, this event was particularly special for her as it marked one of the first times she has been able to get out of the house for leisure purposes since she was diagnosed in May of this year.
"It's been a long time coming for me, because I haven't been out in a long time, you know, getting sick," Baker said. "I've been back and forth from the hospital a lot, so this is an honor to be here. So, this is like a good outing for me today. So, I'm excited, I really am."
The event also represented a great opportunity for survivors to meet others who have gone through the same process, including Tanya Snyder, wife of Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who wasted no time in mingling with the attendees.
"It's good to meet survivors. That's the main thing, I wanted to come so that I can meet survivors," Baker said.
Snyder, a survivor herself, spearheaded the NFL's efforts to spread breast cancer awareness starting in 1999. Since then, the campaign has grown into a league-wide effort, with the month of October becoming the height of awareness efforts.
"It makes me extremely proud, and it started on such a grass-roots effort," Snyder said. "This is 19 years, I am so proud. This is a wonderful day."
"I love the energy here today, I love to see [Mrs.] Snyder here," said Laurie Whitaker, who attended Sunday's party. "It's just so exciting to see the energy, her interact with the fans and how they gravitate to her."
The event featured food, drinks, music, photo opportunities with Snyder and a live performance of Katy Perry's "Firework" by the Washington Redskins Marching Band.
While the recognition of these survivors is a tribute to the courage that they have shown in their respective battles with cancer, it also serves as a reminder of how many people the disease affects and how hard it is to treat.
"It's not a destination, it's a journey," survivor Wednesday Luria said of her battle with breast cancer. "I expect it will be a very memorable experience," Luria said. "I expect it will be a good day."
