“We will have an open show called ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink,’ and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the OhioHealth Cancer Foundation, and this is its 15th year,” said Jeannie Lampe, interim executive director of the Champions Center at the Clark County Fairgrounds.
The Horse Show has raised over $630,000 since starting in 2007. Around 400 horses are expected to be shown through Sunday, she said.
“I am personally a two-year cancer survivor, so this event is very near and dear to my heart. The people who put this on are volunteers, and they volunteer their time and effort because they care enough to try and help out cancer patients, said Lampe.
In addition to the horse show, Jill Vanuch’s Dance to Save the Tatas will take place on Saturday evening in the Arts and Crafts building, with doors opening at 6:45 p.m. and the event kicking off at 7:15 p.m.
“My mom Julie Vanuch, she is the founder of the dance that we have every year. It’s our 12th annual dance that we are having this year. We even did a virtual one last year,” said Katie Coy, who now organizes the event annually.
Coy works in partnership with her cousins, aunts, and others to make the event an annual part of the community, with the hope of raising awareness of breast cancer, and raising funds for research.
“Our goal is to bring women together, but ultimately our goal is raising money for breast cancer research. When we first started, the money was all going to the Susan G. Komen foundation, then when my mom got re-diagnosed with breast cancer, the money started going to the Spielman because we started going there [Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center],” said Coy.
After the death of her mother six years ago, Coy made changes to the fundraiser, event, and placement of funds, which now go towards The Jill Vanuch Endowment Fund for Breast Cancer Research. Coy and her associates have a goal of $100,000. Upon reaching the goal endowment will be in Vanuch’s name indefinitely, said Coy.
“Our goal is that we want to just continue to raise awareness about breast cancer, research, and being an advocate for yourself, educating yourself, doing mammograms, and really just raising funds so we can have a world without breast cancer,” she said.
For more information on the horse show, visit the Tough Enough To Wear Pink Horse Show page on Facebook.
To register for the Jill Vanuch’s Dance to Save the Tatas, visit https://tatasdance.hometownticketing.com/.
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