Charlotte, N.C.– On Saturday, May 14, The DeAngelo Williams Foundation and the Charlotte Knights – in partnership with Carolinas HealthCare Foundation and Charlotte Radiology – hosted 53 Strong For Sandra, an event to provide mammography screenings and follow-up care for women in the Charlotte community who are low-income, under-insured, or uninsured. The 53 Strong For Sandra program is named in honor of Williams’ mother, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 53. Prior to his mother’s passing, Williams lost four aunts to the disease, all before they turned 50 years old.
The Charlotte Radiology Mobile Breast Center offered free breast cancer screenings from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm that Saturday, ultimately screening 53 women.
Saturday’s screenings were made possible by a $10,000 gift from the DeAngelo Williams Foundation to the Carolinas Breast Cancer Fund, administered by Carolinas HealthCareFoundation. The Fund supports Levine Cancer Institute’s Project PINK, a program dedicated to increasing access to life-saving mammography screenings and follow-up care for the uninsured.
Following the screening events, the Charlotte Knights hosted its annual Pink Knights game that evening. The Charlotte Radiology Mobile Breast Center was on-site and open for tours prior to the game, and the Charlotte Knights auctioned specialty jerseys with proceeds benefiting the Carolinas Breast Cancer Fund. DeAngelo Williams also threw out a first pitch at the game. Proceeds raised in conjunction with the Pink Knights baseball game and auction totaled over $20,000, all of which will directly benefit breast cancer programs and services at Levine Cancer Institute.
For more information about Pink Knights, please visit www.charlotteknights.com.