Aug 6, 2009 12:37 pm US/Eastern
Team Of The Week: The Pink Sisterhood
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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CBS 2 HD Komen Race For The Cure Logo
CBS
The Pink Sisterhood is a family affair. The Feliciano siblings — five sisters and a brother — first walked the Race in 1992 to support their sister, Edna, who was diagnosed in 1985. That year, they participated as individuals, then as Eddy's Teddies and, finally, as The Pink Sisterhood.
Last year, the team fielded six officially registered members, although others walked with them. The Pink Sisterhood 2008 surpassed its fund raising goal of $1,000, raising $1,115.
The team started with the Feliciano sisters and was joined by the lone Feliciano brother when it became a full-fledged team. Over the years, the siblings have been joined by other family members, close friends and friends of friends. The name The Pink Sisterhood reflects the sisterhood of the three Feliciano sisters — Edna, Vilma and Carmen — who share breast cancer diagnoses, as well as the sisterhood of all women who share the fight against the disease.
"My sister Edna was the namesake of our original team, Eddy's Teddies," said Ana Feliciano-Vega, team captain. "She was first to be diagnosed and, sadly, lost her 28-year battle with the disease earlier this year. During this time, Carmen fought ovarian cancer and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 — she's a dual survivor — and Vilma also was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"Ultimately, the team's purpose was to honor Edna," she continued, "who faced the disease with a grace we could all learn from. She was an inspiration to us all!"
There are cousins on both sides of the family, friends and friends of friends who have also faced the disease. The team took on each of these diagnoses as part of its sisterhood. Now, the family knows that five of the six siblings are positive for the BRCA2 gene, so, as Ana explained, "…the fight continues."
The Felicianos spread the word about the team through emails, their personal pages on the Komen website and on personal social networking pages and websites. Their most successful fundraising technique has been just to ask. The siblings send out emails, post to their social networking sites and ask friends, family and co-workers for support. "People are pretty generous at heart," said Ana. "They'll give what they can for a cause you're passionate about."
The Pink Sisterhood has actually extended to Races outside of the New York City area. Family members have registered the team name and participated in Komen events in West Palm Beach, FL, Los Angeles, CA, and most recently in the Global Race in DC.
The Pink Sisterhood's captain Ana said her favorite Race moment was the year there were 20-plus members on the team. "It was the highest number of members we've ever had and one of the last years that all six siblings and our parents were together in the Park on Race Day."
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