Laura Ward has always enjoyed taking care of others and been known for her signature potato casserole dish and for her encouragement for neighbors and friends. Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2011, however, changed things, and she found herself on the receiving end of the support and care she was so accustomed to giving. She’s since taken her cancer journey and used it as a new way to give, working with her close group of friends to help cancer patients at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center’s cancer support center.

Ward’s cancer journey started when she first found a lump under her right arm. “I just knew I had cancer,” Ward said. Further tests revealed the lump was breast cancer, which required surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat.

When the chemotherapy treatment caused Ward’s hair to fall out, she found herself at the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support at Piedmont Athens Regional, where she received her first wig.

“It was a great experience,” Ward said. “I encourage others to take advantage of the Loran Smith Center whenever I can.”

Ward also found that her close group of friends were there every step of the way after her diagnosis, serving as her own personal cancer support team.

“Laura’s cancer was the initial reason we started to get organized,” said Bessie Freeman, a close friend to Ward and recognized leader of the group The Golden Girls of Athens, a group of women who graduated from Athens High Industrial School in 1964 that started as a social group to improve the community through volunteer work and financial help. Ward and Freeman are both members.

Ward’s personal experience with cancer and the Loran Smith Center inspired this group to create to an annual event that raises awareness and funds each year to support programs at the Loran Smith Center.    

The team organized their first Fifty Shades of Pink Affair event in 2013, and the now annual event includes a gala dinner, live entertainment, cancer survivor stories, and special guest speakers. Proceeds directly benefit the Loran Smith Center and its free support services.

The Loran Smith Center, funded through the Piedmont Athens Regional Foundation, provides services and programs like yoga, nutrition classes, therapies and counseling for anyone affected by cancer at any phase in the cancer journey – regardless of where an individual receives his or her cancer treatment.

Last year’s Fifty Shades of Pink Affair event, which had more than 400 attendees, raised $14,000, and the event has raised close to $50,000 in its six-year history.

“Our mission as a group is to inspire and empower individuals affected by cancer and this special annual event brings together cancer survivors, caregivers, family members, friends, businesses, and healthcare professionals for a rewarding and inspiring evening,” Freeman said.

Ward, Freeman and the rest of the Golden Girls of Athens have been busy planning for this year’s Fifty Shades of Pink Affair, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Classic Center in Athens.

Tickets are available for $40 and can be purchased at Wilson Styling and Barber Shop in downtown Athens or at the WXAG Radio Station by calling 706-552-1470.