Sweet Potato Queen is On Her Way!

In celebration of the strength and courage of breast cancer survivors, the “riotously funny,” # 1 New York Times® bestselling author, THE Sweet Potato Queen TM, Jill Conner Browne, will join the Julie Rogers “Gift of Life” Program for a night of laughter and love at the Julie Rogers Theatre in Beaumont on Thursday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m.

Conner Browne’s inspirational presentation is part of “Putting on the Pink,” the organization’s month-long regional awareness campaign for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign includes free mammograms for the medically underserved women of our community, as well as extensive educational outreach focused on emphasizing the lifesaving benefits of early cancer detection and understanding the rarest and deadliest form of cancer, inflammatory breast cancer.

“Breast Cancer Awareness Month is vitally important because it gives us a major opportunity to flood the media with the message that breast cancer can strike anybody, any time – and that the earlier it's caught, the better,” Conner Browne said. “I am thrilled to be speaking in Beaumont during this very special month. I feel a kinship with the courageous people in this community because my home state, Mississippi, has also struggled through the devastation of a major hurricane.”

Pink, a color now synonymous with bravery and hope, will permeate the streets of downtown Beaumont during the celebration, as the “Gift of Life” honors breast cancer survivors and dedicated sponsors. The event will also kick off the third annual Pink Shopping Card Project.

“If nothing else, I hope I can make everybody laugh a little bit. Whatever our load, I believe laughter can lighten it,” Conner Browne said. “I've had close friends and family who've had breast cancer –there is no one on earth who has NOT been affected in some way by this disease. Walking that walk with them has taught me the tremendous power of laughter and love.”

The purchase of a Pink Shopping Card, a tax-deductible donation benefiting the “Gift of Life” Breast Cancer Program, admits one person into the Jill Conner Browne event. The purchaser will also enjoy 11 days of discounted shopping from October 23 to November 2 by receiving a 20% discount at hundreds of local stores and restaurants. Cards can be purchased at HEB, Kroger, and Market Basket locations, in addition to Parkdale Mall and Central Mall Customer Service Centers, the “Gift of Life” offices, and other participating merchants.

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