Cancer survivors recently displayed a creative touch during a first-ever “Cancer Survivor’s Night – Canvas Painting Party,” offered by the Franciscan St. Anthony Health - Crown Point Breast Care Center. “We wanted to do something special for our survivors, so the topic was discussed with the breast center staff who came up with the idea for a canvas painting party and helped to plan and set up for the event. This was the first year of the event, but we hope to do this annually as a way to honor our cancer patients/survivors,” said Miki McClain, hospital oncology director. Any cancer survivor was invited free of charge and could bring a guest, who could attend for a $20 donation to the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
The event, conducted at the hospital’s Marian Education Center, included painting, food and drinks. Invitational flyers were passed out at local medical and radiation oncology offices, distributed by e-mail and posted on the Franciscan Alliance Events Page. “We had a total of 35 active participants, plus staff volunteers. The class was conducted by artist Tracy Tauber, who is also an employee of Franciscan St. Anthony as an MRI tech. Tracy volunteered her time to teach on what also happened to be her birthday,” McClain said, adding, “The paintings were of a fall horizon and it was amazing to watch the progression of the paintings from start to finish. We were unsure what the response would be since this is a new event, but in the end, we had every available seat full. For our cancer survivors, this was a chance to spend some quality time with a family member and to enjoy the company of others, who understand what it means to be a survivor.”