Mission Possible: Fighting Breast Cancer, Empowering Children

Timing really is everything!

Just ask Brook Drummond, the new Executive Director of the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund (CCPF).

Before she experienced her first Pink Ribbon Luncheon in October 2018, Drummond says, she didn’t know much about the event.

The former General Manager of  Skipstone  Estate vineyard and winery in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California,  Drummond had put together a fantastic trip to Napa Valley as an item for the Pink Ribbon Luncheon Live Auction and she was invited to attend the banquet as a special guest.

"I was so impressed with the production level, the magnitude of the event, how beautiful the overall feeling of that room was and how many attendees it drew," she recalls. "I just loved being part of it!"

So, when Drummond was later contacted to see if she was interested in serving  CCPF as its new Executive Director, she jumped at the chance. "Absolutely!" she replied.

"Walking into that Pink Ribbon Luncheon, I was struck by what a comprehensive community event it truly is. The whole city comes together to do this amazing thing, to take care of people, to change the trajectory of people’s lives," Drummond says. "The new opportunity came right at the time I was thinking of going back to work doing something to help people. It’s just really a fortuitous fit."

The Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund’s mission is two-fold – to fight breast cancer by providing education, support, and early detection services, including free mammograms, to the community, and to empower children by fostering self-esteem, sportsmanship, and critical thinking through the game of chess.

Drummond’s goal is to get even more people involved in CCPF’s incredible work on behalf of women and children.

"Women are generally the nurturers, the heart of a family," Drummond says. "My mom is a breast cancer survivor, and I can’t imagine how my life would have been impacted if she wasn’t here. So, it’s important to me that we do all we can to save that part of the family and give every woman the opportunity for a fighting chance.

"And then, as far as looking toward the future, the things that happen in childhood stay with you your whole life. Childhood is the basis for your hopes and dreams. So, if a child grows into adulthood having no self-esteem, no self-assuredness that they are smart and capable enough to accomplish anything, what will make them take a first step toward a bigger goal in life? Chess provides the opportunity for kids to develop these essential life skills in a fun environment and the results are tangible."

The Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund

Pink Ribbon Programs include:

•    Three Pink Ribbon Centers, located in Over-the-Rhine, Red Bank and Tri-County, offer women’s imaging and other breast health services. All revenue generated at these

    centers supports the Pink Ribbon Programs.

•    The Mammogram Match Program provides free mammograms and other breast health services to eligible patients.

•    The Cruisin’ for a Cure vehicles provide rides to and from appointments at the ProScan Pink Ribbon Centers.

•    The Pink Ribbon Empowerment Program (PREP) provides breast health education to the community.

•    The Pink Ribbon Survivor Circle connects breast cancer survivors with newly diagnosed patients, offering hope along their healing journey.

•    The Pink Ribbon Bag Program sends bags filled with items of comfort and hope to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

Also integral to the CCPF fulfilling its mission is The Queen City Classic Chess Tournament, held in early spring at Paul Brown Stadium. More than 700 K-12 students participate in this program each year.

The growing popularity of the chess tournament unearthed the demand for a scholastic chess program in Cincinnati, launching the Chess in Schools Program in 2013. Today the program teaches the game to 2,000-plus elementary, middle and high school students across Greater Cincinnati. Through learning the game of chess, the program helps cultivate critical thinking and sportsmanship skills that will serve students throughout their lives, program founders and teachers note.

A chess in the park program was also introduced last  summer at Ziegler Park.

"I think there is just so much silent good being done through the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund. Everyone is quietly working to transform Cincinnati through programs I find to be so sincere, so pure-hearted. I think it’s just such a loving energy going out from our Foundation, and these key initiatives are making a real difference.

Drummond says it’s been fun and fast-paced since she arrived in April.

"It’s been a whirlwind, but very rewarding. It’s a great company culture we have. Everyone is open-armed. I feel blessed to have become part of the Foundation’s mission to make people’s lives better. I am both grateful and humbled by that.

Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund is located at 5400 Kennedy Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45213. For more information, call 513.924.5487 or 1.866.PS-CHESS, email ccpfevents@proscan.com or visit www.ccpf.org.