The Promise Fund gathered friends and supporters on January 8 at the lakefront home of Hilary and the Honorable Wilbur Ross for its annual Pink Tie Guy reception, honoring the men who actively support women’s health by standing with those facing breast and cervical cancer and helping expand access to lifesaving care.

Nearly 130 guests came together in support of the Promise Fund’s mission to ensure under-resourced women receive early screenings, treatment, and patient navigation, regardless of their ability to pay.

In welcoming remarks, Ross addressed the importance of collective responsibility and community action. Promise Fund Board Chairman David Brodsky then spoke from personal experience, reflecting on breast cancer in his own family and the devastating wider impact of a diagnosis, underscoring the Promise Fund’s focus on early detection and guided care.

One of the most moving moments of the evening came from the organization’s founder, Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker, who spoke about the promise she made to her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer in 1980: to do everything in her power to help end the disease. That promise continues to shape the Promise Fund’s work today. Since its founding, the organization has reached more than 125,000 women, screened over 20,000 for breast and cervical cancer, and navigated hundreds through treatment.

The program also looked ahead with the introduction of Driven by the Promise, a student-led initiative engaging younger generations in women’s health advocacy, alongside the announcement of a charity auction with Heritage Auctions. The auction features a 2025 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide RR donated by the Younessi family, with all proceeds benefiting the Promise Fund.

The evening closed with the Pink Tie Guys group photos, a visual reminder that progress is built not only through funding, but through presence. As the lack of access to lifesaving care continues to affect far too many women, gatherings like this remind us that early screenings save lives and that showing up for one another is essential. 

 

Hilary and Wilbur Ross

 

Nancy Brinker and James “Chip” DiPaula

 

Donna Ross and Julie Thayer

 

John and Donna Raggio

 

Mayor Danielle Moore and Lesly Moore

 

Kerry and Simone Vickar

 

Leslie and Thomas Rosin

 

Lenny and Beth Wilf

 

Rodin Younessi, Herbert Wertheimer and Dariyan Younessi

 

Tim and Jana Davidson

 

Nicki Harris, Eric Brinker, Ellen Levy

 

Junior Pink Tie Guys with Hilary and Wilbur Ross

 

Promise Fund’s “Driven by the Promise” members Junior Supporters