LOCAL Houston | The City Guide APRIL 2016 | Page 56
WHERE ARE
THEY NOW
THE PINK RIBBON PROJECT
LOCAL has been publishing for over 18 years and we have the
archives to show it. With this column we continue to reach back
into our old issues to see “Where are they now?”
APRIL 2016
Photography by Jenn Duncan
Photography by Ricardo Merendoni
JUNE 1999
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 06
The Pink Ribbon Project |
Susan Rafte & Jane Weiner
18 years ago, Jane Weiner and her sister Susan Rafte
shared their story with us about how they felt after
hearing that Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer
in 1995. The two were always very close and remain
so today. As cancer and the fight against it came in to
Susan’s life, Jane felt helpless watching her sister go
through it in Houston while Jane lived in New York City.
So, in 1995 while Jane lived in New York City pursuing
her dance career, she was compelled to start the Pink
Ribbons Project as a loving tribute to her sister.
Eventually Susan became Executive Director of the chapter in Houston, and what was initially supposed to be a
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two-year project turned into a twenty-year business, raising over $6 million and granted in funds to Houstonarea organizations. May 2016 will be bittersweet, for
the organization is closing its operations. In a media
statement, Pink Ribbons Project shared:
“During the past two decades, there has been growing
awareness of the importance of breast health, and
funding for breast cancer organizations has increased
significantly. In addition to these positive changes, the
number of nonprofits devoted to raising funds for breast
cancer organizations and research has multiplied, creating growing competition. These changes greatly
impacted this tough choice for Pink Ribbons Project.”
The closure isn’t stopping these sisters from giving back
to the community and being involved in Houston and
beyond. Susan is now a 21-year survivor, with her passion still focused in the cancer and breast cancer arena.
She is involved as a patient advocate in a variety of
ways through her work at MD Anderson Cancer Center
and Baylor College of Medicine. Susan will continue to
provide peer-to-peer support to others facing their own
cancer journey. Jane continues to run the nonprofit
organization Hope Stone, Inc., which provides mindful
arts education to over 700 students, ages 2–98 years,
along with the professional dance company Hope
Stone Dance that presents work on a project basis. The
organization’s vision of Art for All allows them to reach
thousands of children and adults in the Houston area
who might not otherwise experience the transformative
power of art.
Jane and Susan have shared struggle and success, and
continue to impact the citizens of Houston through their
work and passion. These two sisters have made a difference in this city, affecting lives and providing hope to
so many and to each other.