the torch Summer 2017, Issue 2 | Page 14

Jamie Lee Curtis to speak at 18th annual Celebrating Women luncheon

Emmy and Golden Globe awardwinning actress , New York Times best-selling author and advocate in the fight against breast cancer , Jamie Lee Curtis , will be the featured speaker at the 18th annual Baylor Health Care System Foundation Celebrating Women luncheon on Thursday , October 26 , at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas . The announcement was shared with an excited group of Celebrating Women committee members at the Kick-Off Tea , held at the home of Peggy and Leonard Riggs Jr ., M . D .
Jamie Lee has appeared in such acclaimed films as Freaky Friday , Trading Places , A Fish Called Wanda and True Lies , for which she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance . Among her numerous roles in television , Jamie Lee co-starred opposite Richard Lewis in the sitcom Anything But Love and the CBS telefilm Nicholas ’ Gift , for which she earned an Emmy nomination . She recently appeared on NCIS and New Girl and is currently starring on Fox ’ s new hit series , Scream Queens . In addition to her onscreen roles , Jamie Lee is also an author of bestselling children ’ s books , having sold more than 5 million books under the
Jamie Lee Curtis
banner Books To Grow By .
At age 40 , Jamie Lee experienced the same terrifying fear that hundreds of thousands of women face each year : the fear that she may have breast cancer .
“ There is not a woman alive who hasn ’ t had some contact with breast cancer , either through a friend or through her own experience with it ,” she said . “ I had my own personal moment of truth when I had a biopsy done on a small , questionable lump in my breast . It was scary .”
Thankfully , she said , “ everything turned out fine , but it brought me very close to understanding how lucky I am to have access to all these resources and great doctors .”
Jamie Lee has a history of involving herself in causes she cares about in an effort to give back . The fight against breast cancer is no different .
“ You get involved because of your heart ,” she said . “ For me , there is no more important work — besides being
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a good mom to my kids — than using my celebrity to get more exposure for a specific cause such as this .”
Since the first Celebrating Women luncheon in 2000 , more than $ 28 million has been raised to help Baylor Scott & White Health fight breast cancer in North Texas .
“ This is a disease that continues to impact thousands of families , friends , neighbors and colleagues each year ,” said Rowland K . Robinson , Foundation president . “ Thanks to the generous support we ’ ve received over the past 17 years , the women battling breast cancer in our community have access to quality care , advanced treatments , innovative research and clinical trials , right here in North Texas .”
Tom Thumb will serve as presenting sponsor for the 13th consecutive year , and this year ’ s luncheon will be chaired by Tucker Enthoven with Ola Fojtasek serving as underwriting chairman . Peggy and Leonard Riggs Jr ., M . D ., will serve as this year ’ s honorary chairmen . Each year , approximately 1,200 passionate men and women attend the Celebrating Women luncheon in a show of support for Baylor ’ s efforts to fight the disease in North Texas .
For information about Celebrating Women , call 214.820.4500 or email CelebratingWomen @ BSWHealth . org . Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are available .