LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fourth annual Red and Black Ball For the Love of Harriett, to benefit cancer prevention and education efforts at the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, will take place Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Galt House Hotel & Suites. The event also honors the life and work of Harriett Porter, a lifelong Louisville resident who battled breast cancer on and off for almost 50 years while implementing programs designed to help others fighting this deadly disease.
“My mother was in her thirties when she was diagnosed and she valiantly fought her disease while promoting cancer prevention and early detection, particularly among African American women,” said Marie Porter, who, along with her daughter, Aimee Webb, her niece, Joy Billops, and her two sisters, Ellie Porter Billops and Sharon Porter Robinson, chairs the event. “The Red and Black Ball is our tribute to her work and represents a real labor of love for those of us who are involved in planning it. We think we can make a real difference in the lives of breast cancer patients and their families, just as my mother did.”
All proceeds from the Red and Black Ball For the Love of Harriett go to benefit the Harriett B. Porter Cancer Education and Prevention Programs at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, home to Kentucky’s only breast center recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. The Harriett B. Porter programs began when Harriett’s husband, Woodford Porter, Sr., created the Harriett B. Porter Cancer Education and Research Endowment. The programs promote cancer prevention and screening in Louisville’s African American community, and support research that may someday help find a cure.
“We are so grateful to be the beneficiary of this very special event,” said Donald Miller, director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. “Harriett Porter was an amazing individual who did great work and was an inspiration to other breast cancer patients and survivors. Through this event, and the programs it funds, her legacy lives on.”
Tickets to the event are $250 each. The event starts at 7 p.m. with cocktails; dinner is at 7:30 p.m. and music, dancing and a silent auction follow. For information on tickets, contact Beth Hobson at (502) 562-4651