"This moment was a moment of humility, honor, hope, celebration and encouragement.”
Barbara Ann Karmanos Institute’s 10th Annual Pink Out the Park event was a successful hit out of the ballpark. Under the bright lights of Comerica Park, hundreds of breast cancer survivors decked out in pink took to the baseball diamond to be recognized in a special pre-game ceremony.
The Pink Out the Park game on Friday, May 13, held in partnership with the Detroit Tigers, Karmanos Cancer Institute and McLaren Health Care, the official health system of the Detroit Tigers, honored hundreds of breast cancer survivors and highlighted the importance of screening and early detection.
Tiffany Bentley - 5-year survivor
A nearly six-year breast cancer survivor, Tiffany Bentley threw out the ceremonial first pitch and shared her inspiring story.
“I was nervous, especially because I had not touched a softball since middle school, but life is worth living and I had a blast!” Bentley said. “I will admit I was hesitant. Being in the spotlight is not my preferred platform, but I thought, ‘what if I could say something that would help someone else. What if someone has never seen a miracle before?’ This moment was a moment of humility, honor, hope, celebration and encouragement.”
Bentley was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37 years old. During an annual check-up, her doctor noticed an indifference with her breasts and suggested she get a mammogram. The results found cancer cells as small as a grain of rice. There were many of those rice grains, and they turned out to be malignant. Bentley came to Karmanos for a second opinion and chose this team to help her fight her disease. Following surgery, she has had a great response. Her sixth survivorship anniversary is in June 2022. Bentley is thankful she has won her fight with breast cancer and gets to see her two daughters grow up.
See highlights from the Pink Out the Park pre-game ceremony below.
More than 23,000 fans attended the Pink Out the Park game, many of whom purchased the Pink Out the Park ticket packages. The ticket packages included game tickets, a pink Tigers baseball hat, and a five-dollar donation to Karmanos Cancer Institute. The Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 in the first of the weekend’s three-game series. Miguel Cabrera’s RBI double, home run in the 3rd inning and 504th homer in the sixth inning led to a huge Tigers victory. Cabrera’s 504th homer tied him with Eddie Murray for the 27th spot on the home run leaders list.
Throughout the thrilling evening of Tigers baseball, fans had opportunities to honor loved ones who faced breast cancer by holding up “Pink Out the Park” cheer cards during a special tribute and moment of reflection. More survivor stories were shared throughout the game with in-stand recognitions of three amazing Karmanos patients.
Ivy Cyrs — 5-year survivor
Ivy Cyrs started getting annual mammograms at Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit after a suspicious finding in her late 20s turned out to be non-cancerous. However, 20 years later, in 2016, Ivy was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. A retired police officer with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Cyrs is described as a blessing to those who cross her path. She credits the love and support of colleagues, friends and family, especially her only son Tony, with helping her through her journey to survival. Cyrs encourages fellow cancer survivors to keep fighting every day and reminds women to get their annual mammograms.
Kelly Klamer – 1-year survivor
In 2021, Kelly Klamer was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38. With a family history of breast cancer, including her mother, it was recommended that Kelly start getting mammograms 10 years younger than the age that her mother was diagnosed. Ultimately, a TikTok video motivated Klammer to get a breast screening. After her diagnosis, Klammer underwent surgery and chemotherapy through the Karmanos Cancer Network at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Bay Region and McLaren Flint. Now, her goal is to raise awareness.
Kassandra Harris –7-year survivor
Kassandra Harris was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and then again in 2021 with breast cancer and metastatic lung cancer. While she’s currently receiving treatments at Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Lawrence and Idell Weisberg Cancer Center in Farmington Hills, she is an active member of the Karmanos Patient and Family Advisory Council where she advocates for patients, their families, caregivers, and health care providers to help raise awareness around available programs, services and support. One of Harris favorite quotes is, “I might have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me.”
Early detection and screening are vital factors in the fight against breast cancer.
“The earlier the diagnosis, the easier to treat breast cancer and the higher the cure rate,” said Hadeel Assad, M.D., a medical oncologist and member of Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Team and Phase I Clinical-Pharmacology Program. Dr. Assad was part of the Karmanos Starting 9 for this year’s Pink Out the Park game and shared important information about screening.
“We follow the American Cancer Society recommendation that women with general population risk should start breast cancer screening annually at age 40. Women who have a higher risk of developing breast cancer may be screened at a younger age or more frequently.”
Dr. Assad recommends that patients speak with their primary care physician or OBGYN about breast cancer screening or call 1-800-KARMANOS to talk with a Screening & Prevention Program representative. All women, not just those with cancer, can schedule their annual mammograms with the experts at Karmanos. You also do not need a referral for a screening mammogram with Karmanos. Visit karmanos.org/screening for more information.
Nine Karmanos breast cancer specialists were honored during the Pink Out the Park game on Friday, May 13 as the Karmanos Starting 9.
On Monday, July 25, 2022, Karmanos and McLaren will honor prostate cancer survivors and educate fans about the importance of prostate cancer screenings at Comerica Park when the Detroit Tigers take on the San Diego Padres. Special ticket packages will be available soon. Check back for details and ticket availability at karmanos.org.