LBBC’s Butterfly Ball: An electrifying celebration of the power of connection

Jean A. Sachs, MSS, MLSP, LBBC’s CEO, hosted the 2024 Butterfly Ball, and Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, took on the role of emcee for the evening. Together they led a celebration of four individuals impacting their communities, health care systems, and research institutions. Their stories embody a fierce determination to ensuring no one affected by breast cancer feels alone or uninformed and an enduring compassion for caregivers. They’re all strong voices who actively identify opportunities to bring people together, facilitating relationships and collaborations to build a community of support. The Donna Noce Colaco Going Beyond awardees represent an impressive body of work and achievement:

Anna Crollman is a patient advocate diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27 who took her feelings of isolation and used them to create an empowering online community to support other young women facing adversity based on vulnerability, self-confidence and authenticity.

Nancy Herard-Marshall, LCAT, BC was a mother, former dancer/actress, teacher, therapist, and healer, who used her various life experiences to empower others, foster healing and create joy. In 2013, Nancy was diagnosed with DCIS and completed aggressive treatment. However, in 2020, during the COVID 19 pandemic, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Nancy passed away on May 26, 2024 and will be remembered for her important advocacy work and her ability to create community and connection.

Jamie LaScala is a patient advocate diagnosed with stage III Inflammatory breast cancer in 2015. Jamie completed Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Young Advocate Training in 2017, where she learned about research advocacy, including the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)’s Project LEAD scientific training for advocates, which Jamie completed in 2018 — one of her references when applying for Project LEAD was her University of Pennsylvania (Penn) Oncologist Dr. Amy Clark and the other was LBBC!

Gregory D. Garber, MSW, LCSW is LBBC’s 2024 Founders Award Honoree. Greg is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Administrative Director of the Division of Supportive Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCC) at Jefferson Health. In that role he manages all patient-facing programs and services including Patient Education and Support Programming, Clinical Nutrition Support, Social Work Services, and numerous initiatives to better understand and address cancer disparities as they relate to health literacy, digital literacy, access, transportation, cancer screening and prevention.

Left: Honorees Anna Crollman and Jamie LaScala with their awards; Center: The family of honoree Nancy Herard-Marshall dancing; Right: Honoree Gregory Garber accepting his award from Dr. Angie DeMichele.

These honorees, three of whom have faced their own breast cancer diagnoses, have dedicated themselves to educating and supporting others. Each spoke of the support they received, their passion for their work, and a desire to pay it forward. They embody the essence of LBBC’s mission: that no one impacted by breast cancer feels alone or uninformed.

The evening’s co-chairs also embraced the “power of connection” theme, making the event a resounding success. They were Leila and Ian Joffe, Madeleine and Steven Kessler, Kelly McSwiggan, Cindy Miller and Arthur H. Miller, Drs. Andrea and Rob Orsher, and Brooke Worster, MD, FACPM.

In between mixing and mingling, enjoying tasty eats and drinks, and highly competitive bidding on auction items, everyone celebrated LBBC and its community of family, friends, and supporters for its achievements in providing trusted information and a thriving community of support for anyone impacted by breast cancer.

Missed the celebration this year? You can still donate to support the work of LBBC.

Event highlights

View highlights from the celebration, swipe through our photo gallery.

Photos by Erin Blewett and Carlos Cintron