The Las Cruces area’s third annual New Mexico State University Aggies Are Tough Enough to Wear Pink (TETWP) campaign raised $476,573 in cash and in-kind contributions to fund breast cancer research in southern New Mexico.

Although 2009’s total fell short of the $800,000 in cash and contributions raised last year, which earned the campaign honors as the No. 1 TETWP event in the world from the TETWP national headquarters in Hughson, Calif., organizers called this year’s effort a success.

Event co-chairs Laura Conniff, Pat Sisbarro and Magellia Boston said in a press release, “Raising breast cancer awareness and raising money for research are our goals and we’re thrilled with what’s been accomplished this year. Once again, Las Cruces and southern New Mexico have come together to help save lives and to raise a whole lot of money.”

Since its inception in 2007, the campaign has generated nearly $1.5 million in cash and contributions. As was the case in 2007 and 2008, all cash and in-kind contributions raised by TETWP are presented to Cowboys for Cancer Research and invested in the C4CR endowment, which funds cancer research at both the University of New Mexico and NMSU.

Painting the town pink

The campaign included a widerange of community and grassroots activities conducted throughout September and October, National Breast Cancer month. TETWP events were held across Doña Ana County and included a variety of programs involving students from kindergarten to college, hospital and other medical staff and volunteers, as well as businesses, restaurants and retailers.

Campaign organizers said this year’s TETWP effort included significant and continued financial and leadership commitments from title sponsors Memorial Medical Center, MountainView Regional Medical Center and NMSU. For a second year, a collaborative effort between the hospitals and area imaging providers made 350 mammograms available to low-income women through the New Mexico Department of Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer program.

School children, parents and admin-istrators from Las Cruces, Gadsden, Diocese of Las Cruces and Mesilla Valley Christian School raised more than $10,000 in nickels, dimes, quarters and small bills during their TEWTP events. Fun events in the schools included pink sock day, pink food day and pink shirt day, plus fun runs and many pink uniforms for sporting events. Even the “A” on “A” Mountain was washed in pink light. All of these efforts were designed to raise money for research in southern New Mexico and to raise awareness of the importance of early detection.

Organizers attribute much of the success and appeal of the TETWP event to the support of the local advertising media. Between August and October, Las Cruces radio, cable TV, newspapers and billboards provided in-kind donations of media space and time exceeding $110,000 in value.