Samantha Harris, best known as the host of Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight, will be the featured speaker at the 15th annual Ribbon of Hope Luncheon on Thursday, October 15 at 11:45 a.m. at Sinclair Community College’s Ponitz Center, 444 West Third Street, Building 12 in Dayton.
A seasoned entertainment journalist and two-time Emmy-nominated TV host, health and fitness expert, certified personal trainer and cancer survivor, Samantha Harris currently can be seen as a fill-in host for the nationally syndicated shows Access Hollywood Live and The Better Show, where she also conducts celebrity interviews.
In 2014 Harris was diagnosed with Stage II invasive breast cancer. Just days after a clear mammogram, Harris found a lump in her breast. Two of her longtime doctors told her it was “nothing,” but her gut said otherwise. Harris pressed and found the right kind of specialist, and together, they decided on a lumpectomy. Even though this surgical oncologist reassured her that the lump was NOT cancer, she advised Harris remove it anyhow despite negative results from two ultrasounds, an MRI and a needle biopsy. When the pathology results came back, invasive ductal carcinoma was confirmed. But that wasn’t all; after a subsequent double mastectomy, it had also spread to a lymph node.
Three surgeries later, Harris is cancer-free and encouraging others: her diagnosis led her and her husband to create GottaMakeLemonade.com to “inspire positivity in the face of adversity.”
The luncheon also features health and wellness exhibits and boutique vendors. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. Luncheon registration begins at 11:00 a.m. Parking is free for luncheon guests. Registration is limited.
Proceeds from the luncheon benefit the Kettering Medical Center Foundation’s Women’s Wellness Fund. The Fund provides free screenings and prostheses, and other women’s cancer services to uninsured and medically underserved individuals in our community. Procedures may be scheduled through Kettering Breast Evaluation Center (937-299-0099) and the Women’s Wellness Fund will cover the cost. Requests are strictly confidential. Our mission is to ensure that cost is never an obstacle to breast health.
Since its inception, more than 15,000 women in the greater Dayton area have benefited from the more than $1.5 million contributed to the Foundation. For more information on the Women’s Wellness Fund or the Ribbon of Hope Luncheon, contact the Kettering Medical Center Foundation at 937-395-8607.
