Barbara Sciandra, left, and her Paint Pittston Pink partner, Atty. Qiana Lehman accepted the Greater Pittston YMCA Spirit of Community Award in 2016 for their effort to combat cancer.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
Paul Melvin, all decked out in pink ready for his participation in the 2019 Paint Pittston Pink Gentlemen’s Dash, and his wife Krista poke fun of the poster in his likeness at the Celebrity Bartending fundraiser.
Times Leader file photo
Paint Pittston Pink’s Gentlemen’s Dash took place in 2019 on Main St., Pittston. Participants raced 40-yrds. for the trophy. The Gentlemen’s Dash last year raised a record over $80,000 this year.
Times Leader file photo
PITTSTON — While the coronavirus has affected just about everything worldwide, non-profits and charities are also feeling the pinch. For each of the last six years, Paint Pittston Pink’s efforts to raise money for cancer research has fallen victim to COVID-19 for 2020.
Barbara Sciandra, co-founder of Paint Pittston Pink (PPP) along with her partner Qiana Lehman, made the decision early in the year to cancel all events this year in order to keep everyone safe. Since its inception, PPP has donated $455,000 to date since 2014.
“We are all very, very proud of the effort and we all work very hard,” Sciandra said. “We put our heart and soul into it so it’s a bummer that it’s not happening this year but it was the right thing to do.”
“We kept in mind that so many people taken a financial hardship this year so it just didn’t feel right to have any kind of event or ask people for donations,” Sciandra added. What we are doing is a blood drive but it’s different from other blood drives we’ve had in the past when we had a little festival with it.”
The blood drive was held past week with over 25 people registering to donate at the MillerKeystone Blood Center on Rt. 315, Pittston. The drive was in memory of Greg Policare and Brian Musto.
PPP targets October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, to conduct a host of events from designer purse bingo to celebrity bartending to the 5K Race and to the biggest event, the Gentlemen’s Dash where chosen men race down Main St., Pittston, in high heels in support of women.
The Gentlemen’s Dash each year is PPP’s biggest fundraiser where all participants raise money in sponsorships for the race. The fundraising becomes a competition in itself amongst those racing.
The support from Greater Pittston local businesses has helped PPP with fundraising of their own like Pazzo Restaurant, Susquehanna Brewing Co., Blue Ribbon Ice Cream Parlor, and Sabatini’s Pizza are examples of some of the businesses that have contributed in the past.
Sciandra said she wanted to thank Holy Rosary Catholic School, Duryea, The Salt Barre, Marytheresa Buzzetta of Youngs Living, Kelly Rava for making PPP masks, Mad Tees, Wilkes University’s Kappa Psi for selling PPP shirts, Blue Ribbon and once again, The Sapphire Salon for their contributions this year as well as many years in the past.
“It’s definitely a year that’s different from any other year, but we’re confident we will come back better than ever next year,” Sciandra said. “God willing we can hope this pandemic will be over by then and can gather people.
“We’ve gained a lot of momentum last year, especially with the Gentlemen’s Day so it’s sad not to see those things happening but it was the right thing to do in cancelling,” Sciandra added. “We will use this year as a rebuilding year.”
PPP, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, is still collecting donations now and throughout the year at www.venmo.com/paintpittstonpink.
Sciandra invites everyone with Facebook access to check out the PPP homepage for updates to the charity.
“We appreciate that support of our community and family and friends so much and I just want everybody to stay healthy especially as we get through flu season and these next could of months,” Sciandra added. “The biggest thing is, no matter who your choice is, to get out there and vote, stay healthy and vote.”
