Paint Pittston Pink honors cancer survivor Kara Martin each year by presenting the Survivor Award to recipients. Kara is shown presenting to Tony Callaio, left, the first recipient of the Survivor Award and Michael Burke, the 2019 recipient. Dr. Yvonne Galella was given the award in 2020 and the 2021 recipient is Melissa Manganiello Ostroskie.
Submitted photo
I can honestly say I’ve only been recognized or won something just a few times in my life so consequently, I don’t bet on the lottery or take out raffles or bank on me being chosen for any awards.
With that said, when the Sunday Dispatch came out with the Best of the Sunday Dispatch awards, I was chosen the very first recipient in the Best Photographer field. It was a great honor to be recognized by the readers of the paper and I won’t ever forget that.
But, that is about it, as far as winning anything in all my years. Hang on; I did win a $25 scratch off lottery ticket once. That was pretty big, I must say and you thought I won a $1 million.
So you can imagine what my reaction was back in 2018 when Barbara Sciandra, co-founder of Paint Pittston Pink, sent me a letter stating the Paint Pittston Pink board selected me for a new award, The Survivor Award, as the inaugural recipient.
The Paint Pittston Pink Survivor Award honors Kara Martin who beat Stage IIIB Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after being diagnosed in 2007. Each year, Kara presents the Survivor Award to recipients as she did with me in 2018.
Over the years, I’ve worked closely with Barbara and her co-founder Qiana Lehman on the multiple events during September each year, so when I received the Paint Pittston Pink envelope, I noticed it was very fancy and a heavier paper. This wasn’t one of their normal letters this was special.
I opened the envelope and began to read and by the time I finished, I was emotionally overwhelmed with, not only being recognized as a cancer survivor, but I was being chosen as the very first recipient.
My initial reaction was, there had to be someone else more deserving then myself. Maybe they made a mistake? It all had to sink in for a bit before I could fully grasp what had happened.
I graciously and humbly accepted, and I couldn’t wait until the ceremony Paint Pittston Pink held annually at Pittston’s Riverfront Park.
During the awards night ceremony, the Paint Pittston Pink Award for Courage, Celebration of Life Award, Spirit of Community Award, Unsung Hero Award and of course, the Survivor Award are handed out.
What an honor, what a surprise, and with so many cancer survivors in Greater Pittston, they chose me. To have my family beside me as I received that award meant the world. To have friends in the audience cheer me on was priceless.
The ceremony usually concludes with the launch of dozens of pink lanterns set free in the name of a family member or friend that is battling cancer, has battled cancer or sadly, battled cancer and lost.
It’s the most beautiful event with dozens of lanterns floating away into the dark sky. It’s emotional, it’s spiritual while at the same time, and it’s uplifting and hopeful that one-day cancer will be beat.
Paint Pittston Pink is doing all they can to help eradicate this nasty, ugly disease.
What they have done in eight-years has been miraculous raising $455,000 donated to cancer research. Over $223,2357 has been raised from the Gentleman’s Dash, a 50-meter run of men wearing high heals. The pandemic of 2020 has slowed the effort down, but 2021 is off to a great start.
Since 2018, the Paint Pittston Pink Survivor Award has gone to Michael Burke in 2019, Dr. Yvonne Galella in 2020 and I’m proud to announce Melissa Manganiello Ostroski is the award recipient for 2021.
Winning a $1,000,000 would be great and being recognized for my work would be wonderful, but for as long as I live, I will always hold Paint Pittston Pink’s Survivor Award near and dear to my heart and I display the award proudly in my home.
Congratulations to Melissa Ostroskie and congratulations to Barbara and Qiana and their talented team for having the strength, courage and energy to reach beyond the stars to rid cancer, once and for all.
