A Truly Unforgettable Night - Dayton’s 2022 Ignite the Fight Event
In just one evening, Dayton’s PRG family came together to raise $1.1 million for families battling breast and gynecological cancers!
Laveck Photography and Olivia Peltier Photography
On September 17th, over 600 people gathered at “The Barn” at Bill Jergens’ home for food, fun, fireworks and fundraising! And it was an event like no other.
As guests arrived, they drove past dozens of Driven by Hope pink vehicles in every shape and size. Upon walking up to the event, attendees were greeted by Pink Ribbon Goats (actual goats decked out in pink tutus) and enjoyed a cocktail hour complete with delicious appetizers from Coldwater. Plus, guests could test their arcade skills trying to win a little bottle of alcohol from an adults-only version of a “bear claw” machine.
There were almost 150 silent auction items to admire and bid on as guests walked the plush pink carpet (installed just for the event) on their way to dinner. Prior to dinner being served by Kelley Andary and her amazing team, the crowd heard from PRG Board Chair Mikki Clancy, Kettering Health’s surgical oncologist Dr. Rebecca Tuttle and PRG Boardmember Kayla Keyt.
After dinner, everyone was reminded about what the night is all about as we heard from breast cancer survivor and Channel 2 WDTN meteorologist, Jamie Jarosik.
Diamyn Hall, whose mother, Stacey Kirksey, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer also spoke and inspired the crowd by explaining that his family is determined to “choose joy” every single day, no matter what.
Then came the “text to donate” and live auction portion of the evening, which brought the evening’s total up to over $1,100,000! “We couldn’t be more grateful to each and every attendee and donor who showed up for us at Dayton’s Ignite the Fight event. It is because of this tremendous generosity that PRG will be able to continue to ensure that those battling breast and gynecological cancers won’t travel this road alone,” said Heather Salazar, President and CEO of Pink Ribbon Girls. “Once again I am truly humbled by the outpouring of love and support we receive from the PRG family, together we are able to positively impact so many as they fight for their lives,” Salazar continued.
The night was capped off with a fireworks display that rivals what you’d see at Disney World followed by a drone light show that mezmorized the crowd. Plus, there was dancing to the live band, Stranger, and more food to enjoy with What’s the Scoop ice cream, Ernie’s Portable Pizza and A&B’s Coffee truck. And as guests drove off, they traveled through a forest of pink trees. It was truly an unbelievable and unforgettable night!
A very special thank you to all of our sponsors who helped make the event a huge success. Especially our presenting sponsors RB Jergens, Thom and Pat Robinson and Kettering Health.
At the top of this page, there’s a carousel of pictures from the event. Please take a look as words alone cannot do Dayton’s Ignite the Fight event justice.