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People Taking Action: Local breast cancer survivor surprised at fundraiser with PTA award!

Posted at 5:41 PM, Oct 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-15 17:43:05-04

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - It was a party atmosphere at one Chesapeake business event called Donuts for Tatas.

Kim Pender was the organizer of this fundraiser being held at the Now You're Cooking Culinary Studio.

Folks who showed up, had the sweet assignment of making traditional donuts or cutting them into strips to make breast cancer awareness ribbons and decorating them.

The tasty fundraiser is just one of the many ways Kim, who is a breast cancer survivor, has been raising money since her recovery.

"Over the past five or six years I've raised about 25-thousand dollars."

While they were having a great time and it was indeed a festive atmosphere, Kim well remembers that harsh realities of her breast cancer.

"I had 16 rounds of chemo and after that I had a double mastectomy, after that I had nine straight weeks of radiation every single day."

Kim's mindset since her diagnosis seven years ago has been to fight and press on. That has been her message to others who were at this event, and have gone through that same fight, like Robin Holt who is also a breast cancer survivor.

"Kim was one of the ones that helped me through my battle. She was there for me; she called; she checked on me.  Any questions I had I didn't hesitate to call her and she answered each and every time," explained Holt.

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And that passion is why year after year - Kim is raising money for the American Cancer Society.

"It's just my way of saying that no matter what tries to stop you, we can overcome it. We can keep persevering and with God all things are possible."

For all these reasons, New 3 presented Kim with a People Taking Action award, along with a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner Southern Bank.

Kim was very thankful and at times, fighting back tears.

Kim is gearing up for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk October 26. If you would like to contribute to her team to help raise funds to fight breast cancer, click here for more information.

Do you know someone who's worthy of a People Taking Action award? Click here to nominate them!