ORLANDO | October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation is starting it off with its first-ever Treasure Your Chest Scavenger Hunt at the Wall Street Plaza in downtown Orlando on Oct. 6.
“Libby’s Legacy has been known for doing unique, fun, interactive events,” says Tracy Maynard-Harris, executive director of Libby’s Legacy and wife of founder Robin Maynard-Harris. “So we came up with the idea of a scavenger hunt. It’s a team-focused foot race type event.”
To become a treasure hunter, just gather your team and get signed up. Registration is $25 per person and there is no limit to team sizes. Online registration ends Oct. 5, but people can still register in person at the event.
The scavenger hunt will begin at Wall Street Plaza where teams will receive clues for 10 different locations throughout downtown. The team’s collect puzzle pieces at each location that will be used to complete the final puzzle.
The event’s Facebook page notes that their goal is to raise $50,000, which will go toward free mammograms and other breast health services that Libby’s Legacy provides to the Central Florida community.
“Fifty thousand would be amazing if we have a big kick in online fundraising for the next couple of days, but more realistically I think our goal is going to be $20,000 to $25,000 for this first event,” Tracy Maynard-Harris says.
People who do not want to participate in the scavenger hunt can still come out for a day of fun to listen to live music, cheer on your favorite teams and hear survivor tributes. Making a donation to Libby’s Legacy is also a great way to show your support.
Since it is a treasure hunt, pirate costumes are encouraged and of course wearing pink is always an excellent fashion choice. Awards for Best Dressed and Best Costume will be given out.
“It’s a fun, family event that is interactive and a little bit challenging, and you’ll be helping save the girl next door,” Tracy Maynard-Harris says. “All the money raised by Libby’s Legacy at this event stays right here in Central Florida and it can help your sister, your mother or your nextdoor neighbor.”
Libby’s Legacy will also be out at Lake Eola Park Oct. 13 for Come Out With Pride.
“We’ll be talking about bridging breast health gaps in the LGBTQ community through our program,” Tracy Maynard-Harris says. “In our experience with folks we’ve diagnosed with breast cancer, we have a high percentage of lesbians and if you are taking hormones that increase your risk of getting breast cancer.”
The foundation also has a few of their own projects that they are working on for the month. One of them being the Pink Ribbon Garden Project — a 29 foot by 17 foot community garden in raised, pink garden boxes in the shape of an awareness ribbon.
The Pink Ribbon Garden Project was founded by Robin Maynard-Harris and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge. The idea for the project came about when Robin Maynard-Harris and Etheridge were discussing the benefits of eating organically for cancer patients whose disease was in remission.
Breast cancer survivors are able to grow their own fresh, organic produce in the garden. The garden is also a part of the Grow One, Give One program, which allows survivors to collect a bag of produce they harvested to give to a patient who is currently in treatment. The first one was built in Lake Druid Park in Orlando with two additional gardens in Albany, N.Y. and Nashville, Tenn., and more are to come.
For more information on Libby’s Legacy events, the Pink Ribbon Garden Project or to make a donation, visit LibbysLegacy.org.
