Kelly Joseph hugged her husband, Danny, and Paint the Town Pink Director Kathi Finley in The Hormel Institute’s lobby Friday as they looked ahead to the 2015-16 fundraising drive.

“I’m here to let people know that this is what a survivor looks like,” said Kelly, a breast cancer survivor and a Paint the Town Pink ambassador.

After raising a record $191,000 in 2014-15, Paint the Town Pink leaders announced their goal of $200,000 for the sixth annual set of cancer fundraisers and initiatives.

“We’re working really hard to make sure we can achieve that,” Finley said.

Several fundraisers have already been held, but the official sixth Paint the Town Pink will run from Jan. 30-Feb. 14, 2016, in Austin. The Austin Bruins’ sixth Paint the Rink Pink game will Feb. 6, 2016, against Coulee Region.

Along with many returning events and communities, more than a dozen new communities and some new events will join the annual effort focused on raising awareness and support for The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota’s world-renowned breast cancer research.

 Sharing their story

Kelly will serve as an ambassador with Darci Buchan, who wasn’t able to attend Friday’s kickoff. Both have been involved with Paint the Town Pink. Kelly was diagnosed in July 2013 and now is cancer free. Buchan was diagnosed in February 2014 and is undergoing treatments.

“I feel very privileged, very honored to do this,” Kelly said.

Since beating cancer, Kelly has found a new purpose in sharing her journey.

“We have been through the worst of it, so our goal is just to help others and let them know that there is hope,” Kelly said.

Kelly is a past honorary co-chair for Relay for Live, and she and Buchan shared their stories this past May at the “Strides for a Cure” 5K run/walk put on by the Austin High School Youth Leadership Club.

Kelly, who works at Austin High School, might take a plunge forward by participating with Danny in the annual Plunging for Pink on East Side Lake on Jan. 30, 2016.

“I may do the plunge this year,” she said, adding with a laugh that “may” was the key word.

“It’s not as bad as everybody thinks it is,” said Danny, who participated for the first time last year.

Buchan led the distribution of “Fight For…” cards in partnership with Mayo Clinic Health Systems as part of the 2015 Paint the Town Pink effort, raising more than $1,800.

 Pinning down cancer

Austin-based Sterling Drug is kicking off a new fundraiser and a new foundation as it helps spread Paint the Town Pink in the region at the company’s 17 stores.

Sterling Drug Stores and the Astrup Family Foundation, which formed recently after founder Leonard Astrup died in 20124, will raise funds by selling about 12,000 breast cancer awareness pins at Sterling stores. Each pin sold for $1.99 will mean a $1.50 donation, which will be matched by the Astrup Family Foundation.

“We’re thrilled to be participating in this event,” said Astrup Drug President Tim Gallager.

Sterling Drug has stores in 15 communities in Minnesota — Adrian, Albert Lea, Austin, Buffalo, Caledonia, Fairmont, Faribault, Harmony, Hastings, La Crescent, Northfield, Owatonna, Rushford, Spring Grove and Worthington — as well as in two cities in Iowa — Cresco and Osage.

The 2015 Paint the Town Pink included Austin and nearby communities, including Adams, Brownsdale and Rose Creek.

 $553,000 and counting

Overall, Paint the Town Pink has raised more than $553,000 over five years for breast cancer research at The Hormel Institute. Paint the Town Pink started in 2011 with the only event being the Austin Bruins’ inaugural Paint the Rink Pink hockey game that raised about $22,000. Featuring pink ice and pink Bruins jerseys auctioned off after the game, Paint the Rink Pink has been an annual sellout of about 2,000 people at Riverside Arena and raised more than $150,000 in five years.

Paint the Town Pink started as a cancer fundraiser with 2011’s Paint the Rink before expending to Paint the Town in 2012. Institute Director of Development and Public Relations Gail Dennison said 100 percent of the proceeds go to breast cancer research.

Funds raised in 2011 and 2012 through Paint the Town Pink went toward acquiring technology to accelerate breast cancer research. Donations the past three years have been distributed as “seed” grants through an application process open only to researchers at The Hormel Institute for new breast cancer projects. These funds greatly help researchers try out new ideas and gather preliminary data to greatly assist them in applying for major research grants.

Breast cancer, which predominantly affects women but also is diagnosed in men in about 2,000 new cases annually — is the most common type of cancer in the United States when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers and the second-leading cause of death by cancer, with more than 40,000 deaths estimated per year.

Anyone who has ideas or is interested in participating in the 2016 Paint the Town Pink is encouraged to contact Kathi Finley at 507-460-0259 or by email at GoPaint the Town Pink@gmail.com.

For more details on Paint the Town Pink events, visit The Hormel Institute’s website at www.hi.umn.edu and click on the Paint the Town Pink link at the top or go to Paint the Town Pink’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/austinpttp.

PTTP events at a glance

Paint the Rink Pink, Feb. 6, 2016: The Austin Bruins will play Coulee Region in the sixth Paint the Rink Pink game at Riverside Arena.

Plunging for Pink, Jan. 30: After raising more than $59,000 earlier this year, the fourth annual Plunging for Pink polar plunge will return to East Side Lake. The event is organized by the Austin Vision 2020 Waterways Committee. In the past two years, Plunging for Pink has drawn more than 200 plungers and has raised about $114,000 overall in three years.

Snowmobile speed run, Jan. 30: A second annual Snowmobile Speed Run also will take place once again on the same day as the plunge at East Side Lake.

Smashing Cancer Demolition Derby, Feb. 14. The third annual fundraiser organized by the Mower County Fair Board is slated for Feb. 14 at the Mower County Fairgrounds’ grandstand.

 Other events

On Oct. 10, Hoot & Ole’s will host its one-year anniversary bean bag tournament as part of its year-round fundraising for its Plunging for Pink plunge team. Hoot & Ole’s was the top fundraising team at last year’s plunge.

Austin’s Runnings store once again will host a Ladies Night event Oct. 21 to raise awareness and support for breast cancer research at The Hormel Institute.

Brownsdale’s Paint the Town Pink initiative will offer its third annual “Run with the Breast of Us” 5K run/walk on Oct. 31 at the Brownsdale Elementary School.

The B&J Bar and Grill has started Paint the Town Pink fundraising again with raffles every Sunday for Vikings jerseys and other items.

Area farmers also plan to raise support for Paint the Town Pink at local grain elevators during harvest this fall as part of the second annual “Corn for the Cure” effort.

Last weekend, the inaugural Paint the Patch Pink event at Farmer John’s Pumpkin Patch in rural Austin offered two days of pink pumpkins and activities as part of a new Paint the Town Pink fundraiser.

Details for many other Paint the Town Pink fundraisers — new and returning events — will be announced when dates and plans have been finalized over the coming months.