Pink raked in the green in 2016.

Paint the Town Pink surpassed its $200,000 goal by raising more than $272,000 through several events from Jan. 30 to Feb. 14. Over six years, Paint the Town Pink, which started as Paint the Rink Pink in its first year, has raised about $825,000. PTTP raised $191,000 in 2015.

“My reaction is: ‘Wow,’” Institute Executive Dr. Zigang Dong said at a Thursday press conference. “Thank you so much. I’ve always said: We started with Paint the Town Pink, then we paint the dtate pink. We will soon paint the country pink and paint the world pink.”

“That’s an excellent goal,” Gail Dennison, director of development and public relations, added.

The money is used to support Institute scientists’ initial breast cancer research with the hope they’ll eventually expand on that work through grants.

Dong noted that breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women and men, which is one reason PTTP has drawn such community interest.

This year’s top fundraising events were the fourth annual Plunging for Pink polar plunge at East Side Lake with $73,000, supported by AgStar Financial Services; the Austin Bruins’ sixth annual Paint the Rink Pink hockey game with $41,579; the Hormel Foods Austin Plant’s fundraising; and the annual Fishing for a Cure ice fishing contest with $14,000.

“We’re so thankful for such a generous, hard-working committee and a community that supports all of the efforts of Paint the Town Pink,” Dennison said.

Other highlights from this year’s PTTP included the Mower County Fair Board organizing the winter demolition derby at the fairgrounds’ grandstand; the “Strides for a Cure” and YMCA 5Ks; and the Austin High School winter sports teams hosting “pink” fundraisers.

Co-2016 PTTP ambassadors Kelly Joseph and Darci Buchan thanked the community for supporting the drive.

“This is impressive and I’m just so happy to be a part of this,” Joseph said.

“To think that I live in a community that is so giving toward such a wonderful thing,” Buchan added.

PTTP has spread from Austin to several nearby towns. The communities of Adams, Brownsdale and Rose Creek all hosted their own “Paint the Town Pink” weekends.

And Sterling Drug’s cancer awareness initiative that sold pink breast cancer pins and spread PTTP throughout the region at the company’s 17 stores throughout Minnesota and Iowa.

“We continue to grow and we hope to continue to grow,” PTTP Director Kathi Finley said.

Thanks for support from The Hormel Foundation, The Institute is able to dedicate all PTTP money directly to research. The head of each research group applies for PTTP funds. If they receive funds, they have two years to try to build on the research and apply for a larger grant through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“We’re just very thankful to the high-achieving scientists that we have here at The Hormel Institute,” Denniseon said. “Our community is so good to us in helping us continue to grow.”

PTTP organizers are seeking ideas for improving and growing “Paint the Town Pink” in 2017, including continuing to expand PTTP into other communities. Anyone with ideas or who would like to participate in next year’s “Paint the Town Pink” are encouraged to contact PTTP director Kathi Finley at 507-460-0259 or gopttp@gmail.com.