Physician Keith Melvin continues to raise awareness with Black & White Cancer Survivors' Gala

Keith Melvin, Mercy Health physician and founder of the nonprofit Black and White Cancer Survivors Foundation (BWCSF), is a testament to the fact that “cancer is not a death sentence.”
 
“The Black & White Gala proves it, growing each year as we welcome more and more survivors,” Melvin says.
 
The seventh annual Black & White Cancer Survivors’ Gala Nov. 7 is sponsored by Mercy Health and is expected to break attendance records with 1,000 guests, which should lead to record-setting proceeds for the Cancer Support Community and other organizations across the Tristate that work tirelessly to engage in research and provide care for those battling cancer on a daily basis.
 
While the BWCSF’s ultimate aim is to raise cancer awareness — through education about early screenings and the importance of preventive care and maintenance — the organization wants to reach out specifically to the local minority community, which is disproportionately impacted by breast and prostate cancer.
Keith Melvin MD 
A diagnosis of cancer is frightening, but it’s not the end-all-be-all, and that’s what Melvin most wants to communicate to the public at large.
 
“With regular screenings, early detection and advances in cancer care, there’s hope for everyone who receives a cancer diagnosis,” he says. “Every attendee (at the black-tie gala) pulls out the stops to dress their very best, and
when we all stand together to pose for our ‘survivors photo,’ you know without any doubt that there is life after cancer.”

Do Good: 

• Celebrate the community's cancer survivors and help increase awareness about early detection by purchasing tickets to the Black & White Cancer Survivors' Gala Nov. 7 at Duke Energy Convention Center downtown. Admission includes dinner and entertainment. Tickets are available for purchase through Nov. 2 or until the event is sold out. 

• If you can't attend the gala, support the Black and White Cancer Survivors Foundation by donating. 

• Be proactive about your health with preventive care and early detection screenings and support those who are currently battling cancer.