New Race Will Be 'Beacon Of Hope'

The Coalition for Women’s Cancers at Southampton Hospital and Lucia’s Angels, nonprofits dedicated to supporting women living on the East End battling breast, ovarian, cervical and uterine cancer, has announced it will hold a new 5K run/walk in June, at arguably the South Fork’s most iconic landmark — the Montauk Point Lighthouse.

The Beacon of Hope 5K run/walk is planned for Saturday, June 18. The 3.1-mile course will take runners and walkers through Camp Hero and will end at the Montauk Point Lighthouse.

The idea for the race, conceived of before the COVID-19 pandemic, had immediate support from the Montauk Point Lighthouse Board of Directors and the lighthouse keeper himself, Joe Gaviola, in part, because of the impact cancer has had on families across the region.

“Both of our families have been touched by cancer, and we just got to talking,” said Bill Becker, a former president of the Montauk Historical Society and former owner of Becker Home Center in downtown Montauk, in a group interview at the lighthouse keeper’s quarters in late March. “At the lighthouse, we are always asking for support, and it felt like maybe it was time to do something to give back. Joe was adamant that anything we did supported organizations that keep the money here.”

“That is really important,” said Stacy Quarty, president of Lucia’s Angels, “because so many fundraisers are held out here where the money is just gone from this place once it’s over.”

Susie Roden, the President of the Coalition for Women’s Cancers, agreed, noting the two nonprofits are able to focus their efforts — and funding — specifically toward women fighting these cancers on the East End of Long Island.

Becker, a cancer survivor himself, has watched both his sisters battle cancer. His youngest sister lost her battle, while the other is doing well. His daughter, Dawn, was also diagnosed with cancer and benefited from support from the coalition. It was Dawn who introduced him to Roden and Quarty.

For Gaviola, who has supported national and local nonprofits at the triathlons, road races and cycling events he has competed in over the last three decades, supporting these nonprofits, in particular, felt urgent. His sister is a breast cancer survivor, his ex-wife is battling cancer and his mother, who died in October, battled cancer for over six years.

“I have known for a long time that there is a high incidence of cancer, especially breast cancer, on the East End, and there are a lot of questions as to why that is, and I don’t think anyone has an answer. But it is a real thing,” he said. “As Bill said, before COVID hit, we had been talking about this and wanting to do something for the East End. There are a lot of ‘haves’ out here, but there are also a lot who have not quite as much or not nearly as much. There are schoolteachers, our service industry workers. There is a real need for this kind of support. And we want the funds to stay here instead of going to a nonprofit general fund. Those are great, but we wanted to help organizations that are staying here.”

“Let’s take care of our own first,” Becker added.

Event organizers plan to honor someone who has taken that mission to heart — Dr. James Brady, a plastic surgeon in Southampton who has been a supporter of both nonprofits.

“He walks on water, as far as I am concerned,” said Quarty. “He’s been a big supporter of Lucia’s Angels and the coalition since their inception.”

Brady has been a continuous sponsor of Gurney’s Montauk Girls Night Out and Heaven Can Wait at the LI2Day Walk. He has also hosted guest bartending events and participates in the Reconstructed Bra Auction — where Quarty said he leaves everything on the runway as an escort to the models, sporting outrageous outfits that often match the theme of the bra being auctioned off. This year, the Reconstructed Bra Auction will be held on June 30 at the Southampton Social Club, after a hiatus due to the pandemic.

“He has worn a bright red scuba diving outfit with yellow fins, a pirate outfit. One year he was a big blueberry,” said Quarty. “It’s a really fun event made more fun by people like him.”

“I don’t mind making a fool of myself, as long as it makes money to help others in their time of need,” Brady said in a release announcing the Beacon of Hope 5K.

“But better than that is the work he does for women who don’t have health insurance and need reconstructive surgery,” said Roden. “He helps them. To me, that is why he walks on water … and his breasts are beautiful.”

As a reconstructive breast surgeon, “his talent, kindness and availability are unparalleled,” Melissa Mahoney, a breast cancer survivor, said in the release. Brady opened his office during a snowstorm to see Mahoney, who was in pain from a reconstruction surgery. “When I count my blessings, I always thank God for Dr. Brady twice,” she said.

“Anyone who has ever had an experience with him as a doctor — they are his biggest fans. He has an amazing bedside manner — he’s so attentive,” said Quarty. “He calls you as soon as you get home to ask how you are doing, how are you feeling. Then he calls the next day.”

“We need more people like him in this world,” said Becker.

A nonprofit itself, the Montauk Point Lighthouse benefits from the Montauk Lighthouse Triathlon, which will be held on July 17. Gaviola was quick to point out that, as a nonprofit, the Lighthouse cannot raise money for the Coalition for Women’s Cancers and Lucia’s Angels, but it can host a run and walk to support them.

“Technically, we cannot raise money for them, so we are doing this to offer support,” he said. “And what better place in the country to have a fundraiser for such amazing organizations than right here at the Montauk Point Lighthouse.”

The Beacon of Hope course — designed by Vicki Venture of EventPower Long Island — will also utilize state-owned parkland at Camp Hero.

The state has given its nod of approval for the 5K, which was sidelined for two years because of the pandemic. In fact, most fundraisers for nonprofits were largely put on hold over the last two years — a reason why nonprofits like the Coalition for Women’s Cancers and Lucia’s Angels need community support more than ever — raising money has been challenging during the pandemic, even as the need for these organizations grew dramatically.

According to Quarty, both nonprofits have raised about one-fifth of the funding they were able to collect prior to the pandemic. They are hopeful the Beacon of Hope 5K, which will be an annual event, can help them build back.

“It needs to be an annual event so it can grow,” said Gaviola. “And it is not just being shouldered by us — we have a working group of 12 volunteers — affected people, caring people, passionate people.”

Recognizing the critical need, that group is seeking business sponsors for the 5K walk and run in an effort to grow the community of supporters behind the event, and behind two of the East End’s most important nonprofits.

The two entities — Lucia’s Angels and the Coalition for Women’s Cancers at Southampton Hospital — offer support to women battling these cancers in different ways, which is purposeful, says Roden and Quarty. The coalition is all about education, early detection, help with treatment and wellness programs.

Lucia’s Angels was started when Quarty’s best friend, Lucia Terzi Bagan, died from breast cancer. The two women were breast feeding their newborns when Bagan felt a lump and was advised by Quarty to get it checked out. It was Stage 4 breast cancer, it progressed quickly and Bagan died a year and a half later.

“But we found as her friends and family surrounding her during her final days that there were so many different kinds of needs that late-stage cancer patients really have that were not really included in the mission of any breast cancer organizations at the time,” said Quarty. “So, we started Lucia’s Angels, and we focus very specifically on Stage 4 women’s cancers.”

The support is “from A to Z,” said Quarty, and comes in the form of support groups, financial help, gas cards, even funeral expenses.

“Whatever they need,” she said. “We have flown adult children home from wherever they are to come see a parent one last time.”

The organizations find their work, which was always critical, even more urgent in the current climate — where many health screenings have been delayed because of the pandemic. For Roden, who is currently battling her third breast cancer diagnosis, the stress on early detection and making time for appointments like mammograms, cannot be stressed enough.

“Because I am so on top of it, because I am making sure I take care of myself, I caught my breast cancer early all three times,” she said. “We take care of everybody else and often we forget to take care of ourselves. I am a poster child for early detection … I am doing great.”

The Beacon of Hope 5K, to benefit the Coalition for Women’s Cancers and Lucia’s Angels and honoring Dr. James Brady, will be held on Saturday, June 18, starting at 9 a.m. The event is also seeking sponsors. To register, or to become a sponsor, visit BeaconOfHope5k.org. For more information on the Coalition for Women’s Cancers, call 631-204-9331 or visit cwcshh.org. For more information on Lucia’s Angels, visit luciasangels.org.