What do you get when you blend a Red Seal-certified chef with her white chef’s coat? A pink blur, of course.
For 15 years, day-in and day-out, she’s decked out in her white chef’s uniform as a support staffer in the college’s Culinary Management program and St. Clair’s “Eatery 101” restaurant.
But, once a year since 2013, Alycia Tomalty has been garbed in pink, from-head-to-toe, as she zooms along the five-kilometre route through downtown Windsor as a fundraiser in the annual CIBC “Run For The Cure”. It supports the Canadian Cancer Society’s breast-cancer research, treatment and patient-support programs.
She was a recreational runner before that, but that athletic pastime took on a more courageous and philanthropic aspect after she was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer in 2012-13.
“Now, as a survivor, I’m just completely committed to this event,” Alycia said in a recent interview.
Her half-dozen years of involvement in the local event – and the fact that she has historically been one of its top fundraisers – led to her become one of Run For The Cure’s “Facebook-poster people” to promote the 2019 race on Sunday, October 6.
Each year for the past six, she’s raised $1,500 to $2,000 individually, as a member of her “Link’d By Pink” team of fellow Runners For The Cure.
“We all met at the (Windsor) Cancer Clinic during our treatments, and we’re all survivors, so they’re a very special group of women in my life,” Alycia said.
And all of the Link’d By Pinkers share the same sentiment about the Cancer Society and the Clinic’s staff: “They helped us, so we want to help them.
“And like everyone involved in the event, we run to celebrate those who have survived, and to honour the memory of those who didn’t.”
She also observed that the college houses another long-time, top-level Run For The Cure fundraiser: Community Liaison Officer Jeff Burrows (also pictured on the right side of the accompanying photo collage). Running for “family and friends”, he’s a member of the Mama Marley’s Mob team.
To donate to Alycia/Link’d By Pink or Jeff/Mama Marley’s Mob, or other local individuals or teams, or to get involved yourself (there’s a one-kilometre walk verson too), log on to http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/RunfortheCureFY19/RFTC_NW_even_?fr_id=26275&pg=entry
