Community Corner

Lets Hear it 'For the Girls:' Fundraiser to Benefit Cranberry Friends Diagnosed with Breast Cancer is Sunday

Tickets to the event are on sale now.

For Amy Barna, it was a one-two punch.

Around Christmas, she learned Deborah Hamblin, one of her best friends, was diagnosed with a very early stage of breast cancer. Just a few weeks later, her other best friend, Cindy Stratigos, also learned she had breast cancer.

“It wasn’t as if we were reeling from one, we were reeling from both of them,” Barna said of her close groups of girlfriends.

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The discovery also moved Barna into action.

“You always hear about it with somebody else. It’s always somebody else’s friend. This has taken the forefront for us,” Barna said. “It’s not just someone else, it’s your best friend."

Find out what's happening in Cranberrywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The cake decorator, who owns AmyCakes in Beaver Falls, organized the “For the Girls” fundraiser to benefit Hamblin and Stratigos, who are both Cranberry residents.

The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at The Gathering Place, a lakeside facility in Darlington, Beaver County.

Vendors at the event include AmyCakes, A Doll’s Life, Miche Bags, Mary Kay, Divine Accessories, Fit to be Hooked, Wee Bee Country, Thirty-One Gifts, Jolica, Tupperware and Sarah B. Photography.

The tickets, where are being presold, are $6 each with proceeds going to Hamblin and Stratigos for their medical expenses. There also will be a Chinese auction, appetizers, beverages and more. 

The vendors, many of whom Barna knows through her cake business, also will donate a portion of the sales to Hamblin and Stratigos. 

“They did not hesitate when I asked them,” Barna said. “I expected it from people who know them, but it really touched my heart from people who didn’t know them to step up and donate.”

Barna said she tried to keep the event secret from Hamblin and Stratigos—and even went so far as to create a secret “For the Girls” Facebook page—before eventually coming clean to her friends.

“They were so shocked and surprised and just overwhelmed that we would do something like this,” Barna said.

Diagnosed with “Stage 0” non-invasive cancer, Hamblin is taking a natural route with her treatment, Barna said. Stratigos has started chemotherapy, according to Barna.

All are welcome at the event. For tickets, call Barna at 724-321-5029 or email her at amycakes2@comcast.net.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here