By: Gavin Schweiger, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
MANTUA, N.J. – The American Cancer Society joined with Mantua Township and local sponsors to host their second annual Gloucester Goes Pink event at Chestnut Branch Park on Saturday, August 23, aimed to bring awareness to breast cancer and local resources for those struggling with cancers.
Filled with local vendors, fitness classes, speakers and a charity walk, the event served to bring community members together to learn and spend a day out.
Ashley Levinson, a breast cancer survivor herself, organized a much larger event than last year.
“Last year I had a very small event in the park just to see how things went, and it was received very well,” Levinson said. “So, this year we kept it up a notch or two, and we have over 100 vendors and exhibitors here.”
Vendors included food trucks, jewelry stands and much more, from which a percentage of sales from the day go to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer under the American Cancer Society.
Inspira Health also had a tent at the event, promoting their resources and cancer centers in Mullica Hill and Vineland. According to Inspira president and CEO, Amy Mansue, a large part of being at the event was making sure people know they don’t have to travel to Pennsylvania to get medical support for cancers.
Speakers included government officials, cancer survivors, and 2025’s Miss South Jersey and Mrs. Camden County among others.
Keynote speaker Rebecca Rosales Castillo spoke on her year-long journey fighting breast cancer, her voice wavering during her speech.
“There were nights I wondered if I would ever wake up the next morning,” Rosales Castillo said. “There were days when breathing felt like a victory in itself.”
During her speech, she brought up an “image that carried me. The butterfly.”
“We know that butterflies don’t fly in the rain. They wait. They endure. They hold on until the storm passes,” Rosales Castillo said. “This was my storm. As I stand before you today, I am ready to spread my wings bigger than ever and fly.”
While difficult to tell her story, she does so out of a hope to help others.
“I want to be an inspiration to anybody that’s going through it or who has beat it. So then that way it’s a chain, right?” Rosales Castillo said. “I will inspire somebody that will inspire somebody else.”
Stephanie Strange, an attendee, enjoyed the event and found it “very relevant,” since breast cancer runs in her family.
“We just kind of came to see pretty much everything was done to a little bit. Walk around, check out the vendors and that kind of thing. It’s just nice to see the amount of people that came out for the event,” Strange said. “It’s really cool to see so many people come together.”
Denise Martin was another attendee who took part in the charity walk. She was diagnosed in April with stage four breast cancer.
“I just started treatment last month, and today’s not a great day. And I’m just trying to keep my strength up right now.” Martin said.
Martin walked the 1.5-mile pathway with family members, and plans to attend another Making Strides walk in October. Having family and friends by her side is “an amazing feeling.”
“I work in healthcare, so I always…want to take care of people,” Martin said. “At first it was really hard to allow others to take care of me now, but it feels amazing that the same people I took care of now want to take care of me.”
Gloucester Goes Pink brought together community members to share stories and support each other, which is something Levinson wanted to be able to share from her own journey with cancer.
“I wanted people to know that when you have a cancer diagnosis, that no one walks alone,” Levinson said.
Watch the video below to hear more about Gloucester Goes Pink.
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