Ocean City’s Pink Ribbon
Classic series, which provides an assortment of local activities each October
designed to raise awareness while garnering money for the American Cancer
Society, continues tonight, with a big party.

The annual Jammin’ Out
Cancer celebration will take place at Seacrets on 49th Street from 5-9 p.m. The
theme of the party is "At the Hop."

"Since Jammin’ is the
same weekend the Endless Summer Cruisers are in town, we thought a sock hop
would be fun," said Amy Katz, Jammin’ Out Cancer chairwoman.
"Dressing as bobby soxers and greasers is certainly encouraged, but there
will be a good mix of attire. So whatever you wear, you will surely fit
in."

The cost is $20 and includes
a “Taste of Ocean City” with food donated by area restaurants, including
Tequila Mockingbird, Duffy’s Tavern, Layton’s, Mother’s Cantina, Jules, Southside
Deli, Lombardi’s, The Original Green Turtle and The Crab Bag. One complimentary
glass of house wine or draft beer will be provided. 

There will be a 50/50 raffle
and silent auction. Some of the auction items include a pony party from Autumn
Grove Stables, A Drivers Education package from Seaside Driving Academy,
jewelry from Premiere Designs Jewelry, miniature golf from Old Pro Golf,
massage gift certificates, surf and skate gear from Chauncey’s Surf Shop, gift
cards from local restaurants, golf packages from GlenRiddle and Lighthouse
Sound, a four-night stay at the Bellmont condominiums, a wine basket from Beer
Bellies and growlers of craft beers from Shorebilly Brewing Company.

Attendees can also
participate in the "Pluck a Duck" event, where they can purchase a
numbered duck for $20 and once all ducks are "sold" they can trade in
their duck for a coordinating numbered bottle of cheer.

The "Wagon of
Cheer" pink garden wagon, which will be filled with everything necessary
to stock a bar, and then some, Katz said, will be auctioned off. 

"It’s fun to see who
bids on this item and how much it goes for. It always seems to generate a
bidding war and last year it went for $650," she said.

Live music will be provided
by Oh Boy, a Buddy Holly tribute band, as well as jukebox hits from DJ Bigler
and DJ BK.

"With the perfect
weather October is providing, and the thousands of Cruisers the town is
expecting, we are hopeful that this year’s Jammin will be the best
attended," Katz said. "I can’t think of a better way to start the
weekend than with a happy hour including great live music, two fabulous
deejays, a sample of foods from all over town, a free house wine or draft beer,
an auction that offers something for everyone, and an all around good time
while helping to ‘Finish the Fight’ against breast cancer."

For more information about
the event, contact Katz at amy-katz@hotmail.com or call 443-614-7520.

Nancy Dofflemyer, Judy
Johnson Schoellkopf and members of the Executive Women’s Golf Association
established the Classic in 1996. Since its inception, the series has raised
nearly $1.5 million for the cause.

In 2011, the Pink Ribbon
Classic brought in approximately $186,000 (net). It was the seventh consecutive
year that more than $100,000 was donated to the organization. During a wrap-up
meeting in December, it was announced that $269,659 had been raised during 2012
Classic events.

The first event in the 2013
series was the Capt. Steve Harman Poor Girls Open ladies-only fishing
tournament, held Aug. 15-17. Organizers presented the American Cancer Society
with $67,500 during the tournament awards banquet on Aug. 18. PGO co-Director
Earl Conley and Shawn Harman, owner of Fish Tales and Bahia Marina on 22nd
Street–where tournament weigh-ins took place–on Aug. 22 at Jive on 82nd Street
presented another $2,500 to the ACS from the PGO during a gathering to promote
the Oct. 19 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K run/walk. The total donated
by the Harman family through the tournament and other events over the past six
years is approximately $390,000. Since the Open’s inception 20 years ago, the
American Cancer Society has received more than $600,000.

Although the Open takes
place in August, the other Pink Ribbon Classic events are spread out between
September and October, known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One event will
again take place in November this year.

The 2013 events include a
card, game and mahj party/luncheon; tennis and golf tournaments, Making Strides
Against Breast Cancer 5K run/walk, Jammin’ Out Cancer, Mah Jongg Tourney, Crop
Out Cancer and "Pamper Yourself For Charity" raffle.

This year the chairwomen of
the different events are working with the Making Strides committee and Beverly
Furst, the ACS event manager. She is also the chairwoman of the Making Strides
run/walk in Ocean City.

"We are very excited
that the mayor proclaimed October as Paint the Town Pink month in Ocean City in
honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We hope that everyone will
embrace the idea and support Pink Ribbon events going on throughout the
month," Furst said. "We encourage everyone to decorate their houses
and  businesses in a pink way. We
want to finish the fight against this disease and help to create more birthdays
along the way."

While some of the money raised
through the Pink Ribbon Classic will be earmarked for national breast cancer
research, the remainder will stay on the Eastern Shore, where it will be used
for education projects, patient programs and services.

Some of those include free
wigs for patients; the Look Good Feel Better program, which teaches patients
how to cope with the cosmetic side-effects of treatment; Reach to Recovery, a
one-on-one support visitation program by trained breast cancer survivors for
new patients; Road to Recovery, which offers patients transportation to and
from medical facilities for cancer treatments;  Hope Lodge, lodging during treatment; Patient Navigator
Program, help with the health care system; Cancer Survivors Network and a
24-hour/seven-day information center with oncology nurses or social workers.
All of these services are free.

One in two women newly
diagnosed with breast cancer reaches out to the ACS for help and support.

The American Cancer Society
is the largest source of cancer research funds in the country, next to the U.S.
government. 

To learn more about the
American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org, call 1-800-ACS-2345.