Dense Breast Tissue, Ultrasound, and Early Detection

Lynn Dozier

Lynn Dozier shares how a free mammogram at Texas Southern led to follow up care at The Rose, ongoing monitoring of calcifications, and a new level of ownership over her breast health. Along the way, she talks about Skate Church, community, and staying mentally strong while friends faced breast cancer.

When Corporate Care Meets Community Flair: Celanese’s Touch

Michael Bland

Michael Bland, Capital Project Stewardship Leader at Celanese, illustrates how their proactive approach led them to The Rose, supporting its mission through donations and involvement. From providing much-needed chemo kits to actively participating in community events, Celanese has become a partner rather than just a donor. Their employees, driven by values and empowered by the organization, strive to make a profound impact in the community.

Insured and Still Facing a $5,000 Biopsy Bill

brandi blankenship

Brandi manages the tennis pro shop at Willow Fork Country Club in Katy, the club behind Pretty in Pink, an annual golf and tennis fundraiser that raised $22,000 for The Rose in a single day. She had insurance, a routine mammogram, and no reason to expect a problem until her scan came back inconclusive, then abnormal, and a biopsy she was quoted at nearly $5,000 out of pocket. In this conversation, Brandi talks honestly about the fear of waiting, the relief of a benign result, and how her whole relationship with Pretty in Pink changed once she understood exactly how the fundraiser helps all women in need.

Community Theater, Breast Cancer, and the Louise McBee Circle of Wreaths

susan mele

Susan has been connected to The Rose since the mid-1980s, when her boss at Texas Commerce Bank handed her a stack of newspaper articles and asked her to learn everything she could about a surgeon named Dr. Dixie Melillo. That assignment turned into a decades-long relationship with The Rose, years of emceeing fundraising style shows, and an unbroken commitment to the mission that continues today. She launched the Louise McBee Circle of Life Circle of Wreaths, an annual wreath auction run entirely by Art Park Players volunteers in honor of her mother. Her message throughout the years is simple, yet profound: everyone carries a light, and even the smallest flame can be the brightest thing in someone’s darkest moment.

Peace, Love, and The Rose – A Sneak Peek at Shrimp Boil 2026

Shannon SB 2026

Special Events Manager Shannon McNair takes us behind the scenes of The Rose’s annual Shrimp Boil, a nearly 40‑year tradition where fresh Gulf shrimp, auctions, raffles, and desserts turn a casual Saturday with 800 of your closest friends and family into a lifeline for breast health for women in our 45-county service area.

A Women’s Bakery, Orphaned Elephants, and Rural Breast Care: Giving With a Bigger Picture

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Nonprofit leaders dream of someone walking in and saying, “I’m going to give you a million dollars.” Very few ever see it happen. In this episode, a longtime supporter explains why she chose to fund multiple mobile coaches, help open an East Texas hub, and seed The Rose’s Mammogram to Medical Home program instead of paying for brick and mortar. She talks about dividing her mother’s unrestricted giving fund among education, medical care, and conservation, and why she looks for small organizations whose work sends “tentacles” into whole communities and generations. From a women’s bakery in Africa that feeds thousands of children and sends girls to school, to knowledge mobiles, orphaned elephants, and seed grants for students, she returns over and over to one idea: food and health give people a chance at any future.

Dance, Culture, and Commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness

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During this mashup episode, you’ll hear from supporters of Hats and Henna High Tea, a community driven event that celebrates survivors, supports patients, and raises critical funds for The Rose. These are supporters, caregivers, and champions. They talk about mothers and mothers in law facing breast cancer, the sacrifices families make, and the resilience that shows up in hospital rooms, small businesses, and dance floors. Hats and Henna Hight Tea brings culture, art, and local leadership together to focus on The Rose’s mission.

Keeping Access and Compassion First In Every Board Decision

Shannon W

Board Chair Shannon Wiesedeppe carries a deep family history of breast cancer into every decision she helps make at The Rose. From hurricanes and COVID to a Co-Founder and CEO transition, she keeps The Rose focused on access, reimbursement realities, mobile coaches, and identical care for uninsured and insured women.