Supporting The Fight Against Cancer!
SMITHFIELD – Greenville resident Dianne Fonseca is celebrating 20 years cancer-free with a fundraising campaign with the American Cancer Society and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Fonseca, a retired high school teacher at Cranston East, dedicated her life to fundraising for cancer research and support after surviving an “ugly and aggressive” case of breast cancer after being diagnosed in 1999.
“I’m very grateful for my life, and a good way to help other people is by raising awareness and raising funds,” Fonseca said.
To commemorate her victory, Fonseca and her team, “Keeping the pace with Dianne,” will be returning to Making Strides for the 15th time this year on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Providence at 9 a.m.
Fonseca began her journey helping others with cancer after receiving assistance and care from Reach to Recovery, a group whose volunteers offer support to people with breast cancer.
“The woman who came to visit me and was so nice that when I recovered, I decided I wanted to be involved with Reach to Recovery,” Fonseca said.
Her history teaching Italian and Spanish at Cranston East made her invaluable to helping women who did not speak English. It was in her Italian class that she taught Simone Fargiorgio, a member of Real Men Wear Pink.
Fonseca and Fargiorgio are both members of the ACS local leadership team where the pair raise awareness, support and money for cancer research.
Fonseca said she met Fargiorgio at a networking event, and said, “I had a student with that name.”
Fargiorgio replied that he was that student. She said through their leadership roles, she and Fargiorgio have reconnected.
Fargiorgio said he became involved with ACS through his company Allstate Insurance and said after his cousin died from breast cancer in 2017, he became passionate about fundraising.
The pair teamed up on some fundraising events, including Fonseca’s most successful fundraiser, the annual “Hats for Hope” women’s night out. This year, Fonseca hosted a fashion show themed “Strides in Style” featuring several men from Real Men Wear Pink to raise a total of $44,000 for ACS.
“It was a big celebration because I’m celebrating 20 years,” Fonseca said.
ACS uses funds raised for breast cancer research, education, and support to cancer patients. Fonseca said she does her part to support ACS and cancer research education in her community as well.
She gives talks at schools to children in Smithfield about ways to prevent cancer and how to support friends and family with a diagnosis.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to do all this. It takes a lot of time and effort but it’s totally worth it,” Fonseca said.
Many companies reached out to Fonseca to contribute to her Making Strides fundraiser. She said Providence Bagel will be going pink for October and will be donating a percentage of sales for the month to her team. Also, Knead Donuts will have a pink frosted donut in Fonseca’s name on Friday, Oct. 18, whose proceeds go to her walk.
Visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/providenceri for more information or to donate.
Former Teacher and Student Reunited By the Fight to End Breast Cancer
Dianne Fonseca of Greenville and Simone Fargiorgio of
Cranston are fighting back against breast cancer through their participation in the Making
Strides Against Breast Cancer of Providence walk. However, their story began years prior to
their involvement with the American Cancer Society (ACS) when Fonseca was Fargiorgio’s
teacher. This former educator and student were reunited by a similar fight and are working
with others to raise necessary funds and help save more lives from cancer.
At 12 years old, Fargiorgio immigrated from Italy. He attended high school at Cranston High
School East and was enrolled in one of Fonseca’s foreign language classes. Years later,
Fargiorgio became involved with the ACS and to his surprise was introduced to Fonseca at a
meeting.
“I was introduced to Dianne at an ACS meeting. She commented that she used to have a
student by the same name. I informed her that I was in fact, that student,” commented
Fargiorgio.
In the years since they have reconnected, both Fonseca and Fargiorgio has been involved
with raising funds and breast cancer awareness. Fargiorgio, a Real Men Wear Pink candidate
and member of the area’s Leadership Council, wanted to get involved with the community
and find a local, meaningful cause. He had a connection to breast cancer as he lost his 47-
year-old cousin to the disease 2 years ago. As a Real Men Wear Pink candidate, Fargiorgio
connects with his personal contacts and works with his employer, Allstate to raise funds to
support the work of the ACS. He even helped Fonseca in her efforts, by serving as a model
during her fashion show fundraiser this past June.
Fonseca had her first interaction with the ACS after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in
1999. Before her surgery she was introduced to a Reach to Recovery volunteer through an
acquaintance. This ACS program matches trained volunteer breast cancer survivors to people
living with breast cancer. Through face-to-face visits or by phone, Reach To Recovery
volunteers provide understanding and hope to individuals who need support during their
breast cancer journey. After her experience, Fonseca became a Reach to Recovery volunteer
to support other survivors diagnosed with breast cancer in the area.
Fonseca’s yearly fundraising event soon followed and began as a way to give back because of
the support she received from the ACS. She originally organized a tea and fashion show
where she expected to have, at the most, 75 guests in attendance. 125 people attended the
first event, which was originally named “Hats for Hope”. This year the Women’s Night Out
raised $44,000.
The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Providence walk will be
held on Sunday, October 20 and will unite the community, honor those touched by the
disease and raise awareness and funds for a world without breast cancer. Registration begins
at 7:30 a.m. and the walk is set to start at 9:00 a.m. at the Alex and Ani Center in downtown
Providence.
Dollars raised help the American Cancer Society fund innovative breast cancer research;
provide education and guidance to help people reduce their risk; and offer comprehensive
patient support to those who need it most.
For more information on the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October please
visit www.MakingStridesWalk.org/ProvidenceRI .
To learn more about Dianne Fonseca’s fundraising efforts or to join visit
https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCCY19NER?t
eam_id=2430116&pg=team&fr_id=94450
To join Simone Fargiorgio’s Making Strides team or donate to his efforts please visit the S
FARGIORGIO AGENCY page at
https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=94450&pg=team&team_id=2430657
To contribute to Simone Fargiorgio’s Real Men Wear Pink campaign, please visit
https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR/RMWP/RMWPCY19NER?px=38531931&pg=personal&fr
_id=94205
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 1.5 million volunteers dedicated
to saving lives, celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From
breakthrough research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline, free rides to
treatment, and convening powerful activists to create awareness and impact, the Society is
the only organization attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to
www.cancer.org.
Why I Wear Pink
Breast cancer affects everyone – it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. That’s why I’m stepping up to fight breast cancer with all I have. Since I’m in a position to make a difference within my community, I believe I have an obligation to do so. By raising money and awareness through Real Men Wear Pink, I’m helping to save more lives from breast cancer.
Why I Support the American Cancer Society
Every day, the American Cancer Society is saving more lives from breast cancer than ever before. They’re helping people take steps to reduce their risk of breast cancer or find it early, when it’s easier to treat. They provide free information and services when and where people need it. They fund groundbreaking breast cancer research and they’re working to ensure access to mammograms for women who need them.
Simone Fargiorgio
Donate to our agency’s Real Men Wear Pink group HERE:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/RMWPCY18NER?px=38531931&pg=personal&fr_id=90385
Why We Support American Cancer Society by Making Strides
Welcome to our Team Page. We’ve formed a team because this cause is important to us. We want to help. And walking and raising money in our local American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event is the best way we can do that. We all have different reasons for participating but we share a determination to help save lives from breast cancer.
There are so many ways that the money our team raises helps. It’s helping to fund innovative research. It’s providing free information for people dealing with the disease. It’s providing rides to treatment and places to stay for people who have to seek treatment far from home. In short, our money is helping save lives. Consider donating to our team and helping advance the cause.
How We Support the American Cancer Society
Of course we walk in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. And we solicit donations from family, friends, and other supporters. But we also schedule fundraisers in lead-up to the big event. Bake-sales, car washes, and countless other types of events. And we promote those on social media, through Facebook and Twitter, by word of mouth, and through flyers at work and around the neighborhood. The success of fundraising events depends on two things – hard work and getting the word out. And we’re out to do both. Keep an eye out for our fundraising events.
Join us. Donate today. Or walk with us.
The Team at SFargiorgio Agency
Donate to our agency’s Making Strides group HERE: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=89624&pg=team&team_id=2315637
