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Winners for Life will present its 17th Annual Breast Cancer Seminar and Luncheon at noon Saturday at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center, 3401 Cultural Center Drive.

This year’s luncheon theme is “Pink in Paris.” The afternoon will feature a Parisian ambiance, live entertainment, free health information, breast cancer survivor recognition and lunch.

Tickets are available for $10. Limited tickets will be available at the door.

Winners for Life Executive Director Tracey Young said the event focuses on educating women in the community about the importance of breast health, self-examination and mammograms.

“Early detection saves lives,” she said. “The problem is getting them to take that early detection seriously, but many times people don’t have the means to have those early detections — that’s where we come in.”

Winners For Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by the late Dr. Winifred Frelow to provide free health screenings, mammograms and breast cancer education initiatives for the underserved local population.

The initiative started as an educational committee of about nine women at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Port Arthur.

“The priest at the time spoke to a lady in his parish who was a breast cancer survivor and educator,” Young said. “She also happened to be my mother. People were coming into the church asking him for prayers after being diagnosed with cancer, so after noticing a pattern throughout the year he thought we could get something started. He knew that (my mom) spent lots of time in education and had the ability to pull people together.”

The organization is now a certified 501(c)3 non-profit. The annual seminar and luncheon reached fire code capacity last year within the church walls, allowing them to expand to the civic center for the 2020 celebration.

“We thought, ‘Wow, look at this,’” Young said. “ The event jumped from 200 to almost 600 tickets sold this year and every year it is only growing.”

The annual luncheon and seminar is the organization’s biggest fundraiser fostering over $10,000 each year.

“What we do is we work year round to prepare for this event,” Young said. “We host fundraisers throughout the year, but this is the culmination of a year’s work from our community to raise money to pay for mammograms for women in our community who are underinsured and underserved.”

All proceeds from the event will be allocated to the Gift of Life to be used for free mammograms, mobile units and health screenings.

Noelle Green-Anderson, assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, joined Winners for Life last year after her own mother passed away from a different form of cancer.

“This is a way to honor my mother, and Tracey’s mother, two very important women in our lives,” she said. “It’s important that we help our underserved community to get the help that they may not be able to afford.

“It’s important that everyone attends the seminar because any one can get breast cancer,” she continued. “Our focus isn’t just women’s health, but everyone’s health. It’s important for everyone in our community to be aware of the importance of getting mammograms, self-examination and self-care. It’s our job to help teach them and to be proactive in our community.”

Young said she wants to encourage everyone to come out Saturday to celebrate survivors and be a positive change in the world.

“This is a way to spread awareness and get everybody under one roof,” she said. “Our focus has always been the same, to see an amazing celebration of survivorship and save lives.”

To purchase a seat or make a donation, call Young at 409-748-9510.