Pink SOCS Foundation

The Pinkham family has faced extraordinary challenges and loss, and has chosen to respond in an extraordinary way. Christine Dispenziere, whose maiden name is Pinkham, is the youngest of 11 children raised in Clark. Four of her eight sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer, and two of them died from the disease — Joanne Vargas in 2009 and Bette Ann Pinkham in March of this year. Despite the intense challenges faced by Dispenziere and her family that, at times, have left them feeling helpless and vulnerable, they have chosen to remain strong and embrace what they can do — reach out and offer assistance to others facing similar challenges. In 2005, she and her sisters established the Pink Socs Foundation, Sisters of Cancer Survivors, to offer financial support to cancer patients and their families. The organization has raised more than $300,000 to benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Dispenziere, a resident of South Plainfield and a teacher at John E. Riley School in South Plainfield, said that while nothing can take away the sense of loss, the act of giving has given her life meaning and purpose. “Through our experience of loss, we have realized that we have something to offer others who have been diagnosed with the disease,” she said. “We can say, I’ve been there, and I know what you are going through. “We know first-hand that diagnosis is stressful enough without adding to that financial concern, so we specially wanted to help those families who are facing financial difficulties to ease the burden as much as we can.” Dispenziere and her sisters began their fundraising efforts in 2003 by participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City. They raised $38,000 in their first year, and $57,000 the second year. With the help of their brother, Jeffrey, and brother-in-law, Louie Vargas, the foundation continues to grow. It was Joanne Vargas who suggested that the sisters work together to form a foundation called Pink Socs. “Joanne wanted to make a difference in the world,” Vargas, a resident of Branchburg, said about his late wife. “She was a driving force behind the foundation.” Still dealing with the loss of his wife, Vargas said that being able to reach out to others offers satisfaction. “We can’t pull people out of a serious financial hardship, but we can help to make things a little easier,” he said. While the Pinkham family’s fundraising efforts initially were focused on participation in the Avon Walk, having established the Pink Socs Foundation, they have expanded their fundraising efforts to include a night at the races and a car show, and on Sept. 17, the foundation will conduct its annual golf outing. This year, the Northeast Supra Forums/Jonathan Motor Cars/Undercover Performance raised $8,000 for the Pink Socs Foundation. In May, Dispenziere and 400 students from Riley School, where she teaches fourth grade, participated in a walk and raised more than $5,000. In addition to assistance to families facing financial hardship, the organization also offers two scholarship funds — the Joanne Vargas Memorial Scholarship and the Bette Ann Pinkham Memorial Scholarship. “Many of the individuals and families we help are referred to us by a doctor or they may come to us through our website,” Dispenziere said. “There are 34 grandchildren in our family. We hope that the future is brighter for them and a cure is found. But in the meantime, we do what we can do. “We began the organization when two of my sisters were still with us, so it is tough at times, but there is nothing like the feeling of giving.”