The Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan County Cancer Awareness Pageant recently made donations to oncology departments at Garnet Health Medical Centers in Middletown and Harris.

The pageant, founded by current director Kira Braught, welcomes anyone who has been affected by cancer in any way. They donated monies raised from application fees sent in by pageant participants, giving $400 to Garnet Health’s Spagnoli Center in Middletown in November.

They made a separate donation of boxes of food donations to the Harris location in December.

Kristin Young, who was the pageant’s 2020 Ms. Cancer Awareness worked with Will Hatton of Peck’s Market in Jeffersonville to set up donation boxes to collect food and personal items at all four of their locations.

They collected 320 food and personal items and delivered them to Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills last month.

“My involvement in the pageant was very personal, as I've lost many people to cancer, as well as participated and eventually managed the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in the County,” said Young. “I worked closely with Garnet Health; I was involved with the '80% by 2018' initiative! That was a pretty great feeling. I also survived cervical cancer with early detection; Robert J. Kaiser Middle School students receive donation of new high-end 3D printer something I've spoken to many people about to hopefully remove the stigma and get their yearly checkups.”

Young said she knows how tirelessly the hospital’s staff works and what a small act of kindness can do during a moment of doubt.

“I hope these items bring even a little comfort to some of your patients,” said Young.

For more information about how to become involved with the Sullivan County Cancer Awareness Pageant, email Braught at missbreastcancerawareness@gmail.com.