Volunteer Spotlight: Peggy Whelan
Twenty Years of Showing Up
Ask Peggy Whelan about being in the spotlight, and she’ll tell you she’d happily leave that to someone else. This year, Dance for the Cure celebrates the 20th anniversary of its annual fundraiser, Ribbons of Hope—and we’re delighted to shine a little light on a volunteer who has been part of the event since the beginning.
DFC has been helping local breast cancer patients for 27 years. Peggy joined the organization in 2006, when DFC Co-founder Joanne Liscovitz introduced her to its work, and helped plan the very first Ribbons of Hope. That introduction began twenty years of lending a hand, learning new tasks, and helping turn community generosity into support for local women facing breast cancer.
Peggy remembers the early days fondly: a small team gathered in a fellow volunteer’s basement, preparing for the fundraiser and discovering that “pink,” “glue dot,” and “shrink wrap” could all be verbs. Anyone who has spent an afternoon getting baskets ready for Ribbons of Hope will appreciate that particular vocabulary.
Joanne has come to appreciate Peggy’s steady presence over those years. “Peggy is the kind of volunteer every organization hopes to have, quietly committed, consistently dependable, and always willing to share thoughtful ideas with the desire to make a difference. Her contributions may happen behind the scenes, but their impact is felt throughout everything we do.”
As DFC grew, Peggy grew with it, taking on new tasks with encouragement from the volunteers around her. There was always someone willing to show her the ropes and cheer her on—a welcome that made stepping into something new easy. Today, she participates in the Pink Bow Project and serves as a Helper Bee at Basket Central, lending a hand with the many tasks that help the Basket Genies bring their creations together. She has loved watching that small basement crew become a larger volunteer community, creating a fundraiser to be proud of and finding more ways to help.
Co-founder Kathleen Cirioli appreciates the way Peggy approaches that work. “Peggy is helpful in so many needed areas, and I am always impressed by her genuine smile and her kind and calm demeanor when tackling a project.”
What keeps Peggy involved is a simple belief: even when life gets busy, showing up for people facing tough times matters. DFC has given her ways to contribute that fit her life, with the satisfaction of knowing that her efforts help local women experiencing financial hardship during breast cancer treatment.
Twenty years after Joanne’s introduction, Peggy is still showing up. We’re so glad Peggy has been part of DFC all these years, and we thank her for the time and care she continues to give.
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