Four exceptional choruses from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Southern New Jersey came together in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in an event celebrating World Singing Day 2023 and benefiting the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA).
The driving force behind the Hope in Harmony concert was Dr. Kathy Krantz, a member of Jersey Sound Chorus and of the LBCA Board of Directors. Her chorus joined with Shades of Harmony Chorus and Philadelphia Freedom Chorus, all members of Sweet Adelines International, and ChildrenSong of New Jersey to provide an afternoon of music and a platform for raising awareness about invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and LBCA.
Kathy, who was diagnosed with ILC in Octobers 2019, described the journey that led her to finding LBCA and becoming a board member in remarks to the audience during intermission. She shared that even as a physician, she had been blindsided by her diagnosis as her disease had been totally invisible on mammography. As is so often the case in diagnosing ILC, it was an MRI that revealed a substantial tumor that had already spread to several lymph nodes. Kathy said it was only after turning to LBCA’s extensive ILC resources for information that she learned that “as many as 30% of cases may be missed on mammography.”
LBCA had a table at the event at which LBCA Communications Director Colleen Fitzwater shared LBCA’s informational materials about ILC. Before and after the concert, Kathy and Colleen answered questions about ILC and discussed LBCA’s work.
Initiating this show through her a cappella female barbershop chorus, with a performance to benefit LBCA during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was a perfect way for Kathy to meld her love of music and passion for spreading the word about ILC and how it eludes detection.
“When we realized early on that the benefit concert date we chose for this year corresponded with World Singing Day 2003, it seemed like total serendipity – something that was just meant to be – and the purpose of the program immediately became twofold: to share our love of singing as part of the worldwide World Singing Day celebration (including some audience sing-alongs!) and to promote awareness for ILC and the advocacy and research activities of LBCA during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It has been so gratifying to see this project evolve from a mere glimmer of an idea last spring into such a rewarding collaboration among our several choruses, and everyone is eager to see Hope in Harmony become an annual event in support of LBCA.”
LBCA thanks Kathy and all of the chorus members for this wonderful event, which has truly struck a sweet chord in support of LBCA.
For more information on various ways to fundraise for LBCA, visit our Fundraise page.
