Breast Cancer is something that many suffer from, but there are those who choose to share laughter during their trying times.

In connection with Breast Cancer Awareness Month this Friday, October 28, Dope Culture, a black-owned community event company for the Pacific Northwest, presents a comedy fundraiser, Laugh 4 Pink.

The event is being hosted by comedian Ralph Porter with special guest comedians Esau Mcgraw, Kanisha Buss, and BoBlast at the Federal Way Performing Arts Center.

Dope Culture is offering free tickets to breast cancer survivors by emailing Dope Culture and their team.

Dope Culture is giving proceeds to the Rivkin foundation, the Cierra Sisters non-profit organization, and providing help to women in the community currently fighting breast cancer.

“It’s important for women to be aware of this disease and strongly emphasize [that] early detection is key,” said Sarah Child, executive assistant director of operation of Dope Culture events and 2017 Highline college alumni.

Anthony Tibbs, CEO of Dope Culture created the Laugh 4 Pink five years ago. Tibbs’ grandmother had an encounter with breast cancer and Michelle Tibbs, his child’s mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer, but thankfully won the battle. 

Over the years Laugh 4 Pink has been supported by organizations like AfricaTown. Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Skyhawks Sports Academy, Seattle Superhawks, Shannon Horton Real Estate, and Guild Mortgage.

This year, the Federal Way Performing Arts Center reached out to the Laugh 4 Pink team after hearing about it, asking to be a part of this charity to raise awareness in the community.

The message that Tibbs’ team (consisting of Breast Cancer Survivors like Michelle Tibbs; Crystal Cherry, a community advocate; and more) wants to send out is the importance of early detection of breast cancer by doing self checks and mammograms, especially for the Black community.

The American Cancer Society notes that there are differences in the survival rate of victims. “Black women who develop breast cancer are less likely than any other race to be alive 5 years after their diagnosis,” as said on their website.

The way to make progress for more breast cancer survivors is by working together. “[By increasing access] to high-quality screening and treatment via nationwide Medicaid expansion and partnerships [throughout the community] of stakeholders, advocacy groups, and health systems,” said the American Cancer Society on their website.

Sarah Child, assistant to the CEO of Dope Culture, says her grandmother sadly passed away before she was born due to breast cancer.

When asking her doctor for his opinion on getting a mammogram to detect any cancer, Child’s doctor recommended scheduling a scan when she’s 45, even with her grandmother’s history.

She became concerned with this after hearing, not one but two, of her close friends in their 30s did self checks and found lumps in their breasts.

Tibbs has created projects like this before, raising awareness for the community using his other company Third Level Events, which has been around the greater Seattle area for more than 30 years providing entertainment while educating his community on important issues.

Tibbs emphasized that it is important to let issues like breast cancer not seem depressing to speak about, it should be welcoming for everyone. “Laughter is the best medicine,” he said.