Tom, a breast cancer survivor and the face of Positively Pink Packages, was on hand for Pink Cow Bingo at the red barn on County Line Road just south of Andrews Road in Skaneateles and was in awe at the turn out for the event.
The event offered the community a fun afternoon out of the house and also gave them an opportunity to show their support for breast cancer awareness.
“I came from Connecticut just for this event,” said Shelly Gambino, a summer Skaneateles resident who found herself on the planning committee for the event.
The committee, which included seven women from the community, brainstormed frequently to come up with new and exciting events to be held alongside the main fundraiser. Those ideas included a porta potty decorating contest, pony rides by the Claire Affleck Training Center, having motivational humorist and national speaker Yvonne Conte act as a guest judge and “Chairity,” an auction of chairs that were painted by breast cancer survivors with their stories inscribed on the furniture.
The porta potty decorating contest involved various members of the business community, like The Dealer Auto Sales, and Onondaga County Legislator Jim Rhinehart.
As a breast cancer supporter, Rhinehart said he was more than happy to participate when asked by Sue Dove, executive director of the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce. At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Rhinehart said participants were already on site busily decorating their potties.
As for the main event, Rhinehart said cow bingo is a pretty neat idea.
“We did one at the Ski Hill about 20 years ago,” he said, noting its success and the amount of work that goes into such an event. “It’s easier when I’m not running it.”
Rhinehart, who was donned in a pink shirt and hat, added the event was for a great cause and always brings out a lot of people.
Laura Ponticello of Laura’s List: Books for Women hosted the main event in the barn where all the action was and introduced Amy Dickinson, better known as syndicated advice columnist “Ask Amy” and author of “The Mighty Queens of Freeville,” who attended the event and signed copies of her memoir for Creekside Books and Coffee customers.
“What I love, too, are the people who don’t have a personal connection and are here anyway,” Dickinson said after asking those who have a personal connection to breast cancer to clap their hands.
After the introductions were over, the stars of the event were led into the barn — Amara and Debenair, both year-old dairy cows from the Rohe family farm on Onondaga Hill.
“We do this kind of stuff a lot,” said Patrick Rohe, who came to the event with his sisters Meghan, a freshman at Marcellus High School, and Erin, the Onondaga County Dairy Princess and a freshman at Onondaga Community College.
Patrick Rohe said the family’s dairy cows have been involved in events like a milking contest at the State Fair with Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim, but this was the first time for Amara and Debenair to be the center of attention.
The first “plop” made by the cows made a winner out of Carrie Berse and the staff of Crouse Health Foundation. The prize was more than $1,000 worth of gifts including champagne glasses, a case of pinot grigio champagne, a gift certificate for two tickets to the Syracuse Opera and gift certificates for dining out.
Berse said she and other members of the foundation staff pitched in to purchase their ticket from Sharon Slater, a member of the event committee and a breast cancer survivor.
