The Lady In The Pink Cowboy Hat Wears Many … Hats That Is
By ELLYN SANTIAGO
The bright, cloudless blue-sky October day was awash in pink. Pink-clad walkers, pink balloons and pink inflatables, pink pumpkins, pink flowers, and more pink.
But the pink cowboy hat with all its rows of pins is unmistakable.
“Have a great walk! Have a great walk!”
If she could, TBBCF founding member Ellen Swercewski would have greeted every one of the more than 350 walkers in the 19th annual Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation’s Walk for a Cure.
Along the way, Swercewski met many folks, like Liam and Eve and their dog Grady on Gardiners Wood Road in Waterford: “They moved in about a year ago, heard about our walk and decorated and cheered walkers on and provided water and chocolate,” she wrote on Facebook, just one of the social media channels she manages for the Foundation. TBBCF is all over social: on “X,” previously Twitter, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn. Swercewski, among TBBCF’s greatest cheerleaders, is the Foundation’s social media guru. And at the Oct. 5 Walk For a Cure, she was out in her signature pink cowboy hat and pink hoodie.
“I’ve always believed in social media to get the word out,” Swercewski shared. Perhaps not the likeliest of social media managers, she has nonetheless built out social accounts with thousands of followers.
“When I started, it was slow, building it all up. I’m not sure everyone thought there was an importance to posting on social media, and having that presence,” she noted, but quickly added that soon enough, the significance would become clear.
“I started videotaping and taking photos of the walk for social media about ten years ago. From the beginning of the Walk until the end. I follow the full, half and quarter marathons, taking photos of traffic volunteers and volunteers at pit stops, police officers at the various critical crossings, the lunch and closing ceremonies crew, walkers, and the spirit teams who cheer on the walkers. I also take video of opening and closing ceremonies and speakers. I have a blast doing it,” Swercewski shared joyfully. “This is another way for people who can’t be at the Walk to engage and see the event as it unfolds. Social media is a great way to get our message out. And I love doing it.”
When asked if she recognized that doing social media posts is akin to being a documentarian, she said, “That sounds too important.” But she does document the Walk, shares stories from community members holding fundraising events, posts photos and videos, and does it all religiously.
At the end of this year’s signature event, which had 385 registered walkers and 134 volunteers, breast cancer researcher and TBBCF grant fellow, Dr. Ada Waks, shared powerful closing remarks. She described the Walk as “such a joyful event,” while telling the gathered that TBBCF, “Has helped me to move my research forward.”
Swercewski took the video and posted it to Facebook. It has nearly 900 views.
“Pictures and videos get the most Likes,” Swercewski said.
Visit our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/tbbcf; our Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/tbbcf; our "X" page, https://x.com/tbbcf; and our LinkedIn Page, https://tinyurl.com/d5x93uvf.
And give TBBCF a follow. The woman in the pink cowboy hat will really ‘Like’ that.