‘Hunt for Hope’ steadfastly spreads awareness of rare cancer

If the public is now learning more about inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, it is thanks to people like Dr. Holly Hamilton, owner of Riverside Family Dental. Hamilton recently organized her 11th annual Hunt for Hope event to benefit the all-volunteer IBC Foundation. Formed in 2011, the nonprofit funds clinical research and treatments for IBC.

IBC is uniquely dangerous in that it doesn’t present with a lump, isn’t found in a mammogram, typically occurs in younger women, and is frequently misdiagnosed, meaning that it can be Stage Four by the time it actually is correctly diagnosed.

“I think that people are definitely more aware of IBC, and I think also there’s been a big push with educating doctors and getting them information on how to treat it, because it is a different treatment modality and standard of care,” said Hamilton.

During Hunt for Hope, costumed teams of men and women met at the main pavilion at Riverview Park to get their scavenger hunt marching orders, after which they wandered about town taking pictures of themselves performing various tasks to raise awareness and funds.

She explained that most major cancer organizations are less inclined to fund research into cancers that are rare and/or that don’t have a good long-term prognosis.

“Only 0.32 percent of research money goes to IBC,” said Hamilton.

“So, while we do have fun, the funding that comes from events like this is much appreciated.

People can be comfortable knowing that 100 percent of what they give goes to fund research.

They’re very transparent in terms of where the money goes,” said Hamilton, adding that the IBC Foundation funded more than $1.7 million from 2012 to 2022.

Hamilton formed Hunt for Hope Florida in honor of her friend, Dr. Lori Grennan, a physician who began the first Hunt for Hope in Ohio and who later succumbed to the disease. Additionally, the MD Anderson Cancer Center named its research program the Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic in honor of a former local resident who died from IBC at age 24.

“So it’s especially important that we continue it, at least in this area, because it was her hope that research would be funded. One of the main reasons I have continued to support this organization is for that very fact and for the education factor,” said Hamilton.

There were several additions to the event this year, including a team trivia challenge.

“We partnered with the Sebastian River High School football program, so the trivia part had a structure like a football game. So we had the first quarter, second quarter, halftime, third quarter, fourth quarter and overtime with different topics.

“And then the overtime was trivia on inflammatory breast cancer. So it was a really informative and we had a lot of fun,” said Hamilton.

The Sunshine Girls were this year’s overall winners, with the Sol Sisters winning the trivia contest, but Hamilton said the teams were exceptionally close.

Additionally, Tyrone Perry, the SRHS football coach, had the idea for a Pink Out Night at the Friday night game before the event, and all the money donated at the concession stand went to Hunt for Hope.

“We just appreciate the community support of our businesses and individuals as well as the regulars that participate every year,” said Hamilton. “My goal is to get people in the doors of the businesses, because that allows them to see who is supporting our community at these events.”

For more information, visit TheIBCNetwork.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis