A year after Stacy Small lost her mother to an 18-year battle with breast cancer, she decided to visit Maui, Hawaii. As a luxury travel agent, this was not her first time to the picturesque island. Each prior visit she was drawn to Maui’s welcoming community. But this time was different. Driven by her mother’s memory and the desire to help others affected by the disease, she decided to host a fundraiser on the island to support critical breast cancer research.
“All the pieces started to fall into place,” Stacy said referring to the moments after her trip to Maui. “Kapalua holds such a special place in my heart, and the support of the people there really made the idea come alive.”
After belonging to the BCRF family for years, Stacy decided to team up with Play For P.I.N.K. (PFP), an organization run by more than 30,000 volunteers that has raised over $38.5 million for BCRF, to launch her event. To that end, PFP Kapalua was born. The golf and tennis themed weekend will be held on Columbus Day weekend: October 9-12, 2015.
PFP Kapalua is the first of its kind. There will be golf and tennis tournaments, fundraising celebrations at local restaurants and hotels, a fashion show, wellness and spa activities, and unique Maui-based adventures.
After reaching out to local businesses and national carriers like Delta, Stacy was thrilled to see her event come together. Montage Kapalua Bay was the first to jump on board to host guests followed by The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Napili Kai Beach Resort. Soon after, Delta offered special rates to those participating in the tournament and Kapalua Golf & Tennis wanted to support the cause in all ways possible.
All three host-hotels will be donating 20 percent of every room night booked through Elite Travel International back to Play for P.I.N.K. to benefit BCRF. In addition, all proceeds of the weekend’s activities and sponsorships will contribute to PFP Kapalua’s goal of funding two research grants, a total of $500,000.
“PFP Kapalua has allowed me to channel the grief and sadness of losing my mom and turn it into a positive thing that will benefit BCRF,” says Stacy. “It’s a way for me to rally around the cause in the hopes that no one has to go through what I went through.”
Stacy Small has been integral to the BCRF family for many years, serving as an unofficial “west coast ambassador” for the Foundation. Stacy was introduced to BCRF in 2006, after meeting BCRF Advisory Board Member Sandy Krakoff while living in Palm Beach. The Hot Pink Palm Beach Luncheon and Symposium became a special moment for Stacy and her mother, who at the time was in the midst of her breast cancer treatment.
“When my mother and I met Evelyn Lauder it was like meeting a rock star,” Stacy describes. “It was the people of BCRF; meeting President Myra Biblowit, Drs. Larry Norton and Cliff Hudis, that showed us there was hope on the horizon for breast cancer research.”
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