With Breast Cancer Awareness month only a few days away, three local businesses have joined for an artistic approach to the disease that afflicts hundreds of thousands of women around the globe.

Curtis Jermany of GZ PhotoZoom Photography and Jowhari Trahan of Zarif Soulye Shoe Showroom have collaborated with Sherron and Stacy Hogg of the Sharon Randolph Foundation to produce a month-long series of events, beginning with "PiNK" Art Exhibit Opening Reception on Oct. 1. (See complete listing at the end of this article.)

"The exhibit 'PiNK' features five Bay Area artists, some of whom have agreed to donate pieces to be later auctioned off at the end of the month," said Jermany, whose gallery showcases the work from a wide range of artists. "It serves as a collaborative of photographic art for a cause."

All of the organizers have a unique perspective on the mission of the upcoming events.   

Trahan, who has brought together a collection of "PiNK" women's footwear and will be giving half of the sales proceeds to the Randolph Foundation, is passionate about raising both money and awareness.

"Breast cancer in our community is still a sensitive issue," Trahan said. "Curtis and I didn't want to support the large, corporate organizations. We wanted to work with a small group helping people in the community.  We had another group in mind but one evening, there were some people over talking about the events we were planning for October. As we talked, Stacy, Sherron and their Sharon Randolph Foundation came up on Facebook. I sent them a message that night, they answered immediately.  The ball has been rolling full force every since."

These sentiments are echoed by the sisters. 

"We welcome donations ... we're planning to raise at least $25,000 during the month of October," Sherron Randolph said. "But people have to realize this money is going to directly benefit the women in our community who have breast cancer. It is not going to big, corporate entities for "research" or "discovering the cure. They've gotten billions over the years and all we have are treatments that get more and more expensive." 

A foundation is born

The Sharon Randolph Foundation was started in 2004 by Randolph's children - Sherron, Stacy and Sedric (now deceased) in honor of their mother.

Sharon Randolph was one of the Bay Area's accomplished pianists, in demand by musicians playing both secular and gospel music. She had a fulfilling day job and the rest of the time she satisfied her artistic self. Life was good. Then one day she discovered a lump on her breast. She was 44 years old.

Doctors took a biopsy and found that the lump was malignant. Randolph and her family, especially her daughters Stacy and Sherron, now descended into the frightening, uncaring, expensive medical world. The doctors performed aggressive surgery - a mastectomy. Then chemotherapy for three months. The cancer was in remission for a year and then it came back with a vengeance - the cancer was in her bones and she had lesions on her liver, lungs and brain. The cancer and the treatments became more aggressive.

Even during these treatments, the elder Randolph fought the pain and sickness and went to work everyday to pay for her share of the cancer care medical costs. Soon the treatments were so costly she had to choose between paying rent, car note and other bills and paying for treatments. Because of her income, she didn't qualify for any assistance programs. She was evicted from her home and her car was repossessed.  She continued to go to work using public transportation, ended up moving into her parent's secondary home. Sherron, who ran a day care, also moved in so she could help.  

The cancer and a seemingly uncaring medical system - demanding costly payments before procedures would be done or medicine dispensed - was winning. Since Randolph did not have medical benefits, she was asked to pay a $800 monthly co-pay to receive chemotherapy treatments through Medi-Cal before she could be seen. She didn't have all of it so she didn't get the treatment. After this, Sherron found a way to put her mother on as an employee so she could get health coverage.

When Randolph could no longer work, she applied for disability and unemployment; each was short term and ran out quickly. She applied for Social Security and was denied because she had worked the 12 months before she applied. She appealed, won, but it took so long, she only got three checks before she died.  

Battling the disease was bad enough; the battle for compassionate care was just as draining. On her last visit to the doctor, he bluntly told her, "The treatments aren't working. You only have about six months to live. I'm referring you to hospice." When she asked what that meant, he replied, "We will provide morphine. You will sleep a lot more. You'll eventually sleep away." And upon that note, he left her and her family to deal with his words as best they could.  

Giving women new life

Hogg, whose professional name is Stacy Audriene, is a singer who followed her mother into the world of music. A listening party for her CD, scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 22, will be part of the fundraiser.  

Tears come to Hogg's eyes as she talks about the services provided by the Randolph Foundation, services which are all based on the bittersweet memories of their mother's experiences. 

"We want to enhance the quality of life for women with breast cancer," she said. "We provide hair replacement so they can feel good about the way they look. We want to give one-time stipends for those going through financial hardships. And we encourage women to do self-exams to check for lumps and early mammograms - before age 40.   

"We educated ourselves to help our mother and we're offering the programs we feel should have been in place for her and other women like her. If we knew then what we know now, she'd still be alive," Bogg added. "Our Mom was sacrificed so we could learn all we know right now. If she hadn't died, we'd still be ignorant about this. We want people to be aware. Think for yourself, be an advocate for yourself, know your own body. We're also promoting healthy diets, exercise and a healthy lifestyle."  

It's all about the quality of life," Sherron said. "We want to help make the quality of life better so the women can concentrate on healing." 

If You Go

If you'd like to attend the events that will benefit the Sharon Randolph Foundation, following is the calendar and contact information:

• Oct. 1    2 p.m. - GZ Soulye Presents "PiNK" Art Exhibit Opening Reception
• Oct. 7    6 p.m. - GZ Soulye Presents "Benefit Network Cocktail Mixer and
•                            Information Night" where supporters and survivors
•                            can network
• Oct. 15   2 p.m. - Zarif Soulye Presents, "Champaign Sip Pink Shoe Soiree."  
•                           Half of proceeds from the event will go to the foundation
• Oct. 22   6 p.m. - GZ Soulye Presents Stacy Audriene Listener Party
• Oct. 24   6 p.m. - MooD-ology Happy Hour fashion industry networking mixer
• Oct. 29   2 p.m. - "PiNK" Closing Reception and Silent Auction 

These events will be held at GZ/Soulye Studios/Showroom/Gallery, 2615 Magnolia St., Suite D, Oakland.

For more information GZ/Soulye at www.gzsoulye.com; GZ PhotoZ.com Photography, www.gzphotoz.com or www.SharonRandolphFoundation.org.