Plan

To establish the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Pink Tulip Project as a symbol of hope and renewal for breast cancer patients and their families and raise money for MCF’s Women’s Cancer Fund. In the fall, sponsors purchased a total of 15,000 pink tulip bulbs that were planted by local volunteers at 30 public garden sites in Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn and Portland. News conferences featured Pink Tulip Founder Robin Whitten, Mayors, MCF Executives, US Senate representatives, breast cancer survivors, and Medical Directors from local hospitals. In May, when the pink tulips bloomed on the Friday before Mother’s Day, the media was invited to attend the ‘Blessing of the Blooms” news conferences that were held at garden sites.

The Maine Cancer Foundation received $50,000 in Pink Tulip Project donations. Johnny’s Selected Seeds partnered with the Maine Cancer Foundation to fulfill small orders of Pink Tulip Project bulbs for home gardens. The Pink Tulip Project inspired many gardens to be planted across Maine in support of breast cancer survivors. A year later nearly 40,000 pink tulips were planted.