To see more photos from the "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" fashion show, click here.
LAS CRUCES -- It was an emotional strut down the catwalk Wednesday for Josie Sanchez.
Just a year ago Sanchez, a mother and a grandmother, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Even though a mammogram revealed no signs of cancer, she persuaded her doctor to do a biopsy, which confirmed her fears.
Now she says she's cancer-free, though still undergoing treatment.
Her participation in the "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" fashion show in front of more than 400 people at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum was a celebration of survival.
"An event like this keeps me going, just to be able to educate others," said Sanchez, wiping tears from her eyes after coming off stage. "The biggest thing I tell women is to know your bodies. All my results were negative, but I knew something was wrong. But I was very blessed."
Sanchez was among several cancer survivors who served as models for the fashion show, which sold out in record time and was sponsored by Emerald Isle Boutique. It's just one of a series of events this month raising money and awareness for breast cancer research and treatment.
New Mexico State University's Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign is in its third year, and has raised $800,000, making it the leading pink campaign in the country, say organizers. It has also funded more
than 300 mammograms for local women, many of whom would not afford it otherwise.
This week's events culminate in a walk-run Saturday morning at NMSU, followed that night by the Aggies football team taking on Prairie View A&M at Aggie Memorial Stadium. All fans are encouraged to wear pink.
Keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said the pink campaign has raised awareness of the importance of early detection, and helped fund mammograms for needy women. She said it has been "a perfect example to never underestimate a woman and what women can accomplish."
Denish said while cancer has not struck her family, in the past six months three of her oldest friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Las Crucen Marilyn Hansen and her friends came to the event to support a friend who is also a cancer survivor. The success of the pink campaign, evidenced by the packed parking lot and line out the door, shows the local support, she said.
"This community has just embraced it," Hansen said. "I think breast cancer is so treatable, even a doctor will tell you, if you find it early."
Fashion show event co-organizer Kathy Dahlin said the fashion show event "speaks a lot for the community, that it rallies around, and that everyone tries to do their own part."
Christopher Schurtz can be reached at cschurtz@lcsun-news.com.
On the Web
• For more information about Tough Enough To Wear Pink, go to http://www.pinkaggies.com.
