Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and City of Springfield and Springfield Public Schools - Massachusetts employees joined today to recognize and support Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Rays of Hope with their annual “Pink & Denim Day” fundraising event on Thursday. The Pink & Denim Day event takes place each year ahead of the annual Rays of Hope - Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer taking place this Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Today, Mayor Sarno and pink-clad employees gathered on the front steps of City Hall with Rays of Hope founder Lucy Giuggio Carvalho, Director of the Baystate Health Foundation Kathy Tobin, Dr. Rawad Elias from Baystate Health. Mayor Sarno issued a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and presented the Pink & Denim Day donations to the Foundation.
The City of Springfield and Springfield Public Schools collectively raised over $6,000 just this year for Pink & Denim Day in support of Rays of Hope!
To date, Rays of Hope has raised over $17.2 million helping individuals in the fight against breast cancer by walking alongside them on their cancer journey. Through the Baystate Health Breast Network, Rays of Hope cares for the whole person from diagnosis and beyond by supporting research at the Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research, providing funding for state-of-the-art equipment, breast health programs and outreach and education throughout Baystate Health, support to patients and survivors, as well as providing grants for complementary therapies and cancer programs to our community partners throughout western Massachusetts.
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the Rays of Hope and their mission to help find a cure for breast cancer and support those fighting against it. To mark this historic significance, Mayor Sarno has put out a call once again to local businesses and the community asking to help light up the City of Springfield pink during the month of October for breast cancer awareness. The Campanile Clock Tower at City Hall, and Union Station and the parking garage will light up pink during the month of October.
Pink “rays of hope” will shine throughout the city as many organizations and businesses have answered the call and have joined in lighting up pink including Monarch Enterprises, the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Colvest Group, Tower Square, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), Square One, Colebrook Realty, Caring Health Center, MGM Springfield, Springfield College, and the MassMutual Center.
Mayor Sarno states, “Since taking office in 2008, my administration, through the generosity of our employees have raised tens of thousands of dollars to proudly support and stand in solidarity with the Rays of Hope and the many individuals and families they support. We all have family, friends and loved ones who have battled this challenge, but thanks to the continued support and dedicated efforts from the Rays of Hope team, they do not have to face this challenge alone. This year marks the 32nd Anniversary for Rays of Hope. To celebrate this joyous occasion, we are respectfully asking all of our local businesses and residents to help ‘Light Up Springfield Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness during the month of October. We also proudly joined on the front steps of City Hall together to present our donations to this great organization. Thank you to our city and school teams for their ongoing generosity. Please join with us as we continue to help support this worthy cause and organization, and I also look forward to seeing everyone at the Walk for a Cure this Sunday at Temple Beth El and Forest Park.”
Learn more and register for the Rays of Hope walk/run this weekend: https://www.baystatehealth.org/events/rays-of-hope
