Paint Pittston Pink President and Co-Founder Barb Sciandra breaks out in laughter during her remarks at a 2018 event. Sciandra talked with the Times Leader about her journey as a cancer survivor, as well as about the success of PPP and organizing this year’s event amid the ongoing pandemic.
Times Leader file photo
Barbara Sciandra talks about beating breast cancer and the success of Paint Pittston Pink as a community fundraiser
Barbara Sciandra waves to the crowd during a past Pittston Tomato Festival Parade.
Times Leader file photo
Barbara Sciandra is a community hero.
Since beating breast cancer nearly a decade ago, she has gone on to become co-founder of the incredibly successful Paint Pittston Pink, a nonprofit organization that raises money for cancer each fall through a series of popular and fun community events.
Barbara and her husband Sal have three children — Jameson, Chase, and Cameron.
Barbara spoke with us on Thursday about her personal health journey, as well as about the creation of Paint Pittston Pink — which, like so many events, is working to bounce back as the fight against COVID-19 continues to impact so many facets of community life.
Because all events were cancelled in 2020, PPP was unable to donate to the University of Pennsylvania and The Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. In 2019, with funds raised, PPP was able to donate $125,000 to both of the organizations mentioned.
PPP has 10 events planned as of now that include: Friday, Sept. 24 – Lantern Launch and Awards Ceremony, Pittston Riverfront Park; Saturday, Sept. 25 – Celebration of Life Blood Drive, Sabatini’s Bottle Shop; Sweat for a Cause, Saturday, Sept. 25 – Evolve, Cycle Yard, Salt Barre, and YMCA; Sunday, Sept. 26 – Purse Bingo, St. Maria Goretti Church Banquet Hall; Monday, Sept. 27, Paint PAZZO Pink, PAZZO Restaurant; Friday, Oct. 1 – Celebrity Bartending Night, Red Mill; Saturday, Oct. 2 – Mass, St. John the Evangelist Church; Saturday, Oct. 2 – 5K race/Gentlemen’s Dash.
Tickets for most events may be purchased online at www.raceroster.com.
PPP is accepting donations via Venmo as well as sending a check to Paint Pittston Pink, 133 South Main Street, Pittston, Pa. 18640. You may also sign up for email notifications at www.paintpittstonpink.org.
Our conversation with Barbara has been edited lightly for length and clarity.
Q: You were diagnosed with breast cancer as a young mother. How did you learn?
A: I was diagnosed in 2012, at the age of 34, after giving birth to our third baby. I felt the lump at the beginning of my pregnancy. It went undiagnosed, and when I had trouble breastfeeding Cameron that’s when I knew something was wrong.
Q: Did you have a family history of breast cancer?
A: There was no history. We still really don’t know what caused it — maybe just the perfect combination of events. But no. All of my genetic testing came back negative. Cancer is just so widespread in this area. There’s a little bit of cancer on both sides of the family, but nothing like this.
Q: What was your treatment like?
A: My left side was stage 3 and my right side was stage 2. So when I was treated we really threw the kitchen sink at it, because we really wanted to be as proactive as possible, especially because I was so young. We had a three-month old, a four-year-old and a five-year-old at the time of my diagnosis, and time was of the essence and we just wanted to make sure we did everything possible to prevent a recurrence.
Fast forward to chemo, a double-mastectomy, radiation, a year’s worth of another medication. I qualified for a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania, and that’s what kind of kicked off all of our local fundraising.
Q: And you’ve been OK since then?
A: Knock on wood. It was nine years in August.
I still participate in the clinical trial. It was moved from Penn to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., where my physician from Penn moved and the trial moved with him. We have our own fund called the Paint Pittston Pink Fund at the University of Pennsylvania and we also donate money to the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Q: You referenced the fundraising. Why did you found Paint Pittston Pink?
A: We felt that a lot of the money with some of these other organizations, it just goes to high-paid CEOs. We were looking for something more with volunteers where 100% of the money raised would go exactly where we want it to, so that’s why we decided to start our own 501c3 organization, and Paint Pittston Pink has kind of blossomed from there.
Q: Did you ever dream PPP would become as big as it has?
A: No! PPP started off where we wanted to do a 5K race and sell flags to line Main Street.
I’m a very spiritual person, and that very first year I just remember feeling like something else was kind of taking over all of this. People laughed when we told them our goal that very first year was to raise $50,000. In the end we ended up being able to donate $30,000. [Ed: By the second year PPP hit that initial goal and has wildly surpassed it since.]
Q: Many people have helped with Paint Pittston Pink — and personally as you were battling cancer. Tell me about that.
A: Without a doubt I wouldn’t have been able to get through anything without my family and friends, my husband, my children, my sister, my mom, my dad — he passed away young, from a heart attack — my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, a ton of family and friends.
Attorney Qiana Lehman was instrumental in getting the 501c3 off the ground. And we have just an amazing team of volunteers that are very passionate. There’s 22 or 23 of us now, and I’ve never worked with a group of people where everyone just gets along. There’s no titles, there’s no egos, everyone just knows what they need to do and they get in and help one another. That’s really what it’s all about.
The City of Pittston, Mayor Lombardo, Councilman Lombardo, they’ve really just helped our area embrace the cause and they’ve been wonderful to work with.
Q: What’s new this year?
A: Last night we actually had a Psychic Medium at The Joint 53 above Rikasa, which was really awesome. We did have some new things planned, but this whole year has just been about planning things and pivoting. We had to cancel some of our main events just because it’s just not safe to have hundreds of people gathered together inside. We had to cancel our celebrity bartending, we had to cancel our night at Pazzo, we had to cancel our dodgeball tournament, but we’re still doing very well.
We’re focused on the fundraising numbers, but what’s more important than that is bringing the community together, and that IS still happening this year.
We’re so appreciative of the outpouring of support, especially in times like these. When we’re still in the middle of a pandemic.
Q: What advice do you have for women about breast cancer?
A: Number one, definitely be proactive. Be sure that you’re getting your mammograms and doing your monthly self-checks, and going to your doctor’s appointments. Breast cancer is not a death sentence like it used to be years ago.
The other thing is definitely to be your own advocate, and make sure you’re doing your own reading and research — but make sure that it’s coming from reputable places.
And make sure you keep a positive attitude. That’s so important to help get you through the treatment and make sure you come out on the other side of your diagnosis.
