Welcome to
Beth's Friends Forever
In July 2014, our beloved Beth Hanning was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Her experiences battling and defeating this disease inspired the creation of
Beth’s Friends Forever (BFF).
Who Is Beth?
And WHY should you be her friend?
You may not know Beth Hanning or her husband Mickey personally, but nearly everyone knows about the 4-day festival they co-founded: San Fermin in Nueva Orleans (SFNO), aka The Running of the Bulls in New Orleans. Shortly before the 8th edition of this epic cultural event, Mickey asked Beth about a lump he'd discovered. She was startled when he brought it to her attention; her recent breast cancer screening had been completely clear and she hadn't even noticed it. She wisely scheduled an appointment for the day after SFNO to be certain even though she assured herself that it was “probably nothing."
Her doctor decided to biopsy the lump to be on the safe side, and on July 24th, 2014 the news came—
“You have breast cancer.”
Though a trying time lay ahead, one stroke of luck was that a year earlier, Mickey had enrolled them in a supplemental cancer policy through his employer. Because not all of the costs and expenses of her treatment were covered by their primary health insurance, the supplemental policy became critical to their financial and emotional well-being. It was this experience that led to the inception BFF.
Mickey shared his thoughts with friend and fellow avid cyclist, Scott Galante. Since 2010, their Team Nola Bulls Cycling Squad has raised nearly $500,000 for charities. The majority of which was raised through organized charity bike rides. During Beth’s chemotherapy, on a long ride together, Scott and Mickey decided they could put their fundraising experience to use supporting women in the New Orleans area. There are many women unable to afford supplemental insurance, and many more that could simply use a helping hand during their battle.
Starting in 2015, SFNO and Team Nola Bulls are putting their full efforts toward the mission of raising money and awareness for Beth’s Friends Forever. The mission of Beth's Friends Forever is to help supplement the resources of women fighting cancer in the Greater New Orleans area. We hope you will join us in this effort and soon become a BFF yourself.