Oh Well!
Real Men Wear Pink
From silent grief to bold action, 11 local men are showing what it really means to fight breast cancer—wearing pink with purpose and heart.
- Heather Anne Lee
- Fred Lopez
Men are taught to be the rock. The anchor. The fixer. But what happens when you can’t fix it?
You become the ride to chemo. The late-night Googler of side effects. The one who handles school drop-offs and evening homework. Who wipes the tears from scared kids’ faces. Who calls the insurance company—again and again. The one who takes a walk so she doesn’t see you unraveling.
And in a world of pink campaigns, pink cookies, and pink ribbons, it’s easy to forget who’s walking next to the women in the fight.
This is a story about those men. The ones who carry the pink ribbons, not just wear them.
The ones who grieve quietly, love loudly, and show up anyway.
That’s what the Men Wear Pink campaign is all about.
Since 2013, the initiative from the American Cancer Society has given men a visible role in the fight to end breast cancer as we know it—for everyone. In Central Florida, it’s more than a campaign. It’s personal. It’s community. And it’s a reminder that strength doesn’t mean silence.
Local Men Wear Pink ambassadors fundraise for breast cancer research, advocate for health equity, and support programs like Hope Lodge in Tampa and Jacksonville—providing free lodging for patients and caregivers during treatment.
Last year, more than 40,000 walkers filled the streets of Lake Eola during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. They’ll do it again on Oct. 25, 2025—step by step, dollar by dollar, story by story.
As local Men Wear Pink organizer Megan Gunter says: “This campaign isn’t about a color. It’s about community. These men are showing up because breast cancer touches everyone—and they’re proving that strength doesn’t mean staying silent.”
Peter Staples
“I just want to do something.”
Peter still remembers the drive to Miami. The first one—the naïve one. The one where they didn’t know yet.
“We thought it was nothing,” he says. “My wife is so healthy. Runs. Eats clean. She does everything right.”
But then came the biopsy. Then came the word: cancer.
His wife, Karilyn, was diagnosed this spring. She’s now in her second round of chemo. Pete is juggling work, the two boys—ages 6 and 9—and a to-do list filled with worry and hospital appointments.
“You feel helpless,” he admits. “All you want to do is take the pain from her. But you can’t. So you make sure the kids are OK, you keep the house running, and you just love her as hard as you can.”
They’ve driven hours to find the right doctor. She’s changed her diet, purged microplastics from their home, and researched every new study. Pete supports her through it all.
“That’s why I joined Men Wear Pink,” he says. “Because I can’t take away the cancer, but I can do something. Anything. To make her feel seen. To make sure other families don’t have to go through this.”
“Because I can’t take away the cancer, but I can do something. Anything to make her feel seen.”
Dennis Jones
“I can’t bring her back,” Dennis says. “But I can keep her spirit moving forward.”
His mother passed away after a two-year battle with breast cancer. In the wake of her death, Dennis turned grief into action. For 12 years, he organized a downtown cycling event that raised tens of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research.
“Every year, we had around 400 riders,” he says. “It was a way to channel the loss into something good.”
Eventually, the logistics became too much. The city grew, traffic made the route unsafe, and the event came to a close.
After a two-year pause, Dennis is back in the fight—this time not on a bike, but in pink.
“When Megan reached out about Men Wear Pink, I said yes right away,” he says. “This is personal. Everybody knows someone. If it’s not your family, it’s your friend’s family. That’s why I’m here.”
“This is personal. Everybody knows someone. If it’s not your family, it’s your friend’s family.”
Andy Raphael
“Fifteen years. And we’re still standing.”
Andy knows not all cancers wear pink. His wife is a colon cancer survivor—15 years strong. But the colors don’t matter. The battle is the same.
“She went through chemo, had a colon resection,” he says. “We’ve lived it. And I believe if we find a cure for one kind of cancer, we get closer to curing them all.”
So when Megan called, Andy didn’t hesitate. “She said, ‘You wear pink already—this is perfect,’” he laughs. “But it was more than that. It was about being part of something hopeful. I’m proud to wear pink for her—and for all of us still fighting.”
“I’m proud to wear pink for her—and for all of us still fighting.”
Chris Chan
“Sometimes, people just need the opportunity.”
Chris Chan gets asked to support a lot of causes. He usually says no. But when breast cancer came calling, it felt different.
“This one mattered,” he says. “Even if it hasn’t touched me directly, it’s always one degree away. We all know someone.”
Chris is using his platform at Vibes to fundraise, raise awareness, and show up.
“People want to help,” he says. “They just don’t always know how. It’s like when you’re at the checkout line and they ask if you want to donate a dollar. You say yes—because someone asked. I’m just trying to be the one who asks.”
“ Even if it hasn’t touched me directly, it’s always one degree away. We all know someone.”
16%
of women with breast cancer are younger than 50 years of age.
1 in 8
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
+297,000
new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2025.
2,800
cases will be diagnosed in men.
Early detection increases 5-year survival rates to 99% when caught at Stage 1.
Men Wear Pink is an initiative by the American Cancer Society empowering men to fundraise, advocate, and raise awareness for breast cancer. Learn more or donate: www.menwearpink.org
Men Wear Pink Ambassadors
Peter Staples, West Orange High School
Alan Delahunt, Crooked Can Brewing Co.
Andy Raphael, Big Boards Catering
Chris Chan, Winter Garden Vibes
Dennis Jones, Winter Garden Wheel Works
Dr. Salil Gupta, CHO Life Coaching
Stephen Herron, Florida Foam Factory
Scott Britain, All Rite Fence
Todd Bryant, Signature Wealth Partners
Vipul Patel, Hallmark Homecare LLC
Zach Waxler, NBC Sports NEXT/ GolfNow
