When Dalila Alexander retired from nursing, she made art. Watercolors, yarn, dioramas, any art medium, Dee (as she is affectionately known), was open to trying it all. Both of her parents were inspired by the arts and her father would often create dioramas.
So, when Riverside’s breast cancer awareness walk, Pink on Parade, went virtual and asked community members to submit works of art where the winning submission would be used as the inspiration for the following year’s t-shirt design, it was no surprise that Dee submitted a diorama.
Dee submitted her diorama which showcased shades of various poodles in front of a hospital with the phrase “Hey ladies let’s get our ‘puppies’ checked.” Though the diorama was cute and light-hearted, Dee was inspired by the memory of her late mother, writing:
“With each twirling of the yarn, each sweep of my paint brush, and each stroke of my pen in creating this diorama, I was wishing she were here with me. I lost my mom to breast cancer. I hope the message of this display will encourage monthly exams and yearly mammograms, and thus save lives.”
As a breast cancer advocate, Dee ensures that she gets her annual mammograms and reminds her daughter to do the same. “I just don’t want anyone else to go through it,” she reflected. “If acted early on you can do something about it; it’s about prevention.”
“I had no idea where it was heading,” recalled Dee about the Pink on Parade art contest. “I’m not a competitive person but once my friends started hearing about it, they said ‘Hey, we’re going to get you to win!’.”
With the support of her family and friends, her diorama was a success—Dee had won the Pink on Parade Art contest receiving over 700 votes.
When Dee entered the contest, she was just making art, but she realized her design meant much more. On October 15, Dee attended in-person breast cancer awareness walk and saw her diorama come to life, gracing the fronts of the official 2022 Pink on Parade t-shirts.
When mothers, aunts, and sisters come across their Pink on Parade shirts throughout the year, they’ll be reminded to put their health first, and get those “puppies checked” by scheduling their annual mammogram appointments.
Whether you are sharing your story, volunteering your time, donating to one of our programs or submitting an entry for Pink on Parade’s art contest, you have the power to impact the lives of others. Nothing one does in life is without design and purpose.
