“Knowing I had the resources and the support to get through this diagnosis twice, I always felt compelled to pay it forward for those who don’t have health insurance or a support network as I did.”
Pam Praetorius, Morgan Stanley
There are approximately 500,000 patients in active treatment for breast cancer in the United States, and more than one-third of them will face extreme financial hardship due to the high cost of treatment and missed work. Pam Praetorius knows that reality firsthand, she has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice and has seen other women struggle through it without the resources she had.
We’re pleased to recognize Praetorius, of Morgan Stanley in Garden City, NY, as a Volunteer of the Year Award finalist for the 2026 Invest in Others Awards, for her work with Pink Aid, whose mission is to provide compassionate support, critical resources and emergency financial assistance to underserved breast cancer patients and their families.
Pink Aid started in 2011 as a small local nonprofit in Westport, CT. Praetorius became involved in 2014 and was instrumental in expanding the organization’s footprint to Long Island, NY.
She co-founded the Long Island Pink Purse Program and co-chairs the Pink Purse Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which provides compassionate support and rapid emergency financial assistance, within 48 hours, to breast cancer patients in treatment. By 2020, Pink Aid had expanded nationwide, supporting more than 10,000 individuals with more than $5 million in emergency financial assistance.
Igniting this exponential growth, first in Long Island and then across the country, is Praetorius’s proudest achievement with Pink Aid. “I am beyond honored to be a part of the solution for so many breast cancer patients providing them with compassionate support in their moment of need,” said Praetorius.
“Since helping to create Pink Aide and our programs on Long Island, Pam continues to serve on the Long Island Advisory Board, our annual Gala and Fashion Show Committee, as a Pink Purse financial assistance application reviewer, and on our local grants committee,” said Michelle Przypyszny, Executive Director of Pink Aid. “I am proud to call Pam a friend, advisor and visionary for Pink Aid.” As a Volunteer of the Year Award finalist, Pink Aid will receive a $25,000 grant from Invest in Others to enable them to continue expanding its services to breast cancer patients. We look forward to celebrating Praetorius’s story at this year’s Invest in Others Awards Gala.
