Speeches & Editorials
Pink Ribbon Gala
Remarks for Ambassador Roland E. Arnall
The Hague, Grote Kerk, March 24, 2007
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, we are honored this evening to be joined by the other guests of honor, Counsul General Marjorie Ames and her husband Robert Satrom and are sorry that Mayor Deetman and his wife, Margriet were unable to be here.
Winston Churchill said, “We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.” His words, I believe, are so appropriate for this evening’s gala -- for any and all of us whose lives have been, and are, violated by an insidious disease that afflicts without cause, without warning.
Tonight, we are gathered – as we had last year – to recognize and acknowledge the determination and support you so readily give in confronting, struggling with, and striving towards finding a cure for breast cancer. Through constant and continuing research we become more educated about the disease; and, through further and more pronounced education we become more vigorous advocates in our endeavours.
Last year’s Pink Gala event was my first formal introduction - as the United States Ambassador - into the philanthropic affairs of the Netherlands. My wife, Dawn, and I were enamored with the elegance and purposefulness of the evening’s festivities. The raison d’etre for this evening’s event is a far-reaching and essential undertaking - one that is paramount for each of us here, and everyone elsewhere. There is a sometimes hushed, sometimes explosive fear that wraps itself around a cancer patient. It is a fear unknown to all but those having suffered from and those suffering with the disease. Yet it is a fear we come to face, and a fear we hope to come to understand, and to overcome. Eleanor Roosevelt expressed it well when she said,
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ ”
Your fight - our fight - is surmountable, our objectives, our aspirations, achievable. Voice is given to this imperative and valiant cause by many recognizable, admirable, individuals. Lance Armstrong, athlete extraordinaire, shows us how invincible the human body and spirit are; and, Betty Ford, wife of Gerald Ford, America’s 38th President, spoke about her battle with breast cancer, her mastectomy, and her survival. Their stories of survival are only a two among the countless thousands who brave the disease every day – many endlessly, all courageously. And, we are fortunate and grateful to have some of you with us tonight.
Tonight’s Pink Gala celebration was named in deference to the international symbol of breast cancer awareness, the pink ribbon. Pink is a feminine, dream-like color. It is a soft yet vibrant color, and it radiates the promise of life. It is one of hope. Someone once said, “Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.” We envision a future with hope, and a future which Eleanor Roosevelt says, “belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
I want to thank you all for sharing this evening with us, and for your continued support for the remarkable and tireless efforts of the American Women’s Club, to whom I extend a very special thank you.