Newton County residents are invited to participate in the first ever Team Tina event and walk to raise money for the fight against breast cancer and to honor the memory of Tina McMillan, a breast cancer victim and awareness advocate, who passed away earlier this year.
The event, which is being organized by McMillan’s family at the Newton Depot Coffee Room Saturday, Oct. 27 at noon, will feature a guest speaker, who will shed light on the current knowledge of breast cancer. Light refreshments will be served, and games will be played.
Nikki Oliphant, one of the event organizers, said McMillan was an advocate for the fight against breast cancer. The Team Tina event, she said, is to continue that advocacy in her honor.
“She was my sister,” Oliphant said. “We wanted to do something kind to keep her memory alive.”
Along with her mother, sister and cousins, Oliphant said she started thinking about what the family could do to honor their sister. Each year, she said, McMillan made t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Team Tina’ and the current year.
“This would’ve been her fifth year,” she said.
Building off that idea, Oliphant said the family decided to make their own Team Tina shirts, and the idea snowballed into the speaking event.
After the speaker, around 2:30 p.m., Oliphant said, the attendees will participate in a short Cancer Walk around the Newton Depot. The walk, she said, ties in for Relay for Life and will help support others in their fight against cancer.
Tickets for Team Tina cost $5 and can be purchased from Oliphant, her mother, Doris McMillan, who works at Newton City Hall, Chotsani Henderson, Cassie Alcantar or Shaunte Watts. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Relay for Life to support medical research into a cure for Breast Cancer.
Oliphant said seating is limited due to the venue, but she hopes the event will be well attended. Anyone who has purchased a Team Tina t-shirt in the past, has a family member who has struggled with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors and anyone who wants to support the fight are more than welcome to attend.
“We just hope to have a good turnout, so we can continue this year after year,” she said.
