People with Purpose – Honorees

Congratulations to our 2025 HERS Awardees

2025

• Hope Award – Crippsmas Place
• Empowerment Award – David Haubert, Alameda County Supervisor District 1
• Renewal Award – Niles (Fremont) Rotary
• Support Award – F.H. Dailey Chevrolet

2024

• Hope Award – Michael Powers, HERS Staff Member (retired)
• Empowerment Award – Gonsalves & Kozachenko, Attorneys at Law, Community partner
• Renewal Award – City of Fremont Police Department, & Fremont Police Officers Association Community partners
• Support Award – Haller’s Pharmacy, Community partner

2023

• Hope Award – Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Community partner
• Empowerment Award – Fremont Firefighters Local IAFF 1689, Community partner
• Renewal Award – Mimi Poon, MD, HERS Breast Care Specialist, 2018-2021
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Doug Florence, Volunteer

2022

• Hope Award – Dr. Vera Barreto Packard, HERS Breast Cancer Foundation Executive Director, 2008-2017
• Empowerment Award – Dr. Bogdan Eftimie, Co-Director, UCSF/WHHS Joint Medical Oncology Service
• Renewal Award – The Buentello Family. HERS Annual Walk/Run Footprints Booth Creators and Volunteers
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Ramil Sumalpong, Iconic Lab Founder and Volunteer HERS Photographer

2021

• Hope Award – Tri-City Voice
• Empowerment Award – Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty (Ret.)
• Renewal Award – Tammy Ballantyne, BS, RN, OCN of the Sandy Amos, RN, Infusion Center at Washington Hospital
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Dutra Enterprises, Inc.

2019

• Hope Award – Evelyn Paradis, Pacific West Gymnastics/Barb’s Pink Party
• Empowerment Award – Funda Dervisoglu, Annual Walk/Run fundraiser
• Renewal Award – Ming Kuan, M.D., Kaiser Permanente Hematology/Oncology Specialist
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Stephanie Sullivan, Giving Hope Coordinator for Premier Nissan of Fremont and Premier Subaru of Fremont

2018

• Hope Award – Joseph Alalay, Team District 10, Fundraiser
• Empowerment Award – Freska, KOIT Radio Host
• Renewal Award – Castlewood Women’s Golf Club
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Elizabeth Barron, Volunteer and Former HERS Board Member

2017

• Hope Award – Friends of Faith, Nonprofit Organization in Oakland
• Empowerment Award – Denise Estrada, Manager, Women’s Imaging and Cancer Services, Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare
• Renewal Award – Paul Wotowic, M.D., Plastic Surgeon at San Ramon Regional Medical Center
• The Harriet Despeaux Award (formerly Support Award) – Janice Florence, Volunteer of HERS Breast Cancer Foundation

2016

• Hope Award – Stanley Rockson, M.D.
  Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine at Stanford University
  
• Empowerment Award – Adiba Barney
  CEO of Silicon Valley Forum & Breast Cancer Lifer/ Client
• Renewal Award – Rishi Sawhney, M.D.
  Oncologist at Valley Medical Oncology Consultants
• Support Award – Tri-Valley SOCKs
  Non-profit organization in Pleasanton, CA

2015

• Hope Award – Kim Hammer, Co-Founder of Have a Ball Foundation
• Empowerment Award – Tricia J. McMahon, D.Min, Co-Founder, HERS Breast Cancer Foundation, President, Soaring Spirits, Inc., Transformation Coach, Consultant, and Author
• Renewal Award – Laura Constantine, Certified Breast Health Navigator, RN, Clinical Coordinator of the Women’s Health Center at Washington Hospital
• Support Award – Susi Folks and Vicki Goss, ChemoCare Bag Ministry

2014

• Hope Award – Mark D. Pegram, M.D., Susy Yuan-Huey Hung Professor of Medical Oncology; Director, Stanford Breast Oncology Program; Co-Director, Molecular Therapeutics Program; Associate Director, Clinical Research ; Stanford Cancer Institute
• Empowerment Award – Ysabel Duron, Founder, CEO, Latinas Contra Cancer
• Renewal Award – To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation
• Support Award – Gene Mello, CEO, Mello Insurance Services, Inc.; Myers-Stevens-Mello & Company Insurance Services

2013

• Hope Award – Sandra Wing, Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation, Chairperson and Founder
• Empowerment Award – Jolly Rechenberg, CEO, American Breast Care (ABC)
• Renewal Award – Peggy McGuire, Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC), Executive Director
• Support Award – Steve Dukleth, Oakland Audio Visual Services, Inc. (OAVS), Co-President and General Manager

2012

• Hope Award – Pamela Priest Naeve, Cancer Prevention Institute of California ( CPIC) – Director, Community Education
• Empowerment Award – Ilene Scharlach, PhD, Cancer Support Community (CSC), Therapist Facilitator – East Bay
  
• Renewal Award – Kathryn Hesser, RN, CBPN-IC, Retired Washington Women’s Center Coordinator
• Support Award – Dutra Enterprises, Inc.

2011

• Hope Award – Susan Buseck, MSW, Breast Care Coordinator, Kaiser Permanente
• Empowerment Award – Vandana B. Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Oncologist, Valley Medical Oncology Consultants, Medical Director for the Washington Hospital Cancer Genetics Clinic
• Renewal Award – Rina Olea, Manager of Programs and Outreach, Breast Cancer Connections
• Support Award – Lisa Stambaugh, Collective Discovery, Inc.

2010

• Hope Award – William E. Dugoni, Jr., M.D., Director, Washington Hospital Healthcare System Women’s Center
• Empowerment Award – Bernie Dutra, Founder and President, OneChild Foundation
• Renewal Award – Harriet Despeaux, Community Volunteer Activist
• Support Award – Hattie Hyman Hughes, President, Fremont Bank Foundation