The surgery wasn’t fun, but the entertainment while she was recovering certainly was for Deborah Hausman.
Last Dec. 17, Hausman had a bi-lateral mastectomy to remove breast cancer that was detected. When the surgery was over, Hausman then turned on the 2021 Cure Bowl in her room.
“I watched the best football game I have ever seen,” said Hausman, referring to a 47-41 win for Coastal Carolina over Northern Illinois.
This year, she will be involved in the Cure Bowl’s fundraising efforts herself.
Now a member of the Orlando Sports Foundation’s Board of Directors, Hausman is helping bring together nonprofits and cancer foundations throughout Central Florida by having them carry banners and flags identifying their foundation during the annual March2Cure parade before the game.
“This will be a first in our nation, and what better place to start than Orlando,” she said.
The parade is an annual walk to the stadium that features cheerleaders and band members of participating teams, community leaders and cancer survivors.
Hausman in her life had already seen her grandmother, mother and aunt go through breast cancer before being diagnosed herself.
Following in the footsteps of her now 94-year-old mother, who volunteered more than 30 years with the American Cancer Society after surviving her diagnosis, Hausman spent time as the chairwoman for the Orlando More Than Pink Walk and was also a breast cancer patient advocate with the Susan G Komen Foundation and Center for Public Policy.
She also was a member of the Komen Leadership Council, where she worked with government officials to support legislation that invested in breast cancer research.
Thanks to early detection buoyed by her volunteer work, Hausman is healthy and ready to help survivors or others who are going through a battle with breast cancer through her efforts with the Cure Bowl.
“When we fill seats in this stadium, it no longer is just a football game,” she said. “It is an opportunity to help save lives. Together we will show Central Florida that we are one voice, and share the desire to live in a world without cancer.”
Visit this website to learn more about fundraising efforts of the Cure Bowl or how to get tickets.