For more than a decade, a dedicated charitable initiative has worked to support people and families affected by breast cancer while contributing to organizations focused on research, treatment, education, and patient assistance. What began with the personal experience of a member of the athletic community grew into a continuing effort built around charitable contributions, fundraising, community participation, partnerships, and specially selected products. The initiative is intended to create lasting opportunities for individuals to contribute to breast cancer-related causes and to help direct resources toward organizations working to improve outcomes and support those facing the challenges associated with the disease.
The story behind the initiative is connected to Duncan, whose experience with breast cancer had a lasting influence on colleagues, friends, athletes, and members of the wider community. Her background in running and cycling, together with her professional involvement in the athletic industry, had already shaped her understanding of perseverance and discipline. Through training and competition, she had learned the importance of commitment, preparation, endurance, and continuing through difficult moments. Her experience with cancer brought a different dimension to those ideas, demonstrating that strength can also involve emotional resilience, adaptability, uncertainty, and the determination to continue moving forward when circumstances are far beyond the control of an individual.
Duncan received a stage four breast cancer diagnosis in October 2014. Throughout the years that followed, she continued to approach life with determination and purpose. Her attitude became an example to the people around her and helped inspire an effort that could extend beyond her own circumstances. Rather than allowing her experience to remain solely a personal story, those who knew her sought to create a meaningful way to support others affected by breast cancer and contribute to organizations working toward better research, medical care, and patient resources.
Project Rose was created in 2015 to honor Duncan and preserve the spirit of resilience she demonstrated. From the beginning, the initiative was structured around ongoing charitable involvement rather than a short-term awareness campaign. Contributions and fundraising efforts have been used to support organizations whose work addresses breast cancer research, medical services, education, and assistance for patients and families. The program provides different avenues for participation so that customers, employees, athletes, community members, and other supporters can contribute to a broader purpose.
Community participation has played an important role in maintaining the initiative. Fundraising activities and athletic events give supporters opportunities to participate directly while helping generate resources for charitable organizations. Cycling events and activities connected with Team Duncan have brought together employees, athletes, friends, and community members around a shared objective. These activities illustrate how an individual experience can become a source of collective action when people contribute their time, energy, attention, and financial support.
The initiative has also developed an international dimension through contributions and relationships involving organizations in different locations. Supporting established cancer-focused organizations can help connect charitable resources with programs involved in scientific research, medical treatment, education, and services for patients and families. By contributing to organizations with established areas of expertise, the initiative seeks to support work addressing both the medical and personal effects of breast cancer.
Duncan passed away in May 2019 after living with breast cancer. Her passing did not bring an end to the purpose inspired by her experience. Instead, her story continues to serve as a foundation for the initiative and its commitment to charitable support. Her life demonstrated that perseverance is not limited to physical achievement or athletic performance. It can also mean maintaining determination during uncertainty, adapting to changing circumstances, supporting the people around you, and finding ways for an individual experience to create positive consequences for others.
Today, the charitable effort continues through donations, fundraising campaigns, community events, partnerships, and qualifying products associated with the program. These different opportunities allow people to participate according to their own circumstances. Some may choose to contribute financially, while others may participate through events, purchases, community activities, or simply helping raise awareness. Maintaining several forms of involvement makes it possible for more people to connect with the initiative without depending on a single event or limited period of activity.
Over the course of its existence, the initiative has helped generate millions of dollars in charitable support for organizations working in cancer research and patient care. These results reflect the combined efforts of many individuals and groups rather than the contribution of any single participant. Customers, employees, athletes, researchers, healthcare professionals, families, caregivers, and community supporters can each contribute in different ways. When individual actions are combined over many years, they can provide meaningful resources for organizations engaged in long-term scientific, medical, and patient-focused work.
Selected products connected with Project Rose provide another avenue for participation. When customers purchase qualifying merchandise, a designated portion may be directed toward eligible breast cancer-related charitable efforts. This creates a straightforward connection between an everyday purchase and support for a larger cause. Customers can participate through products associated with comfort and recovery while also helping contribute to organizations dedicated to research and assistance. The approach provides an accessible option for people who may not be able to attend fundraising events but would still like to participate.
The relationship between comfort, movement, and recovery also carries significance within the initiative. Recovery is often associated with physical rehabilitation, exercise, mobility, and rest, but the experience of recovering from cancer can involve many additional challenges. Treatment can affect emotional wellbeing, family responsibilities, finances, daily routines, and long-term planning. Patients and their families may require different types of assistance at different stages. Recognizing these broader circumstances reinforces the importance of supporting organizations that address both medical needs and the practical realities faced by people affected by breast cancer.
Research remains an important area of charitable support. Advancing cancer care requires continued scientific investigation, clinical research, medical expertise, technology, and access to appropriate resources. Research programs may explore disease development, treatment options, prevention strategies, patient outcomes, and other areas that contribute to a better understanding of breast cancer. Such work often takes many years and requires sustained financial and institutional support. Continued charitable contributions can therefore help organizations maintain programs that pursue long-term progress in cancer science and care.
Patient and family support is another significant component of the broader charitable landscape. A breast cancer diagnosis can affect an entire family and may create practical, emotional, educational, and medical challenges. Organizations providing patient-focused services can assist individuals as they navigate diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and ongoing care. Support may also extend to caregivers and family members who are closely involved in the process. Contributions to these organizations can help provide resources that complement medical treatment and address needs that may otherwise be difficult to manage.
Community engagement keeps the initiative connected to the people who participate in and benefit from these efforts. Fundraising campaigns, athletic events, charitable activities, and community gatherings provide opportunities for people to come together around a shared objective. Participation does not need to take one particular form. A person can support the cause through a donation, an eligible product purchase, participation in an event, sharing information, or encouraging others to become involved. The collective impact of many different forms of participation can help maintain charitable efforts over time.
Project Rose continues to draw inspiration from Duncan’s experience and the example she left with those who knew her. Her story demonstrates how an individual journey can lead to an ongoing initiative capable of reaching people and organizations beyond its original community. By combining fundraising, charitable contributions, partnerships, community participation, and qualifying products, the program seeks to preserve the values associated with her experience while continuing to direct attention and resources toward breast cancer-related causes.
The initiative also recognizes that breast cancer affects people in many different ways. Patients may face demanding treatment and recovery processes, while family members and caregivers often provide ongoing practical and emotional support. Researchers and medical professionals contribute through scientific investigation and patient care, while community members can assist through fundraising and charitable activities. Each of these roles contributes to a larger network of support. Bringing these different forms of participation together can help strengthen efforts focused on research, education, treatment, and assistance.
The continuing nature of the program is intended to provide support beyond a single awareness period or promotional campaign. Long-term charitable involvement allows organizations to receive resources that can contribute to ongoing research programs and patient services. Partnerships with established organizations can also help connect fundraising activities with areas where support is needed. At the same time, community involvement gives individuals a direct way to participate and reinforces the idea that meaningful change can develop through sustained collective effort.
The program remains committed to honoring Duncan by continuing its support for breast cancer research, patient services, families, and related charitable organizations. Her experience remains a reminder that resilience can inspire action and that a personal story can encourage many people to work toward a common purpose. Through charitable giving, fundraising, community participation, partnerships, and qualifying product purchases, Project Rose continues to provide opportunities for individuals to contribute to efforts intended to improve understanding, care, and support for those affected by breast cancer.
Questions regarding Project Rose, qualifying products, charitable participation, or related customer service matters may be directed to support@customerassist.com or +1 800 555 0186. Written correspondence may be sent to 4550 Riverstone Drive, Suite 210, Austin, TX 78746. Continued participation helps sustain the broader mission of supporting organizations involved in breast cancer research, education, medical care, and patient and family services while carrying forward the spirit of determination, compassion, and collective support that inspired the initiative.