Tequilas Burbank has partnered with community event organizer and myBurbank reporter, Ashley Erikson to coordinate their 3rd annual Cancer Awareness Fundraiser Dinner together on Thursday October 17th. The event will be a non-host dinner where 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Center for Clinical Genetics and Genomics at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center of Burbank’s Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.
Tequilas Burbank owners, Patricia and Carlos Rivera, have held an annual ovarian cancer event off and on for the past eight years to commemorate Patricia’s mother and sister, who both suffered from ovarian and cervical cancer. Her father and another sister also have passed from cancer. For the last three years, Patricia and Ashley has have focused the event on acknowledging all cancers in an effort to support the community and their Tequilas customers who have lost someone they love.
“This endeavor is our tribute to ensure the losses many of us have experienced due to cancer are not in vain. I aim to channel the passings of our loved ones into a meaningful purpose that is beneficial to others,” said Patricia. “My hope and ultimate goal is that we all take an active role in our health as it pertains to cancer.”
The Riveras and Erikson have been partnering to bring awareness to genetic testing and hereditary cancer to share with the community that there are preventative care and early testing available for those with a high-risk to cancer. Erikson underwent a preventative bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction surgery in 2021 after being diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene mutation, bringing her breast cancer risk from 82% to 6%.
The duo is kicking off a month-long campaign to raise money and advocate for the Providence Genetics and Genomes department from September 16 until the fundraising dinner on October 17th. Starting today, the staff at Tequilas Burbank are wearing T-shirts designed by Erikson that say “At Tequila’s No One Fights Alone,” with a QR code that directly links to their Providence fundraiser page. They hope that customers visiting the restaurant during the next 30 days will scan the shirts and help raise money for the campaign.
Tequilas Burbank will also donate 50% of sales from their new “Cancer Awareness Cocktail Menu,” which launched today. Each custom cocktail is made with tequila from their partners JAJA and Teremana Tequila, and is colored to coordinate with a cancer awareness ribbon color. The full menu consists of six drinks, each sold for $12 and is available until October 17th. There are about 57 common cancer color ribbons. The selected cocktail colors were purposely chosen in honor of some individuals close to Erikson and the Riveras.
“The Fighter Luchador” cocktail is made with Blue Curaco, JAJA tequila, and sweet-and-sour, giving it a beautiful teal color in representation of ovarian cancer. The Pink Margarita “La Margarita Rosa” is made with watermelon, JAJA tequila, and sweet-and-sour, making it the perfect pink to represent breast cancer. The “Toast to a Cure” cocktail is made with Blue Curaco, Teremana tequila, and sweet-and-sour, giving off a light blue to match the prostate cancer awareness ribbon.
For the third year in a row, Tequilas Burbank will be setting up their colored curtains in their back patio to represent the different colors of cancer awareness ribbons. They are inviting the community to honor their loved ones affected by cancer by dropping off a photo of them, (no bigger than 5 x 7), or emailing it directly to Patricia at Patricia@tequilascantina.com. The Riveras will be printing them out, laminating them and hanging the photos on the coordinating curtain.
The dinner, which is at a waitlist to attend, will be featuring four community Hometown Heroes and speakers who have battled or are battling cancer currently. The speakers include former Burbank City Council Member Tim Murphy, former City of Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos, Providence Saint Joseph Board Member Nat Rubinfeld, and Burbank Chamber of Commerce CEO Jamie Keyser. This year’s theme is “Cancer Does Not Discriminate.”
Also speaking is board-certified and licensed, senior genetic counselor, Aida Akopyan, from the Providence Clinical Genetics and Genomics program. Akopyan will be highlighting common indications for cancer, genetic counseling and testing, as well as research opportunities through the genetics program.
The Burbank Police Department will be arriving with their pink police cruiser wrapped in honor of breast cancer awareness. The department comes out with a new design every year and the vehicle will be on display at Tequilas Burbank for guests to take pictures with on October 17, starting at 6:00PM. This year they also have return and new contributors: Chulada Seasonings and Spices, Athens Services, JAJA and Teremana Tequilas.
While the event is at capacity, you can put your name on the wait list by texting 818-516-9250. There are many ways that you can still participate in the fundraiser. You can donate directly to the genetics program through the link here, or you can attend Tequilas Burbank anytime between now and October 17 and purchase one of their Cancer Awareness Cocktails. You can also dine in or get takeout any time during business hours on Thursday, October 17th and let your server know before you order that you are there for the fundraiser, and Tequilas Burbank will donate 20% to the cancer center.
