Among the high-performance aircraft that took to the skies at this past weekend’s Amigo Airsho, one carried a particularly meaningful message for breast cancer warriors and their families.
The Pink Jet, piloted by breast cancer advocate Stephanie Goetz, brought its mission of raising breast cancer awareness and inspiring hope to the Amigo Airsho at Fort Bliss’s Biggs Army Airfield.
The Pink Jet’s visit came during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual observance focused on increasing awareness of the disease and the importance of early detection.
For its performance in El Paso, The Pink Jet promoted the future Fox Cancer Center at Texas Tech Health El Paso. The aircraft’s appearance was sponsored by Steve and Nancy Fox and the Fox Family Foundation. Now under construction on our campus, the Fox Cancer Center will bring comprehensive care together under one roof, helping local patients avoid out-of-town trips for specialized treatment.
Before taking to the skies, Goetz shared her mission with breast cancer warriors at the Texas Tech Health El Paso Breast Care Center. On Thursday, Oct. 22, she met with patients and physicians at the center, bringing the message of hope behind The Pink Jet.
“The Pink Jet is to be that beacon of hope and light and inspiration and to remind people that there is possibility and years of thriving after a diagnosis — that it’s not the end,” Goetz said.
Goetz also encouraged those attending the visit to prioritize breast cancer screening and advocate for themselves and others. Her connection to breast cancer is personal: Her mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer after initially being told that something she felt was not an issue. Her mother is now cancer-free.
The Pink Jet is an L-39 Albatros, a former military jet flown by women. Through its air show performances, The Pink Jet organization raises awareness and money for breast cancer organizations.
For Goetz, meeting breast cancer warriors in person is at the heart of that mission.
“It’s at the core of what we do. Every woman that we see who’s gone through it, every gentleman who’s been impacted by it, we fly for them,” Goetz said. “When we’re up there flying with that pink smoke in the air, we know it’s for them.”
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