Work to help cancer victims earns woman award

Esther Short — Vancouver resident Marci Caputo was presented the Quintessential Woman Award at the 4th Annual Diamond Tea on Oct. 13 at the Nines Hotel in Portland. Caputo started a Girl’s Night Out, CAMEO, in honor of her sister, who died from breast cancer. The event has raised more than $200,000 for local charities. She is also the executive director of the Pink Lemonade Project, a local nonprofit that helps women adjust to life after breast cancer. The tea was organized by Brush Prairie-based Angela Maitland and Quintessential Productions. An appeal to the 300 in the audience raised $15,470 for Empowering Grace, which provides retreats for mothers of children with cancer. Partial proceeds from ticket sales raised $1,500 for the Deceptions sex trafficking prevention program of Vancouver-based AWARE. To learn more, visit www.TheDiamondTea.com or call 360-600-6732.