The second annual Leap of Faith, held June 2 at Scott’s Restaurant in Oakland, advanced the cause and celebrated the memory of its beloved namesake, Faith Fancher. Over the last two years, the well-attended event raised more than $150,000 to help fund the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center and to enhance Alta Bates Summit Medical Center’s services for breast cancer patients and their families.

Fancher, a former KTVU-TV news reporter and empassioned crusader, documented her 61/2 year battle with breast cancer in her television broadcasts, and tirelessly campaigned for early detection and improved access to screening and cancer services. She drew strength in her closing years from the compassionate care she received at the Medical Center.

“The community has truly embraced Leap of Faith. People remember Faith—her courage, her unselfishness, her vision,” says Darlene Ayers-Johnson, Port of Oakland commissioner, breast cancer survivor, and executive director of Friends of Faith, which co-hosts Leap of Faith with Alta Bates Summit Foundation, ACE-IT at Orindawoods Tennis Club, the Cancer League of the East Bay, Scott’s Restaurant, and others. “I’m really impressed with the professionalism of the Foundation staff,” she adds. “They’re easy to work with and we have fun. I’m inspired by the relationship. Every year we do this, we’ll be stronger.”