A Houston nonprofit founder who has spent nearly two decades navigating life after a breast cancer diagnosis is throwing open the doors of a masquerade ball this Saturday to celebrate survivors and raise more money for people still fighting the disease. Dr. Jackie Colbert will host the annual Pink & Black: Masquerade of Hope Gala on October 31 at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria, with the event focused on survivors and their journeys.
According to CW39 Houston, the gala will feature a survivor fashion showcase, personal testimonies and a celebration of resilience and hope. Colbert founded Sipping PositiviTEA, the Houston-based nonprofit behind the event, which the station describes as an organization providing financial assistance, education and emotional support to people navigating breast and chest cancer. The station also reports that Sipping PositiviTEA has raised $195,000 to support cancer patients and survivors.
From Army Service to Nonprofit Founder
Colbert is an Army veteran and a human resources executive whose path to founding Sipping PositiviTEA is rooted in her own diagnosis. She has described her military background as formative to the work. “Dr. Jacque credits her U.S. Army service with the values that still guide her: resilience, service, and gratitude,” according to Her Agenda.
How long Colbert has been a survivor depends on which account you read. Her Agenda quotes her describing herself as “a current 18-year grateful breast cancer survivor,” while a 2023 report from Houston Style Magazine referred to her as a “15-year breast cancer survivor” when it described her as having birthed the organization. The discrepancy between the two timelines has not been resolved in available reporting.
Addressing the Financial Toll of Cancer Treatment
Beyond the gala itself, Sipping PositiviTEA's core mission centers on helping people address financial hardships and find resources during treatment and recovery, per the station's reporting. The organization's Angel Survivor Program is central to that effort. “Through our Angel Survivor Program, we offer financial assistance to help individuals meet their daily needs throughout their cancer journey,” the nonprofit states on its website. Sipping PositiviTEA also says it sponsors screening mammograms or doctor visits for uninsured women or men, extending its reach to people who might otherwise skip screening altogether.
That financial burden is a documented and recurring problem for cancer patients broadly. Research has explored links between financial hardship among cancer survivors and factors such as household income, race or ethnicity, and rural residence. A separate community-based study cited by PMC specifically examined financial toxicity among Black, Hispanic/Latina and non-Hispanic white breast cancer survivors, underscoring that the strain Sipping PositiviTEA aims to ease is widespread rather than isolated.
A Gala With a Longer History
The Pink & Black gala is not a new addition to Houston's breast cancer awareness calendar. CultureMap Houston once described it as the organization's “fourth annual breast cancer fashion show and fundraising gala,” staged in an effort to drive awareness, raise funds, and support breast cancer research and treatment.
A Houstonia Magazine listing from an earlier year described Colbert, then referred to there as “influencer and survivor Dr. Jacque Colbert,” hosting the fundraising fashion show and gala for its third year, with a silent auction and raffle. Houston Style Magazine reported that, in that iteration, 100% of the proceeds from the event were devoted to supporting breast cancer patients and survivors. Ticket pricing, start times and other logistical details for Saturday's Masquerade of Hope Gala have not been independently confirmed.
Colbert's nonprofit work fits into a broader ecosystem of Houston organizations supporting breast cancer patients during October. The Rose, another Houston-based organization, has partnered with 20 local businesses as part of its own October programming, according to Houstonia Magazine. Saturday's masquerade gala adds another touchpoint for survivors in a city where several groups are working, in different ways, to ease the financial and emotional weight of a cancer diagnosis.
