New York State Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Port Washington) honored Port Washington resident and community activist Dr. Deborah Levine for 20 years of community service by presenting her with a Proclamation from the New York State Assembly.
Twenty years ago, after a family member was diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, Levine created The Pink Lemonade Stands for Breast Cancer event, to raise money “one cup at a time” for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), a nonprofit organization that addresses the unique needs of young women affected by breast cancer and works to raise awareness and improve the quality of life of these individuals. Since the creation of the Pink Lemonade Stands, Levine has raised over $80,000 for YSC to date, and has helped spark a community-wide interest in supporting breast cancer survivors.
“I was honored to receive this award from Assemblywoman Sillitti, and I’m so grateful for the generosity and support of our community over the past 20 years in raising monies to help young women with breast cancer,” Levine said.
Levine is an Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine as well as an attending physician in pediatric emergency medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she worked around the clock for months when Covid-19 first hit.
“It is incredible how she managed to continue this worthwhile program for years, without a break, even as Covid-19 raged through New York and she was right there on the front lines,” Sillitti said. “Deborah Levine is truly worthy of being recognized by the New York State Assembly, and I was so proud to recognize her today.”