Bryan Hall, AKA Sacramento Pink guy, is a man on a mission – and it’s personal. Maybe you have seen him around town. You can’t miss him; he’s the guy with a big, bushy, pink beard.
He says, “People see this weird guy walking around with a pink beard, top hat, and a pink shirt that reads, ‘Ask me about my pink beard.
’It’s a way to strike up the conversation and let them know who I am, what we’re doing, why we’re doing this and how we can help Sacramento.”
So, what is Bryan doing? He is helping Albie Aware and making a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Unfortunately, cancer is something Bryan knows more about than he wants to.
The fight is personal
“There’s lots of cancer in my family,” he explains. “My mother has survived multiple cancers. I’ve had cancer. I think we’re up to 12 people in my family who have experienced some form of cancer. Breast cancer is the gateway cancer for the women in my family.”
Sadly, over a two-year period, Bryan’s family lost an entire generation. He and his brother started wearing pink beards as a way of supporting his family.
“The beard is my way to get people to stop and talk and engage them on this important issue,” he says. “People sometimes grab me and hug me. I often hear their amazing stories, heartbreaking stories… a million stories.”
It’s also about his daughters
Concern for his daughters’ health also plays a part in Bryan’s campaign against breast cancer. “I want to show them both that there are people out there who want to help,” he says. Kerenza Lynn is a sophomore in college. His youngest daughter, Kylee Ayn is a junior in high school. After surviving her own health scare, she wants to become a neurosurgeon.
The Albie Aware Connection
A while ago, Bryan – or Sacramento Pink Guy – as he likes to be known, joined a networking group where he met Doug Carson, founder, and Dave Picton a board member of Albie Aware. The connection was instantly meaningful. Later, Albie Aware learned that Bryan had dyed his beard pink and asked to connect with him. Now, Bryan is all in as a strong supporter of Albie Aware.
On a donations page he set up for Albie Aware, he says, “This isn’t about a cure. It’s about helping someone who is going through the journey right now who might not otherwise get the help they need. Please help us help them.”
Lifesaving knowledge
In his first year as an Albie Aware advocate, Bryan helped save a woman’s life. You see, he knows a woman named Kathy Hamre. She owns a hair salon and, at the time, also owned Hamre’s Giant Orange Burger. She had planned a fundraiser to benefit Albie Aware at the restaurant. The morning of the event, she found a lump in her breast. Bryan pointed her in the right direction for help, starting with Planned Parenthood for her initial exam. She was diagnosed with cancer and had a lumpectomy and radiation. Thanks to Bryan, she found it early enough and attributes him for having saved her life.
His other life
When Bryan isn’t spreading awareness of breast cancer, he is a senior technician at Fastbreak Tech, Inc., a Sacramento company that manages technology for individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations, including Albie Aware. In fact, his office on Exposition Boulevard is located very close to Albie Aware’s headquarters.
Measuring success
“It depends on how you define success,” says Bryan. “Monetary – that’s all nice and brings the resources to the people in need. But I measure my success by a whole lot more than that. It’s social awareness, saving lives and touching people.
I’m here to help people and form partnerships to bring in more support. Sometimes, it’s the little things – showing whatever kind of support I can for those touched by the disease.”
Bryan sums up his mission by saying, “My whole thing is just trying to meet people and get them to acknowledge me. When they notice me, they turn into donors. Through my pink beard, I am pushing my message and bringing awareness and it’s worth its weight in gold.”
On Bryan’s Facebook page, he writes, “I am an ordinary guy, doing something that I think can make a difference in awareness and I’m contributing to a cause I care about deeply. Let’s really make a difference together.”
