History

The History of Women In Medicine and Law
Combining a group of doctors with a group of lawyers would normally cause tensions to rise. Yet, the group “Women in Medicine and Law” does just that with beneficial, philanthropic results…..and a lot of fun. The concept for this fundraiser started in 2003 when Jean Holt, MD, and Pam Otto, MD, were invited to a client development luncheon in Dallas prior to the Dallas Race for the Cure® sponsored by the Strasburger Law Firm where Jean’s daughter Allyson was a firm associate at the time. It was at this meeting that Pam, a radiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center, presented the Top 10 Reasons to Have a Mammogram. Good humor and fun was noted as the San Antonio doctors survived in a room filled with Dallas lawyers.

After this event, Jean and Pam felt inspired to have an event in San Antonio associated with the race but wanted to organize it as a fundraiser.. At that time, there were several organizations that raised money for various charities which contained either doctors or lawyers but not in combination. Jean contacted her friend Judith Blakeway, JD at Strasburger here in San Antonio who greeted the idea enthusiastically and Women in Medicine and Law for the Cure® was born.

The initial event was held was 2004. We had 109 women attend our dinner and raised $26,800. Most of the invitations that year were sent to close friends and associates. The number of attendees grew the second year to 290 ladies, and the donation rose to $46,000. Elizabeth Harris, MD, became a member of the organizing group and a silent auction was added. We continued to grow, found a new location to hold our event and have had subsequent donations of $87,000, $115,000, $124,000, $146,000, $158,000 and last year another record year with $159,000. Additional members of the Steering Committee joined us and we have also added a raffle. Thus far we have raised a cumulative total of $864,000. We are starting to plan for our ninth year and hopefully will celebrate with a total of over $1,000,000 this year.

Our volunteers organize the silent auctions, the raffle, the door prizes, the decorating and all of the services needed for a fundraiser of this size. We are proud that we are able to keep costs low while maximizing the donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. The event has a cost / donation ratio of below 10% which is remarkable. For the last 3 years University Health System has been our title and event sponsor. Because this fundraiser is organized for and by women lawyers and doctors, an important stipulation is that 100% of all proceeds must be allocated to breast cancer research as a part of our donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. In other words, the money that we raise goes towards finding a cure for breast cancer.

As the years go by and we continue to grow, all of us who volunteer for this noteworthy fellowship develop closer bonds and ties. Our numbers grow, and our original support stays strong. Our evening has featured speakers (both doctors and lawyers), videos, tributes and even the Pink Glove Dancers…never know what may be next!!!!! Great fun has been had with a serious message as we bring women from these two noble professions (and their friends) together for fun, food, and fellowship for a purpose.