Christopher Hughes, of Archbald, stepped up to the starting line at Saturday’s Paint the Planet Pink 5K with a victory already in hand.
Hughes’ real win came not with an especially stellar time or placement on the leaderboard, but in his wife Aliah’s successful battle against breast cancer.
Both came to the Paint the Planet Pink event decked in pink and determined to help raise money and awareness so others can have the benefit of research and treatment that Aliah Hughes believes saved her life.
Russell Keeler, participant in the Paint the Planet Pink Gentlemen’s Dash on Saturday, Sept. 19, greets the crowd before the race. (GERI GIBBONS)
Mason Gross celebrates as he wins the Gentleman’s Dash, part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink,’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti greets the crowd at the Paint the Planet Pink event on Sept. 19, 2026, as State Rep. Bridget Malloy Kosierowski looks on. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
Walkers decked in pink in the family fun walk at the Paint the Planet Pink event on Sept. 19, 2026. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
From left: Stephen and Dino Galella, and Shaun Daney cross the finish line during the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ashley Hules, of Harding, prepares for the Paint the Planet Pink 5K race on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Hules said the event was a win/win, providing fund raising for cancer research and an opportunity to improve her time. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
Anthony Macario runs in the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Russell Keeler, left, fist bumps Mason Gross after the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mason Gross holds up a peace sign as he takes an early lead in the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Eight men start their sprint during the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
John Joyce makes his way to the finish line during the Gentleman’s Dash as part of ‘Paint the Planet Pink’ in Scranton on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
John Dolphin of Scranton and his dog Winnie take a moment to prepare for a family fun walk at the Paint the Planet Pink event on Sept. 19, 2026, (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
Christopher and Aliah Hughes of Archbald attend the Paint the Planet Pink 5K and family event on Sept. 19, 2026, in Scranton. (GERI GIBBONS/STAFF PHOTO)
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Russell Keeler, participant in the Paint the Planet Pink Gentlemen’s Dash on Saturday, Sept. 19, greets the crowd before the race. (GERI GIBBONS)
Diagnosed in 2024 at only 35 years old, Aliah Hughes points out that women seem to be diagnosed younger and younger.
The Paint the Planet Pink events, geared toward fundraising for cancer research, make overcoming the disease possible, she said.
A tradition and a commitment
Paint the Planet Pink graced Scranton’s downtown not simply as an event, but as a tradition—a gathering of friends, families, and survivors united by memories, hope, and a commitment to support breast cancer research.
The series of events is the brainchild of Barbara Sciandra and Qiana Lehman, who organized a three-day fundraiser in 2014. It has since grown into a regional tradition dedicated to raising money for cancer research at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sciandra founded the initiative to support research into an immunotherapy treatment that she credits with saving her life after her 2012 breast cancer diagnosis.
In 2024, the organization introduced a new logo and rebranded to Paint the Planet Pink, moving its 5K race, walk, and Gentlemen’s Dash to Scranton. Despite the shift, Sciandra emphasizes that multiple events remain anchored in Luzerne County, backed by strong regional support.
Over its first 12 years, the effort raised $1 million for cancer research at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Yet as Sciandra looked out on a sea of pink Saturday, what she saw most vividly were the faces—returning supporters who have attended since day one alongside new faces eager to learn about breast cancer research and to contribute.
Balancing event preparation with a busy home life isn’t easy, especially as her three children grow toward adulthood and take on numerous activities. But Sciandra stays driven by her deep commitment to her family and to others facing cancer.
Running like men – in heels
The Gentlemen’s Dash is the brainchild of Barbara Sciandra’s husband, Sal.
After the event’s first season in 2014, the couple was discussing ideas for future fundraising events. Sal came up with the idea of men in high heels racing down Main Street. He believed that his idea would serve as a symbol of the pain that women, and even men, face while undergoing cancer treatment.
Now, it is a top fundraiser and a favorite of those attending the event. Sciandra remembers back to the event’s inaugural season, when she called Ed Ackerman and asked him if he would participate.
Ackerman didn’t really know what he was agreeing to, but simply said a quick, “yes.”
He got to run in flats that year, she said, laughing.
Russell Keeler also ran in that first Gentlemen’s Dash and was back to give it another try Saturday.
He purchased his size 15 high heels on Amazon, with a thicker heel he hoped would provide a little stability to his steps.
Keeler’s goal wasn’t to finish first, but to simply make it down the street without falling, he said.
The real win, he said, was the fundraising the event provides. The window for voting for a favorite dasher runs until Oct. 3.
Upcoming events
Although the 5K, family run and Gentlemen’s Dash are among the best-known events of the Paint the Planet Pink effort, the fun and fundraising aren’t over yet.
On the schedule are a cash and purse bingo on Sunday, Sept. 27, at St. Maria Goretti Church Banquet Hall in Laflin; ’90s trivia night and meat raffle on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Sabatini’s Bottleshop in Exeter; and Paint the Red Mill Pink, a guest bartender happy hour, on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Red Mill in Pittston.
Details, tickets, and donation options are available at painttheplanetpink.org.