Pismo Beach cancer charity 17 Strong sponsors Victory Trips for 31 survivors

The Pismo Beach-based nonprofit 17 Strong hosted its Victory Trip reveal celebration on Sunday, honoring all of the organization’s 2022 recipients, who were invited to walk down a red carpet in front of friends and family.

Since its founding in 2017, 17 Strong has sent 55 survivors of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and their choice of family members on Victory Trips around the globe, according to the organization’s website. The trips are sponsored for those individuals after they defeat their illness.

The ceremony opened with a welcome from the organization’s co-founders Holly and Steve Teixeira. Their son, Ryan Teixeira, created 17 Strong during his own cancer treatment. Though he died in 2017, his parents continued the organization, according to a news release.

“Today is a chance for all of you to get to meet those wonderful individuals that have beat cancer,” Steve said in his address.

The Teixeiras then honored two special guests with 17 Strong plaques and gifts: the organization’s travel agent, Dawn Quick-Webber, and Ryan Teixeira’s surgeon, Dr. Susan Bukata.

“(Ryan) brought such a wonderful spirit everywhere he went,” Bukata said as she received her award. “So thank you for letting me be a part of your 17 Strong family.”

After the awards, Steve Teixeira announced each of this year’s Victory Trip recipients — 15 of whom were in attendance — as they walked down the red carpet at the center of the venue. In total, 17 Strong sponsored 31 Victory Trip recipients in 2022.

“I chose to go to Antigua, which was totally amazing,” recipient Nick Alvarado told The Tribune.

Alvarado first heard about 17 Strong when he happened to be working on the same job as board of directors member Chris Centeno.

“I noticed that (Centeno) had the same bracelet as I, and he started telling me, he’s like, ‘You know what the bracelet stands for – what the 17 Strong stands for?’” Alvarado said.

The event concluded with speeches from two of this year’s recipients, who shared their cancer stories.

17 Strong is hosting its five-year anniversary on Nov. 14 with its annual Celebration of Victory fundraiser. Tickets will be available starting in September, according to Steve Teixeira.

For more information on the organization, visit its website at 17strong.org or call 805-595-1412.