Staff photo by Fritz Busch Andrea Meyer, left, of Springfield, Marsha Miller of New Ulm and New Ulm Middle School art teacher Briget Gusso talk at a three-session art therapy class for breast cancer survivors at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture Wednesday. A group of 10 survivors will create a group project about their cancer experience and paint it on canvas. The art will be displayed at the Illuminate Hope Gala Friday, Oct. 28 at the Royal Oak Event Center, formerly the New Ulm Event Center.

NEW ULM — A three-session art therapy class for breast cancer survivors began Sept. 14 at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 Minnesota St. N.

Ten breast cancer survivors will create a group project about their cancer experience and paint it on canvas. The class was organized by B the Light board member and New Ulm Medical Center surgeon Dr. Cori Jordan. The class is led by New Ulm Middle School art instructor Briget Gusso.

The art will be displayed at the Illuminate Hope Gala on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Royal Oak Event Center, formerly the New Ulm Event Center. The gala is the main fundraiser for B the Light. All money raised stayed local supporting area breast cancer survivors.The black or pink tie event begins with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m.

Following a meal and brief program about B the Light, silent and live auctions will take place. The evening concludes with music and dancing as a celebration of accomplishments.

New Ulm survivor and B the Light founder Amber Melby said the art class enables local and area survivors to talk about and share their cancer journey.

Melby underwent breast cancer treatment in 2015 and found herself lying in bed bald and wondered if she would ever be herself again. She felt isolated, depressed and alone.

“I was the mother of three young kids with a devoted husband and tribe of supporters,” Melby wrote on her B the Light website. “Like many women on this journey, I was trying to balance grueling chemotherapy treatments, my job as a nurse, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I put on a brave face and reassured everyone saying ‘I’m OK. I’ve got this. I’m a fighter, even though I was suffering.”

Melby said during those moments, small acts of kindness like a homemade meal for her family or call from a friend was the glimmer of hope that carried her through. It was light shining in her darkness.

Inspired by that light, she vowed to find a way to pay it forward and created the B the Light organization in 2016 to honor her aunt Brenda Plinke, an 18-year breast cancer survivor she said lived by the motto “Never give up hope” and was an inspiration to all who knew her.

“We just want to shine a light on those going through such a dark time,” said Melby. “I was able to see the light by how people helped my family. People made meals for us, sent flowers and beautiful, hand-written cards offering encouragement and help. They helped shuttle our kids to school and activities.”

For more information including early bird registration event tickets, visit .bthelightinfo.org.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).