(ABC 6 News) – The city of Austin kicked off its 2024 Paint the Town Pink campaign Tuesday night at the Hormel Institute.

The annual campaign raises money for cancer research and has raised almost $3 million, since it began in 2011.

Originally focusing on breast cancer, researchers have made developments for other cancers as well over the years.

Tuesday’s event introduced this year’s Paint the Town Pink ambassador, Jessie Meyer, a two-time survivor of breast cancer.

“When I had my recurrence I told my son, who really was the one that was old enough to understand it, and his response was, ‘Mom, you beat it before, you’re gonna beat it again,'” said Meyer.

Meyer credits her survival to the different options she had available to treating her cancer.

She believes some of her friends who didn’t survive their own battles might have made it if they had the same opportunities she did.

That’s why she feels blessed to represent Paint the Town Pink and advocate for cancer research.