Two female business owners united Thursday to celebrate another successful year of American Cancer Society “Breast Cancer Awareness” month events. This October, which has historically promoted breast cancer awareness, has included a number of walks to support the cause, including one today in Hattiesburg.

For two years now, Misty Rustin, owner of Misty’s, 1104 Sawmill Road, has hosted a Tickled Pink “Girls’ Night Out” after hours in her store, which caters exclusively to women. The event features wine and cheese, door prizes and fashion raffles for items from such designers as Bentley Arbuckle and Vera Bradley.

Rustin was joined this year by Angie Scruggs of Scruggs Photography, which sponsored a “Tutus for Tatas” fundraiser during the month of October. For a contribution to the American Cancer Society, young girls (and some boys) in Laurel were given the opportunity for a photo shoot.

The pictures taken were on display Thursday for the “Girls’ Night Out” event.

Paige McCardle, ACS senior community representative, said both women have a “passion for the cause” because both of their families have been affected by cancer.

Rustin lost her mother to non-smoking related lung cancer, while Scruggs said her father was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

“It means a lot to me because my mother had cancer,” Rustin said.

Scruggs added that although she had never had anyone with cancer in her family, her father’s diagnosis “makes me know I need to be more aware.”

“It can touch anybody and affect anybody,” she said.

Among the special guests in attendance Thursday were Christi Fedora, the wife of Larry Fedora, head football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Fedoras have done their part for breast cancer awareness, as even the Golden Eagles football squad has donned pink on the field.

McCardle said the Thursday night fundraiser brought in over $1,000 to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research and educational programs. The “Tutus for Tatas” event has scheduled more than 30 sessions in Laurel and Madison with funds from those sessions as well as portrait purchases going to support ACS, she said.

“Misty wanted to focus on her female clientele for this awareness event,” McCardle said. “In addition to the raffles, we distributed breast cancer information and screening guidelines for mammograms. Although this was a breast cancer event, I had someone ask about cervical cancer.”

For more information on the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org.