Cheers and applause roared in Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry on April 24 when Jim Havens, a senior vice president at Premera Blue Cross, received Susan G. Komen Puget Sound’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the annual Impact Celebration.

The award recognizes a volunteer who goes above and beyond the call of duty, consistently striving to enhance the position of the affiliate within the community and serving as a cohesive force and role model for all volunteers.

Like many people who support Komen, Havens’ story is personal. When a family friend was battling stage 4 breast cancer, Havens and his wife, Erin, doubled down on their volunteer efforts with Komen. Together they became advocates for breast cancer awareness in their community.

For several years, the couple has been actively volunteering for Komen by serving on its board and supporting its annual events, Race for the Cure and the Seattle 3-Day.

David Richart, executive director of Komen, highlighted the dedication that the Havens family has shown to the organization. “Together they have been responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to fuel Komen’s mission,” Richart said at the event. He added that if you have ever participated in Komen’s Race for the Cure, you’ve probably seen Havens at the finish line, sporting his now legendary pink tutu.

During his acceptance, Havens emphasized that this is not an individual award, but rather, a team award, and made sure to credit Premera, his family and the other Komen volunteers.

“I will accept this award on behalf of all these teams that participate in solving this problem,” Havens said. “This fight is not over. Our work is not done. We must continue.”

Bo Jungmayer is in Corporate Communications at Premera Blue Cross.