The chorus of “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” rose above the din of jackpot winnings at the SugarHouse on Monday, March 7. A sea of first-year breast cancer survivors — all clad in pink t-shirts, feather boas, light-up tiaras, tutus, and foam fingers — danced and sang their way through the casino floor during the filming of their music video, “Share the Love.” The event was part of “Survivor Love,” a program sponsored by SugarHouse Casino.

“Survivor Love” offers a special deal for first-year breast cancer survivors who want to participate in the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, which takes place on Mother’s Day, May 8. SugarHouse is underwriting their Race for the Cure registration fee. First-year survivors are classified as anyone who has been diagnosed or in treatment within the past 12-18 months.

According to Elaine Grobman, CEO of Susan G. Komen Philadelphia, SugarHouse has been a partner with Komen for the past five years.

“We’re very fortunate to have great people who want to help Komen fight this disease,” Grobman said. “Komen is honored to be a part of this new friendship that [SugarHouse] has formed.”

The majority of these women and men met for the first time at the new “Survivor Love” event. For many, it marked the first time they could refer to themselves as survivors.

One of the scenes from the “Share the Love” music video features over fifty survivors singing on a bus. Another scene captures the women around a blackjack table. Tasmara McLaughlin, a resident of Brewerytown, landed her own solo part.

Nervous in the spotlight? Not McLaughlin. In the music video, all cameras are on her as she sits at the blackjack table, singing to the dealer and snapping her fingers.

“It makes you teary eyed,” McLaughlin said about “Survivor Love.” “And it’s like, I’m going to go home, and I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight. I’m really enjoying it.”

In January 2015, McLaughlin went for her mammogram and found out she had breast cancer. “It was scary in the beginning,” she said. But with her family by her side, she made it through. “I prayed on it, and I fought and I won,” said McLaughlin. “Like Mike Tyson, they got nothin’ on this fight here. I won this.”

In response to the outcome of the evening, young survivor and Komen employee Jeannine Donahue said, “I’m kind of in awe.” Donahue, who was chosen to run the event, is a nine-year survivor who was diagnosed at age twenty-six with inflammatory breast cancer. “It’s a very satisfying feeling and it’s also a little therapeutic,” Donahue said.

As stated by Donahue, there’s a world of information and support for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. “It’s really important that [women] know, and I think that’s what this event embodies,” Donahue said.

It was a night filled with support, enthusiasm, and promise for the future. According to Komen Philadelphia’s Instagram, nearly seventy-five first-year breast cancer survivors came out for the event.

“We just want these women to know that we’re here for them and we’re fighting for them and with them,” Donahue said.

Did the survivors feel that initial connection with one another? McLaughlin said yes, especially with one woman in particular. “We’ve been holding hands, walking all the way down together. It’s like I’ve known her for years.”

According to Grobman, breast cancer is the largest sisterhood in the world.

“These women immediately bond,” she said. “They immediately care for each other. I’ve been with Komen for twenty-six years and it never ceases to amaze me the caring and loving that survivors give each other.”

The video premier reception will be held at SugarHouse Casino March 21. Janis Productions, located in Philadelphia, shot the music video.

More information and photos from the event can be found on the Komen Philadelphia Facebook, as well as on Twitter and Instagram @KomenPhilly.