Olivia Achtmeyer turned the tragic loss of her mother to cancer into an exuberant celebration of recovery and hope four years ago.

At the Nashawtuc Country Club Thursday night, the 4th annual "Runway for Recovery" rallied cancer survivors, those in the midst of treatment, and their families for an evening of support, hope, and charity.

Achtmeyer started the Patient Care Giver Fund that pays for hotel rooms for families of those in treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as counseling for younger family members.

"I continue to seek one goal," said Achtmeyer before the thumping rock music began and the models sashayed and danced their way down the runway to the roar of the crowd, "to assist families with the heartache and loss that they experience when they are with their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, or friends in the hospital."

There was a silent auction and trunk show during the evening and all funds received go to the Patient Care Giver Fund.

From the pink balloons to the candy table featuring pink candies and cookies, the evening was a celebration, a remembrance and the determination of one young woman who turned the loss of her mother into a foundation for support.