Sarah Michelle Gellar took on a new role at a New York fundraising gala for breast cancer recently.

The former Buffy star took a prominent role at the Angel Orensanz Foundation gala in Manhattan on 9th October, telling members of the audience they were just as inspirational as playing the Slayer had been.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year it's been promoted in the US with a picture of Sarah being 'tied to the cause'. That's not in the sense of being tied up and burnt like a witch, it just means she wore a silk scarf to show solidarity in the fight against the disease.

Sarah wore a designer pearl necklace to the event, which was auctioned to help raise money and awareness for the Young Survival Coalition, a non-profit group helping those aged under 40 battling with the disease.

When Gellar asked the audience of the gala to identify which of them had fought against the disease, a substantial show of hands resulted.

According to top fansite smgfan.com, Sarah told the crowd "When I was playing Buffy, women were always telling me that I inspired them. And looking at you all, for the first time ever, I know how that feels. You inspire me."