Walking For A Cure

Nearly 140 individuals took part in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk at noon on Friday.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – 2309 pink flags filled the square in Oskaloosa. Each one of those flags represented a breast cancer diagnosis in Iowa this year.

With awareness and support, the hope is that illnesses such as breast cancer can be detected early, and the Friday noon walk was designed to raise money for those unable to afford life saving mammograms and an opportunity to be examined.

The 11th annual walk also serves another important function, it raises awareness. Awareness came in the form of laps being walked around the square to draw the attention, and the funds raised will hopefully help find a cure for those 2309 individuals that have been diagnosed with breast cancer this year in Iowa. Some of the funds are also used to help educate others about the disease.

Cassie Riley, with Mahaska Health Partnership, shared that their digital mammography system allows women to get high quality care from high quality images “with the lowest radiation dose in the state”.

Riley stated, “If anybody ever did need help paying for a mammogram, if they are worried about the cost and they need one, don’t hesitate to call our radiology department. They will figure it out.” She added, “It’s a very simple paper they fill out and they will get it taken care of.”

Mahaska Health Partnership also hosts a free Womens Breast Health Night that will be hosted on Tuesday, October 20th, at the Gateway Church of the Nazarene. Registration for the event is still open.