Breast Cancer Awareness Walk Gains Momentum
Cassie Riley of Mahaska Health Partnership helped to kick off the days walk
Oskaloosa, Iowa – With nearly double the amount of participants signed up, the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk can say it’s gaining momentum in the community.
2100 pink flags were placed around the square to signify the 2100 new cases of breast cancer that will be diagnosed in Iowa this year.
“Today is our 7th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk put on by Mahaska Health Partnership Radiology Services,” Cassie Riley of Mahaska Health Partnership explained. “The purpose of the walk is really to raise awareness about breast cancer,” Riley said.
“Obviously not everyone can come today at noon, but we are so thankful for their support, and we do expect to have the largest crowd we’ve ever seen in our noon hour walk, because 200 is double the number of participants of last year,” Riley said about the continued growth of the walk.
According to Riley, all funds raised from all of their breast cancer awareness events is donated to the Susan G. Komen group that is looking for a cure for the disease.
Julie Hartke, Director of Radiology at MHP, explained why the funds are donated to Susan G. Komen. “For the past 8 years we’ve been getting grant funding from Susan G Komen for the cure to provide free mammograms for the people in our community that need help, that can’t afford mammograms or breast ultrasounds. So every year we donated the funds we are able to raise back to the Susan G. Komen for the cure, and that helps support what they are doing, and they in turn donate those grant funds back to us. We’ve always gotten back more than we are giving them to help support the people in this area that they can’t afford that very valuable service.”
Around 200 people signed up to walk at this years event, double the number from last year
I asked Hartke when women should start to be checked for breast cancer. “There’s been a lot of confusing information lately. MHP and the American Cancer Society still support that every woman should have their baseline done by the age of 40, and then annually thereafter.”
Some local businesses were looking for various ways to help support the cause, and they came up with the idea of “Jeans Day”. Those that wished, paid $5.00 each to have jeans day sometime during the month. That money also is donated to Susan G. Komen.
Some local groups such as William Penn, H&S Feed, and Oskaloosa Mayhem Girls either are raising or have raised money that will go directly to the Radiology Services to help those who need assistance in obtaining a mammogram, the much needed service.
In addition to the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, Hartke said MHP will again be hosting the Free Women’s Breast Health Night. “We’re very excited by the number of attendees we see at this event each year because that means more and more people are receiving valuable information.”
The Free Women’s Breast Health Night is scheduled for Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Nazarene Church Youth Center, located at 140 Gateway Drive, Oskaloosa. “This year’s program will feature area professionals speaking on new breast cancer detection technologies as well as valuable resources available to people diagnosed with breast cancer and their loved ones.”
