Mahaska Health Partnership to host Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
Mahaska Health Partnership
OSKALOOSA – Mahaska Health Partnership has scheduled the seventh annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk for Thursday, October 13 on the Square in Oskaloosa.
MHP Director of Radiology Julie Hartke explained that the walk is held from Noon to 1:00 pm. “We hold the walk on the Square during the noon hour to help raise awareness. Many people heading to lunch will see all of the flags in the park as well as the walkers and will hopefully ask questions.”
According to the American Cancer Society more than 2,000 women in the state of Iowa will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. “That is a large number, however; the disease is being caught earlier and treatments have advanced considerably,” Hartke explained.
As the healthcare system serving Mahaska County, Hartke said MHP takes pride in raising awareness in and serving as a reliable healthcare resource. “As an organization, we have a responsibility to educate the communities we serve about health topics that affect them. Breast cancer is a prevalent health concern throughout the nation, so we use October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness for the cause.”
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 professions speaking on new breast cancer detection technologies as well as valuable resources available to people diagnosed with breast cancer and their loved ones.”
Businesses are also encouraged to host a jeans day sometime during the month of October. Employees pay $5 to wear jeans to work and MHP will supply special stickers. For more information about hosting a jeans day, call 672-3369.
Registration is required for both the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Free Women’s Breast Health Night. The deadline to register for the walk is Thursday, September 22. To register, visit mahaskahealth.org or call 672-3369 to have a registration form mailed to you.
“All of the proceeds raised from our breast cancer awareness activities are donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We receive a generous grant from their Southeast Iowa affiliate annually to fund mammograms for people in our community who can’t afford them; this is our way of giving back,” Hartke shared.
