To our readers, please take note that during the month of October, our masthead will be printed with a pink S, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month dedicated to bringing awareness of the disease and to raising funds for research.
The facts: breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In the United States alone, it is estimated that every year over 220,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and more than 40,000 will die. Those numbers are too high.
There is some good news. Since 1990, the death rate from breast cancer has declined. This is due to better screening allowing for earlier detection and treatment options. And, that is a main point of Breast Cancer Awareness Month: to make sure that women are aware of the disease and encouraged to be screened for it early, so that if there is an issue it can be treated as soon as possible, allowing for the best chances of recovery.
Support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is very visible in our town. As you go about town this month, look for pink! A pink flag was raised at Town Hall on October 1st. Walk down Greenwich Avenue and notice all of the stores with pink placards in their windows. This awareness is due in large part to the good work of Breast Cancer Alliance. This powerful, non-profit breast cancer foundation was started in Greenwich, in 1996, by Mary Waterman and five friends. When Mary was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, she wanted to create a local organization that would have an impact on heightening awareness of the benefits of early detection, as well as raise money to support research and education. Over the course of the past 20 years, Breast Cancer Alliance has done much to educate Greenwich. Every April, it organizes a march down Greenwich Avenue as well as an annual golf outing, and later this month it will host its annual Luncheon and Fashion Show. Patty Steele, a notable journalist, will be the guest speaker.
We are happy that our country has dedicated a month to bringing awareness to breast cancer and are grateful to Breast Cancer Alliance for all the work it accomplishes in our town to educate and inform us on this life-altering topic. Thank you Breast Cancer Alliance for turning Greenwich pink this month. Keep up the great job. And, for the rest of us? We should make sure we keep this conversation going throughout the year.
