By Charminae George
With a contribution of $40, members of the public can help to positively impact persons diagnosed with breast cancer and other cancers.
PINKparty, the annual fitness fundraiser hosted by the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) will be held on October 19, 5:15pm at the old House of Culture/old parliament building.
The event, which is held in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is commemorating its 10th anniversary and return from the three-year hiatus caused as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Salma Crump, Head of Marketing and Communications at SLBMC, said that despite the fundraiser’s focus on breast cancer, most cancer patients in the hospital’s oncology department will benefit from the initiative.
“Although this is a breast cancer fundraiser, 99 percent of the time, the investments that are made from the funds that we raise helps just about every single oncology patient, not just those with breast cancer,” she told Observer, yesterday.
The last installment of PINKparty held in 2019 paved the way for the hospital to receive some of the funds necessary to purchase equipment to expand a vital area of the department.
“We raised just under EC $53,000 … and one of the largest investments that we made in our oncology department went to setting up a mixing room. That’s where they would mix chemotherapy for oncology patients,” Crump explained.
During the upcoming PINKparty, participants can expect the fitness experience to be a “little bit of everything”, inclusive of Zumba and Socarobics, and will have the opportunity to exercise at their own pace.
“It’s just a really fun event for anyone at any fitness level; just do what you can and have as much fun as possible,” Crump said.
She added that refreshments including water and juice will be provided at the event via a beverage station.
To register for the event, persons can do so via the Ticketing app or in-person at the hospital.
For the price of $40, or the group (10 persons or more) discounted price of $30, persons will receive a t-shirt commemorating the 10th anniversary and entry to the all-inclusive event. Persons can also opt to contribute the amount and wear the shirt on Fridays to show their support during the month of October.
According to Crump, PINKparty was started in 2011 with the mission to raise awareness of breast cancer and eventually end the occurrence of breast cancer.
