Charlestown, Nevis — Pink Lily Cancer Care volunteers will register participants for this year’s walkathon scheduled to be held on October 18, 2014 at the Memorial Square on Tuesday 14th October and Friday 17th October at the Memorial Square Charlestown, Nevis from 10 a.m to 5 p.m
The walkathon will commence at 6.00 a.m at Chicken Stone, Gingerland to Pinneys Beach by Sunshine’s.
The Executive Director, Lea Parris- Cambridge has called on members of the public to participate as getting involved helps kick out cancer. Adult’s registration fee is EC45 while the children registration fee is EC25. The registration enables walkathon participants to have a T-shirt and a delicious breakfast.
Pink Lily Cancer Care’s walkathon is one of the activities the charity has organized in the month of October, the month recognised internationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Four hundred persons participated in Pink Lily’s walkathon in 2013.
“Pink Lily Cancer Care also observes October to raise awareness of Breast Cancer and encourages women to perform self-examinations and go for their mammograms. We also remind men that they too can develop breast cancer and should also do self examinations,” Lea Parris-Cambridge said in a press statement.
She said those not sure about how to do a self-examination, can ask the nurses at the health centres and doctors to help. “If you would like a self-examination guide, Pink Lily will be happy to provide one.,” she added.
When Pink Lily was launched on February 9th 2008 at The Old Manor Hotel in Nevis it was launched as a Breast Cancer Awareness and Support Charity, but on discovering that there were no other cancer awareness organisations to support people with any of the other types of cancer, Pink Lily extended its awareness, support and care services to all cancers affecting men, women, children and families.
Pink Lily has adopted the month of October to host our increasingly popular annual All Cancer Awareness Walk-A-Thon. In addition, Pink Lily hosts, conducts, collaborates or assists with numerous, awareness, support and fund raising activities and encourages the nation as a whole to get on board to become more aware, support the cause and help fight cancer on our Caribbean shores.
“As a small nation with limited financial and medical resources it’s important to understand the impact that being diagnosed with cancer has on an individual, their partners, children, family, friends and employers. It affects everyone and anyone at any time. It does not discriminate and it does not care how much money you have, what religion you are, what church you go to, how many children you have, how young or old you are, what professional status you hold or what political party you support. Cancer develops in many areas of the body. It can start in one place and spread to several placea,” Lea Parris-Cambridge said..
She said if a cancer is detected early it can be treated and cured. “If a cancer is diagnosed later it can be treated and life can be prolonged but if a cancer is left undetected and undiagnosed, it will often grow and spread rapidly and can cause discomfort, considerable pain and an early death,” she said.
Pink Lily is launching its KNOCK OUT CANCER – KNOW THE SIGNS campaign on Wednesday 8th October 2014. She said Pink Lily volunteers will be delivering between 44-60 “KNOW THE SIGNS” Island awareness presentations in St. Kitts & Nevis for 17 days and invite all sectors of the community to take advantage of this opportunity to receive this important cancer awareness education..
Pink Lily volunteers will also create awareness through radio stations and local television programmes and in various workplaces – including hotels, banks, supermarkets, other places of business with over 10 members of staff. In Schools, churches, health centres, organisations or community centres where members of the general public and smaller businesses with less than 10 staff can come along to take advantage of this education.
Lea Parris-Cambridge said: “Pink Lily is delivering this awareness and educational programme to highlight the signs and symptoms of several cancers that can affect us at any time. By being aware of the signs, if you suspect something is not right, you can get checked early, get the right advice or treatment and understanding that cancer is no longer a death sentence because the early detection of cancer saves lives!”