Every year Breast Cancer affects one in eight women in the United States and 2.3 million women worldwide. Breast Cancer Awareness month supports people diagnosed with the disease, educates people about breast cancer and its risk factors as well as signifying the importance of regular screenings and fundraisers for breast cancer research. Each October we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Originating in 1985, the American Cancer Society partnered with Imperial Chemical Industries to create a week-long awareness campaign which eventually turned into a month-long event. The Former 38th First Lady of the United States, Betty Ford, helped start the week-long event since she was also a Breast Cancer Survivor. Best known for its pink theme color, the month holds a large number of campaigns and organizations created by strong and influential groups who feel Breast Cancer deserves more acknowledgement.
Two significant and largely influential organizations that have brought more awareness to Breast Cancer are The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization and the Susan G Komen fund. Founded in 1984, Margery Gould Rath, a breast cancer survivor from Massachusetts, created the Making Strides organization and movement. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a celebration uniting communities to end breast cancer as a whole, for everyone. Making Strides is able to support the American Cancer Society by funding breast cancer research, providing free information and support and helping people reduce their risk for the disease and how treatable they are. Similar to the Making Strides organization, dating back to 1980 when Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan, that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became the Susan G. Komen organization. To date, the Susan G Komen Fund has invested nearly $3.6 billion in research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 60 countries.
Breast Cancer survivor Lisa Torsiello shared her experience with raising awareness for this disease and how she has stayed a part of the community. Lisa shared, “The first couple of years after being diagnosed I participated in Relay for Life. Then I did Making Strides for many years, participating in raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness and participating in the walks. I also participated in activities sponsored by Hackensack Hospital which was hosted at MetLife for many years. I also participated in my work’s Pink Out Day.” Not only are these events simply raising awareness and money for Breast Cancer Research, it also gives the survivors a feeling of relief and a support system behind them.
One event that occurs yearly is the Celebrating Life and Liberty event; sponsored by the Hackensack University Medical Center. Over the past decade, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has hosted this event. Unfortunately, ever since COVID 19, this event has not happened at MetLife Stadium. The first Celebrating Life and Liberty event was held in 2009 at Ellis Island. The event started to grow in fame, which led to the annual MetLife event as well as other events through the same sponsorship and title. Not only were survivors sharing their stories through song, poetry and other performances, professional artists shared with the crowd and attendees stories about survival and hope.
As the awareness for Breast Cancer grows, Glen Rock is able to raise awareness to this disease through simply placing the color pink on uniforms, jerseys and any decoration or accessories. Every year, Glen Rock High School’s volleyball team raises money to create ‘Dig Pink’ Shirts for the month of October. Before every game the team wears these shirts over their jerseys during warmups as well as to school for big games in the month of October. This year’s shirts were created by Melina McAllister, a Junior at Glen Rock High School who is a member of the Varsity Volleyball team. Throughout the month you will also see the Glen Rock police officers wearing pink hats and patches. Several of the police vehicles will also have pink patches as well as ribbons to continue to show their support as well as raising awareness.
Barbara Schmidt, a 57 year old Occupational Therapist at The Norman A. Bleshman Regional Day School, who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer when she was 55 years old recognized the significance of Breast Cancer Awareness month and the month as a whole. “Yes, I do feel that Breast Cancer Awareness month is important. Breast Cancer affects eight out of 10 women in their lifetime – it’s important to raise awareness and promote more research for possible prevention and cure.” Through races, walks, social media campaigns, and other events throughout the month, researchers gain more funding to develop new therapies and treatments that have significant outcomes, help drive the mortality rate down over the years, and give hope to patients with this diagnosis.
