NSCC goes pink for breast cancer fundraising events

There?s no shortage of fundraising and awareness activities planned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year, especially at North Shore Community College in Lynn, according to Director of Student Life Lisa Milso.Faculty and staff at the college will be incorporating pink into their daily activities this week as part of Operation Pink, and Milso said both the Danvers and Lynn campuses will have information tables set up today in the cafeteria from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with raffles and other giveaways like tote bags and water bottles.?These tables will have information to inform and educate people about breast cancer,” said Linda Brantley, Director of Public Relations and New Media for NSCC. “There will be giveaways, a free raffle for those wearing pink and other items available for a donation.”In addition, Brantley said the cafeteria staff is planning to serve up pink items using pink plates and utensils while the Fitness and Wellness Center is looking to get pink ping-pong balls, basketballs and footballs.?Like every other workplace, we have people here who have been impacted by the disease,” said Brantley. “When opportunities like this come around, I think people like to get involved.”For more information on how to participate, contact Milso at [email protected] Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation will hold its annual 5K race in South Boston on Oct. 30, and Ronni Cohen-Boyar, Executive Director for the Massachusetts Affiliate, said events like this are key not only for raising money, but to raise awareness as well.?The money is very important, there?s no question,” said Cohen-Boyar. “But if we ever have an event that is solely about money and not about raising awareness, it will be a failure.”Cohen-Boyar said around 6,000 people participate in the event every year and called it “one of the most powerful days of the year.”?I get a chance to look at all those people ? getting ready to run and walk,” said Cohen-Boyar “There?s a power of realizing that we?re all in this together and there?s a sadness that people are still dealing with this and a hopefulness that things are changing. It?s like a circus wheel of emotion.”Cohen-Boyar is a two-time breast cancer survivor and said the only reason she is alive today is through early detection, something she said has steadily been on the rise.According to Cohen-Boyar, 98 percent of women are alive five years later when the cancer hasn?t spread from the breast, which is up from 74 percent in the 1970s.?The research is really important ?” said Cohen-Boyar. “But the fact that breast cancer is now something people will talk about, the fact that people are becoming much more aware that annual screening makes a difference, incidence rates may have gone up, but mortality rates have gone down.”Cohen-Boyar said the money raised at the 5K race not only goes toward research grants, but it helps fund various programs like Community Servings, which helps provide food for low-income families dealing with breast cancer, and the Visiting Nurse Association Care Network, which provides everything from meals to help with bills.For Cohen-Boyar, the best part of these programs is that they?re all local.?Seventy-five percent of money goes to Massachusetts residents,” said Cohen-Boyar. “If you raise money or donate money to us and you live in Lynn, it?s not targeted for money to be spent in San Francisco. The chances are it?s someone in the area that?s going to get the benefit of that.”Anyone interested in donating can visit komenmass.org.The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer holds nine walks across the country throughout the year, and even though the Boston walk isn?t until May, Program Director Eloise Caggiano said October is the perfect time to start preparing for the 39-mile walk.?If somebody wants to do something in October, they can sign up for the Boston walk,” said Caggiano. “You need time to train and fundraise. It?s actually perfect timing. People use the timeliness of Breast Cancer Awareness Mon