The Pink Ribbon Charity will host its annual Montserrat Breast Cancer Awareness walk this afternoon, Saturday October 31 from 4PM starting at the Lookout Community Centre. Registration begins at 3PM. Donations are welcomed.
Companies and government agencies across the island took up the Pink Ribbon Charity’s campaign to go pink on Friday, October 30.
The also shared photos of their support on social media. The Attorney General’s Chambers, Statistics Department Montserrat, the Governor’s Office, the Ministry of Health, telcoms company Flow, Alliouagana Express, and the Rotaract were some of the organisations which took up the challenge to wear something pink and encourage staff to support the charity.
The Statistics Department also made a donation to the charity from funds collected among the staff.
Nurse Brenda Daley, of the Pink Ribbon Charity said she was pleased by the support and hopes it can become an annual part of the breast cancer awareness programme.
Helping Hands for Glendon is another organisation supporting breast cancer with an international campaign to raise funds to purchase a mammogram machine for Montserrat.
Currently, women must travel to Antigua or further to obtain a mammogram scan. The Pink Ribbon Charity was formed to collect funds to cover the costs of the trip and tests for local women. More than 200 women have benefited from the funds raised since 2009.
The Helping Hands for Glendon hopes to raise 200,000 pounds to purchase a machine, which is to be placed at the local hospital.
Daley revealed that this new charity comprises members of the Montserratian diaspora and local residents who want to support the hospital to be able to serve the needs of the community. She said that many Montserratians abroad would like to return home but improving the services available on island is a major concern. Helping Hands wants to remove the financial costs of women going abroad for tests in the hopes that more women can access treatment, when necessary sooner.
According to Helping Hands medical records from the local hospital show that between 2008 and 2019, 19 women on island were diagnosed with breast cancer and five have died. This they say is a significant number for such a small community.
Donations for the mammogram fund managed by the Pink Ribbon Charity can be given at the walkathon scheduled for today Saturday, October 31 from Lookout Community Centre to Little Bay. Follow them on Facebook here.
Those who would like to donate to the Helping Hands for Glendon on island can donate to their account at the Bank of Montserrat – Account Number: 652 1479
From overseas, donations can be made to purchase the mammogram machine via this crowdfunding page https://www.gofundme.com/f/1wo7srb7yo
Follow them on Facebook at https://facebook.com/helpinghandforglendon
