By Lani Hansen, Senior Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma- Muscogee (Creek) Nation Annual Pink Party will be doing virtual events this year for those who are wanting to attend.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation website, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This annual campaign was developed to increase awareness of breast cancer. MCN has been hosting the Pink Party since 2002, in honor of breast cancer survivors.
“We usually have a lunch, vendors are set up, different speakers come and talk about the importance of self-breast exam and what breast cancer is,” Public Health Nurse Dallie Lovett stated about the party.
In 2019 the panel for the Pink Party was a lineup of breast cancer survivors, they hosted a question and answer session which turned out to be the highlight. Lovett said they wanted to do it again this year, but with COVID everything will be virtual.
“This year we will still incorporate the survivors,” Lovett said. “They will tell their story on video that we can post on our social media site. The survivors may talk about their feelings when they were diagnosed, how they overcame the cancer and their support system.”
One week, a women’s health provider will speak about the educational side of breast cancer. This session will include a breast exam routine, the importance of a yearly well woman exam and how the self-breast exam is important for males also.
“This year we plan on having a male survivor, but we are waiting on a determination,” Lovett added.
The Pink Party is more of reaching out to people and getting the educational side of breast cancer to everyone. People of all ages, male and female can get breast cancer.
Native Americans have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. The cancer does run in families such as if a relative have had it then it increases the chances for others in the same family to get it. According to the American Cancer Society, there has been an estimated 279,100 new cases of breast cancer overall this year.
Lovett added, the videos for the 18th Annual Pink Party will start being posted the week of October 5. One video will be posted a week throughout the month of October. If you have not pre-registered there is a form to fill out, and once all the videos have been watched there is a survey to be filled out. Once the survey is submitted, you will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
Videos will be posted on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Facebook page.
I would like to pre-register but I’m not sure how or where. I am a survivor. Please help me. I thank you very much.
I am a 2 yr. Breast Cancer Survivor. I have attended the last 2 Pink Parties. I learned so much from the speakers and enjoyed the company of other survivors. I loved hearing the stories of others. I hope next year we can have the Pink Party again.