'Paint the City Pink' highlights breast cancer awareness
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Marlborough - The month of October has become National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, during which hospitals, local organizations and national cancer organizations band together to educate the public about breast cancer and prevention.

This year, Marlborough is showing its support for the crusade to eradicate breast cancer Monday Oct. 15 when city officials plan to "Paint the City Pink." As part of the eff orts to raise awareness, the city is asking residents and city employees to wear pink, the color affiliated with breast cancer awareness.

The city is also selling pink ribbon pins for $5 at the Building Department at City Hall. Karen Kisty, Mayor Nancy Stevens's aide, explained that the money from the sale of the pins will go directly to the American Cancer Society.

She also said that city officials chose Oct. 15 hoping that the City Council, which holds its bi-monthly meeting that day, will purchase the pins and wear pink to the meeting.

The ribbon lapel pin has become a national symbol to increase awareness about breast cancer. They are worn during the month of October to honor those who have survived cancer battles and to remember those lost to the disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year 178,000 women across the country will discover they have breast cancer and of those women, 40,000 will die from the disease.

"Paint the City Pink" is one of many activities sponsored by the mayor's task force to promote cancer awareness throughout the year. The task force members include representatives from Marlborough Hospital, the City Council, the American Cancer Society, and city staff who in addition to providing community education are dedicated to raising money for cancer research.

The mayor kicked off the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct. 2 with a digital mammography at the new digital mammography center at Marlborough Hospital.

"As a woman, the mayor wanted to use her position to help increase awareness towards breast cancer and direct it mainly towards the women in the community," Kisty said.

The city is also hosting a ribbon decorating competition at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest, with prizes being awarded to the top three ribbons at the next City Council meeting.

"We love having the children get involved, because they do go home and share what they learned with their parents," Kisty said. "There is a large age range in the children who participated in the competition."

Kisty was particularly impressed with the inspirational messages of strength and courage and the creativity used in decorating the ribbons.

"Most of us women were caught most by one that said, 'I love my Mom,'" she said.

Stop by City Hall anytime during the month of October to purchase a ribbon pin.