Support of breast cancer awareness carries on despite pandemic

While social distancing impacted the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Woodbury Commons in 2020, Orange County supporters of the American Cancer Society reimagined how they could honor and raise funds for breast cancer awareness month.

Nicole Greco, a caregiver to a family member faced with breast cancer and avid supporter of the society, believed that cancelling fund raisers because of COVID-19 was not an option.

The Chester resident enlisted Lauren VanPamelen, a local business owner in Chester to help.

Pink beer, limited edition, of course

While Greco’s “Team Boobalicious” set up a breast cancer awareness display, invited the community and promoted a beer-tasting, VanPamelen, owner of the Tin Barn Brewing, marketed a limited-edition pink draft beer and donated all draft sales of the pink beer to the American Cancer Society.

The women subsequently presented the American Cancer Society with a check for $3,130.

“We are so grateful to Tin Barn and all of our extraordinary supporters,” said Kristi Greco, Community Development manager for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. “In addition to fund raising, this is a time when cancer patients especially need our help. If you missed a mammogram during the past six months, the American Cancer Society recommends that you call your doctor to discuss making up that missed appointment – especially if you are high risk for breast cancer” she added.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the US. According to Patti Lestrange Mack, communications director for the society, an estimated 17,540 New Yorkers will be diagnosed and about 2,430 will die of breast cancer this year.

The Society is asking individuals who chose to celebrate breast cancer awareness month in a different way, to consider sharing photos on their Facebook page and to send donations online at www.makingstrideswalk.org/hudsonvalley. For checks or other gifts, people can contact Kristi Greco at kristi.greco@cancer.org or call 845 781-6131.

Breast cancer research at risk

COVID-19 has put the Society’s mission to fight cancer at risk for the first time in the history of the American Cancer Society, affecting the organization’s ability to fund raise and to support research. As the largest non-governmental funder of cancer research in the United State, the American Cancer Society is determined to unite the community and continue leading the fight.

“While the pandemic has changed our event plans for this year,” Lestrange Mack said, “we are still fighting back boldly and relentlessly against breast cancer.”