Aaaaaand we’re back! VBCF staff and volunteers spent September and October traveling and presenting to groups across the Commonwealth, totaling 30 educational events…27 in October. We got to speak to thousands of Virginians about breast health, from Wythe County to Portsmouth, from Fairfax to Suffolk. We donned hard hats and judged pumpkin painting contests. We loved returning to groups where we had presented before and enjoyed making new connections in new communities.
Some highlights of our educational events this year were a Danville tour, visiting/presenting to eight academic institutions, and our increased engagement with Fort Lee.
We were honored to present at a very special event hosted by Danville Parks and Recreation – their Second Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon. The luncheon, held at Ballou Recreation’s Senior Citizen Center, was originated by Ms. Cynthia Carter, a beloved employee and community leader. She, unfortunately, lost her battle with breast cancer earlier this year.
With the help of sponsorship by SOVAH Health, staff, friends, and family honored her this year with a beautiful luncheon featuring lots of learning and fun. Given the distance from our main office in Richmond, our Resource Coordinator, Nikki Jennings, decided to expand the trip into a two-day “Tour of Danville.” She met with some long-time partners at the VCU Massey Cancer Research and Resource Center to exchange resources. She planned for future outreach, including bringing resources to the Danville Public Library and the local PATHS Clinic Pharmacy staff. Nikki also met with faith community leaders from Vance Street Baptist Church, a fellow VCU Massey Seed Grant awardee. She learned more about their work in the community health arena, including their renewed focus on caregivers, family, and friends of breast cancer patients.
We were honored to be invited to eight academic institutions this year. One thing we took away from each presentation to these young adults was how impressed we were with their engagement. People don’t give college students enough credit, thinking students won’t want to hear about any of the “nitty gritty” of breast cancer. We received some of the most insightful questions from these groups. Many of these presentations ran long due to these important discussions. Statistically, breast cancer would be 20-30 years in the future for these students, but many of them are also the future of science and public health, so reaching them now could benefit not only them in the coming decades but also the rest of us.
Last year, we connected with some folks at Fort Lee, who invited us to speak about breast cancer to a few recruits. Since then, we have visited there twice, including a special “Wellness Wednesday” session with the Army Logistics University’s Senior Leaders Program.
Special thanks to a recent graduate of the program who also happens to be a breast cancer thriver – Myesha Graham! Ahead of our busy season, Myesha went above and beyond rallying volunteers to help bundle thousands of our pink pens, which we send all over the state throughout the year to help spread the word about VBCF.
Though we have had a busy fall so far, as we say, “breast cancer doesn’t just happen in October.” We already have presentations scheduled for December and will likely spend some more time on the road next spring and summer.
Would you like VBCF to come to your community? Click here to make a request. We hope to see you soon!
