Are you In the Loop? This September 13 Florida Hospital East Orlando invites you to wear your pink and pearls and spend the afternoon with the girls as they transform Waterford Lakes Town Center into a French-themed park side bistro to stretch the pink ribbon around the world in a never-before-seen breast cancer awareness event in East Orlando. Area residents are urged to come out and enjoy an afternoon with their family and friends while showing their support against the disease that affects a new woman every two and a half minutes.

In fact, attendees will even have the opportunity to make a few new friends from across the street and across the globe with the Free Friendship Calls program. By visiting the designated center, women will be able to call their friends and women around the world who submitted their names to remind them to schedule their annual mammogram. “This is a fun, unique way for women to reach out around the world while sending the message of getting annual checks,” says Administrative Director of Marketing & Corporate Development for Florida Hospital East Orlando, Becky Niemann. More than 40 countries are already participating, from Australia to Ecuador to Venzuela.

“Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women, and earlier detection may mean a more treatable disease,” says Dr. Sarah George, hematology and oncology specialist at Florida Hospital East Orlando.

“The goal of the event is to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention, encourage women to schedule their annual mammogram, and celebrate being a woman,” says Niemann. There are plenty of activities to choose from, like the 5k Family Fun Run at 10:00 a.m. that stretches around the center with free T-shirts to the first 200 participants.

Attendees can also enjoy special stations designed specifically for women, like the Pretty in Pink station, where they can visit different booths from participants such as Mary Kay and other cosmetic companies. For those with a sweet tooth, visit the Build Your Own Cupcake Bar provided by Sweet. There’s also Sassy But Safe, with self defense courses by TLM’s Fighting Chance and “Do It Herself Workshops” by Home Depot. There’s also the Taking Care area with a Physician Meet and Greet from 12-2:00 p.m., professional massage, pink hair extensions by Eden Spa and information about new digital mammography technology available at Florida Hospital East Orlando. Schedulers from the Women’s Health Pavilion at Florida Hospital East Orlando will be on hand to take appointments for mammograms as well. There will also be plenty of live music across two stages, prizes, drawings and giveaways throughout the day. “Breast Cancer Survivors will be offered a strand of pink pearls to wear at the event so we can walk up to any survivor and let them know we are cheering them on - woman to woman,” adds Niemann.

“This event will be a fun way for women to remind each other that their health maintenance is crucial, not to mention it’s a great opportunity to build a network,” says George. Building that network can be critical to a successful recovery, says recent breast cancer survivor, Barbara Barbour. “It’s important to have that support group around you to help you fight,” she says. Barbour, who finished her last radiation treatment this past October, is incredibly excited for the event and hopes that it inspires other local women to get their annual check, like she did. “You just never know and getting your annual check is the most important thing a woman can do,” she says.

That is what Stretching the Pink Ribbon Around the World is all about according to George. “We want women to have fun and realize that we are all in this together, making strides against a serious disease,” she says. “Connecting with women around the globe symbolically stretches the pink ribbon and keeps us all in the loop.”

Article by Corey Gehrold