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Salmon Arm dragon boat team gives carnations as mammogram reminder

Breast cancer second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women
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Members of the Shuswap’s Friends Abreast Dragon Boat Team pose with carnations they distribute for October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month to remind women to have mammograms. (Contributed)

While dragon boating is a fun activity that promotes camaraderie, it carries a deeper purpose.

The core mission of the Friends Abreast Dragon Boat team and the Shuswap Dragon Boat Society includes the facilitation of physical activities for breast cancer survivors and supporters of those battling the disease, and to generally encourage activities that promote good health.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, an important time for dragon boaters. While more people are surviving a breast cancer diagnosis than ever before, it’s still the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian women.

In other years at this time, the Friends Abreast team would be handing out pink carnations at various locations around town to remind women to book their mammogram appointments, explains a new release from the team. In the interests of social distancing and keeping everyone safe, this year members of the team tagged and delivered 400 carnations to the staff at nine public schools, three SASCU offices and the ladies league at the Curling Rink.

Vases, decorated with a sparkling beaded pink ribbon, held the flowers for each location. Every carnation was tagged with a pink ribbon and small card with the telephone number to call for a mammogram.

Along with providing reminders about mammograms and promoting beneficial physical activity, the team works throughout the year to promote public awareness of issues related to breast cancer, including risk factors, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research.

For more information on Breast Cancer prevention, screening, support services or to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, visit www.Cancer.ca. To book a mammogram appointment, call 1-800-663-9203. For more information on dragon boating, visit www.FriendsAbreast.com or email friendsabreast@gmail.com.

Read more: Shuswap dragon boaters honour teammate’s cancer-fighting accomplishments

Read more: 2018 - Salmon Arm women donate more than three feet of hair for cancer patients



marthawickett@saobserver.net
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Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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