The St. Mary-Corwin Health Foundation will host the Think Pink Party Oct. 6, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Pueblo Convention Center.
Proceeds from the event will go to support the $1.5 million campaign to build a Breast Center of Excellence in Pueblo. The center will provide health care services to women with breast cancer in the Pueblo community and surrounding areas. Once the center is in place, women will not have to travel to Denver to obtain professional and specialized breast health care.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis of women in Pueblo and southeastern Colorado, said Rob Ryder, CEO of the St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.
The Think Pink Party will be an evening of festivities that celebrate women’s health and raise awareness of breast cancer. Local artists will showcase their work in the invitational art show and silent auction, in which 40 percent of the proceeds from the winning bidder will also be contributed to the campaign.
Additionally, local hair salons will compete in a decade-themed hair competition, in which they will style volunteers’ hair based on styles from the 1920s to the 1990s. The winning salon will receive $1,000 of advertising from Comcast Spotlight.
Multiple vendor drawings will be held during the course of the evening. The most notable is the chance to win a halo ring from Armstrong Jewelers, valued at $3,000. Lifetime is also sponsoring a drawing for one lucky winner to receive a cappuccino maker.
All students and community members are invited to attend. The event will cost $5, which also benefits the campaign for the Breast Center of Excellence. Pre-sale tickets are available at Armstrong Jewelers and the St. Mary-Corwin Health Foundation for $4.
In order to obtain the title “Center of Excellence,” hospitals are required to meet the 17 standards set forth by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, according to the NAPBC. This includes having comprehensive clinical services, survivorship programs and reconstructive surgery consultation and treatment.
Ryder anticipates that the St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center will obtain accreditation in 2012.
The St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center plans to house the 8,000 sq. ft. center in the old emergency room. The center is designed to have a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere for patients and provide a warm and welcoming feeling, according to Erin Gibbs, chair for the Breast Center of Excellence campaign.
“We want to create a center that stands apart, a healing environment that nurtures the whole person, body, mind and spirit,” Gibbs said.
In addition to providing a continuum of care, the center will have breast health navigators. These are individuals who will guide cancer patients from diagnosis, to treatment and recovery. The navigators will work closely with doctors and other medical staff members to ensure that the patient receives comprehensive care coverage during their time at the center.
For additional information, contact Jayne Mazur, president of the St. Mary-Corwin Health Foundation, at 719-557-5298, or by emailing her at [email protected].
