Northwell Health’s annual Pink by the Bay kicked off at Babylon Town Hall with a health fair to promote Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink by the Bay is a towns-wide partnership with Islip and Babylon Town, urging friends and neighbors from the South Shore to shine a pink light as a visual reminder for women to get their mammograms.
The month-long effort from Pink by the Bay will encourage Suffolk County businesses on Main Street from East Islip through Babylon to light and decorate their storefronts pink as well as offer customers educational literature about breast cancer prevention and detection.
About 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2023; of which, about 43,700 women will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
“Breast cancer awareness and regular screenings are the keys to early detection and saving lives,” said Karen Kostroff, MD, chief of breast surgery, Northwell Health. “A mammogram can make all the difference in the fight against breast cancer. Let us empower ourselves with knowledge and action to ensure the earliest possible detection, potentially leading to the least amount of treatment.”
This month, more than 250 businesses and households within Islip and Babylon towns will participate in Pink by the Bay, and both Town Hall cupolas will be illuminated in pink throughout the month in commemoration of breast cancer awareness.
“What can we do? It starts with early detection which is the best prevention,” said Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter. “It starts with spreading the word, providing education on all preventative measures and the signs and symptoms to look for. That’s what we’re doing today.”
Currently, there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. This includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.
“The point of this whole campaign is to raise awareness of breast health in men and women during not just the month of October, but year-round,” said Babylon Town Clerk Gerry Compitello. “We hope to see that the color pink will serve as a reminder to each and every one of you just to get checked.”
For information on how to book a mammogram and other treatment options visit:www.northwell.edu/imaging/services/mammogram andwww.northwell.edu/cancer-institute/cancer-care/locations/imbert-cancer-center.
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