Mississippi State University will start October, breast cancer awareness month, off with its sixth annual Pink Dawg Walk, where survivors and supporters will walk around Chadwick Lake to recognize the disease and those it affects.
The free event kicks off at 4 p.m. Thursday, at the walking track around the lake, which is next to the Sanderson Center.
JuLeigh Baker, who manages the event and is a health and wellness educator for University Health Services, said anyone can participate in the walk.
“This event is a fun way to spread awareness about the prevention and early detection of breast cancer, while we are also celebrating survivors,” Baker said. “It is a great event that people from campus and families from the community can both enjoy.”
To Baker, the walk is more than spreading awareness for the disease, it is also a way for her to honor people close to her heart.
“Many people know of someone who has had breast cancer, but it becomes very personal when you can put a name of someone you love to it,” Baker said. “For me it was first my grannie, Faye Robertson, then (my) dear friend Amber Neal and currently my friend and co-worker Carol Childs—all very strong and amazing women.”
Baker said the Pink Dawg Walk was successful in the past, with as many as 500 people participating. She said there will be free t-shirts this year for the first 400 to complete the walk, which consists of one loop around the track. She said there will also be snacks.
For breast cancer survivors, a special pink shirt was made. The survivors who come out do not have to walk, but will still receive a shirt and can enjoy the event.
Leah Pylate, director of University Health Services’ Department of Health Promotion and Wellness, said many people are affected by breast cancer.
“Breast cancer affects our friends and family, and it is important to bring awareness to this important topic that affects so many people,” Pylate said.
In 2015, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there were almost 250,000 cases of breast cancer reported, and more than 40,000 women lost their lives to the disease.
Pylate said one method to detect breast cancer early on is undergoing screenings.
“Screenings are one of the best ways for early detection,” Pylate said. “As the American Cancer Society relays, some cancers do not present with symptoms, thus screenings and preventive measures are vitally important for early detection and treatment.”
Pylate said the Department of Health Promotion and Wellness sponsors initiatives like the Pink Dawg Walk because they empower students and families to achieve lifelong well-being.
“The mission of Health Promotion and Wellness is to engage students through initiatives to promote complete mental, physical and social well-being,” Pylate said. “Bringing awareness to breast cancer and prevention of this disease can help students and their families throughout their lives.”