October is Breast Health Awareness Month, and St. Elizabeth Health Services is again planning special events to raise awareness, and also to raise money for the Billie Ruth Bootsma Fund, which provides financial assistance for women of all ages who need diagnostic mammogram services.
The first event is "A Day In Her Boots," featuring photographs of local women touched by breast cancer by Amy Martin-Friedman. The artistic photos feature the women in favorite shoes, and each will be accompanied by a story. The matted prints will be sold through silent auction.
This show happens during First Friday, Oct. 2, at Clark and Co. Home, 1924 Broadway St. In addition to the photos, artist Don Gray has offered his painting of Sparta House to benefit the Billie Ruth Bootsma Fund. Raffle tickets for a chance to win the painting will be sold at Clark and Co. and participating businesses from Oct. 2 through Dec. 4. The winner need not be present during the drawing. Tickets are $20 each.
The mission of the Billie Ruth Bootsma Fund is to honor the memory of Billie Ruth, who died at age 19 on Oct. 8, 1980 after a battle with bone cancer. The fund was established in July 1988, and more women have used it in the last few years: three in 2005, six in 2006, nine in 2007 and 14 in 2008.
Eligibility is based on income -- see the chart below.
Later in October, St. Elizabeth will again offer free clinical breast exam screenings -- 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 19 and 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 20. No appointment is necessary.
Also, Dr. Barbara Tylka will present a free educational luncheon on Women's Wellness on Oct. 27 at 11:15 a.m. at the Baker County Library, 2400 Resort St. All women are welcome.
An ongoing fundraiser for the Billie Ruth Bootsma Fund is an upscale resale shop on the second floor of Barbara Jeans, 1911 Main St. Since opening in July, the clothing sales have totaled $2,500.
"That's a lot of mammograms," said Amy Dunkak, director of communications at St. Elizabeth.
A mammogram costs $263. Also, the St. Elizabeth Foundation purchased a CAD (computer-aided detection) mammography system this year to improve early detection of breast cancer. The device allows a traditional mammogram film to be placed into digital form and searches for unusually dense regions or clusters of microcalcifications, according to a press release.
For more information about these October events, call Amy Dunkak at 523-8102. To see more of the Baker City Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bakercityherald.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Baker City Herald, Ore. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Baker City Herald, Ore.