CITY OF LYNN, MA
Mayor Patrick J. McManus

Mayor Wages "Crusade Against Breast Cancer"

Mayor Patrick McManus is waging a "Crusade Against Breast Cancer" with a comprehensive outreach program targeting groups that conventional awareness methods may not reach. Throughout the month of October, the mayor planned events designed to: 1) educate Lynn. s citizens on the importance of breast cancer prevention; 2) offer free mammography and breast screening; and 3) provide follow-up treatment to underinsured residents.

The mayor has involved the entire community in the campaign, including the schools, local businesses, senior citizens, hospitals, health care agencies, and newspapers and media outlets.

Collaboration with the State

Mayor McManus is working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. s Breast and Cervical Cancer Initiative to provide free health services to:

• women who earn wages below 250 percent of poverty level;
• women age 40 and older who are under-insured or uninsured;
• women under 40 with a primary relative having breast cancer;
• women under 40 with a history of exposure to radiation; and
• women under 40 who are referred because of suspicious symptoms.

Community Events

An educational speaking event was held on the campus of the city. s community college. The program included a panel of breast cancer experts and interactive displays that focused on diet, self-examination, and vitamins that can give women the upper hand in the war against cancer.

An arts fund-raising program has been developed that will involve the city. s elementary school children and invite local businesses to participate in the "Crusade." The mayor has asked students to design artwork that will be mass produced and distributed to local businesses to sell for $1. Donations will go directly to the Lynn Cancer Association, a local non-profit organization dedicated to:

• providing health care facilities with the latest equipment for treating patients with cancer;
• educating the public about prevention and cancer treatment; and
• furthering the education of medical

professionals who treat cancer patients.

Billboards, designed by the Lynn youth art organization RAW Arts, were posted in the city at strategic points that are prominently visible to high traffic volume and the targeted "at-risk" population. The mayor is also working with the local daily newspaper to run a series of educational articles on various aspects of breast cancer awareness and prevention.

A calendar of events was sent to every female over the age of thirty in the database of the Lynn Community Health Center. This was particularly significant because many of these women have little or no health insurance.

Special outreach to senior women came through Greater Lynn Senior Services whose volunteers assembled pink ribbons for distribution throughout the city. This organization provided transportation for seniors to attend the educational speaking event that was advertised to every woman residing in the city. s elderly housing units.

The mayor. s "Crusade Against Breast Cancer" is promoting awareness throughout the year. This community-wide collaboration is complementing pre-existing outreach efforts by targeting at-risk women and sending the message that:

"Early Detection is a Women. s Best Protection."

Contact: Frank Meilinger, Communications Director, Mayor. s Office, 781/598-4000.

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