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| Contributed photo Bethany Zell, left, of Caribou was in attendance at the National Breast Cancer Coalition Advocate Summit in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. During the three-day conference May 5-8, she met with Sen. Susan Collins. |
By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bethany Zell, of Caribou, representing Cary Medical Center’s Pink Aroostook and the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition, attended the National Breast Cancer Coalition Advocate Summit in Washington, D.C. on May 5-8.
The summit is the NBCC’s national meeting of breast cancer advocates from around the world. There were sessions on the latest scientific research, training in effective advocacy strategies and presentations by respected researchers in the field, grassroots leaders from around the country and prominent public policy experts.
The event also involved advocates in the work to achieve “Breast Cancer Deadline 2020” NBCC’s strategic plan to end breast cancer by January 1, 2020.
The highlight of the summit was a day on Capitol Hill lobbying for the “Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act” (HR 3067) and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Zell and a fellow attendee from Maine, Laurel Bezanson of South Portland, met with the staff of Congressman Mike Michaud and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, both of whom had already signed on to HR 3067.
The evening culminated with a Congressional Reception in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Building. During the reception, Sen. Susan Collins was awarded with the NBCC’s “Breast Cancer Deadline 2020” award for her advocacy on behalf of breast cancer victims and especially for her continuing fight to maintain the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program.
As a breast health advocate in northern Maine, Zell hopes to use what she learned as she moves forward with the Pink Aroostook project. “It was a truly amazing experience and one that I will not soon forget,” stated Zell, “there is something so powerful in seeing more than 600 breast cancer survivors from all over the world come together to achieve the same goal.”
“The knowledge that I have gained is invaluable and I hope to bring more women from northern Maine to the summit next year,” said Zell, Pink Aroostook’s project coordinator. “Pink Aroostook seeks to educate, support and advocate for people in northern Maine regarding breast health issues. They currently facilitate a support group for people affected by breast cancer,” she added.
The local group meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Chan Center, working to connect women who are diagnosed, with local and national resources that may be available to them, whether psychological, financial or logistical. When the project began in the spring of 2011, Pink Aroostook had a patient care fund to assist people in Aroostook County. This fund helped individuals with costs associated with treatments and/or loss of work due to breast cancer diagnosis. Currently, the patient care fund is suspended until alternate funding is generated.
“Our grant period ended on March 31 and right now, we are operating at a ‘bare bones’ level until a major fundraiser takes place on our behalf,” said Zell. “At this time, two fundraisers are scheduled. The first was an open house, held at the Daigle Oil Company in Presque Isle on May 18, at which five cents per gallon of gas sold was donated to Pink Aroostook.
The second fundraiser, Tri-Aroostook (triaroostook.com) is a triathlon event to be held at UMPI on June 30. “We are thrilled that people in our county are coming forward to help fundraise for Pink Aroostook,” Zell stated. “This program is desperately needed in our rural communities and the word has just begun to spread about the resources that we help provide. Cary Medical Center is dedicated to keeping the program operating and it is so important to me and to the women with whom I work. Having people notice my passion and come alongside us to meet our need during this time has fueled my desire even further and given me tremendous hope for the future of this project. I have big plans for Pink Aroostook,” she added.
For more information on Pink Aroostook or to become involved, go to pinkaroostook.org or call 551- 4284.
