By Angelina Banek
On Sunday morning, an ocean of people dressed in pink flooded the Coney Island Boardwalk to participate in the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk. For the third consecutive year, the Brooklyn College Cancer Center (BCCC-CURE) joined in. During the event, energy was high and walkers were met with tents filled with encouraging volunteers, DJs, and their families and friends as they walked.
At the walk, BCCC sold t-shirts and coffee to raise money for the cause. To members of the Center, a critical aspect to breast cancer awareness is letting women know that it can happen to anyone.
“It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I feel like not many people really realize it can happen to you,” said volunteer Joanna Davalos, who stressed the importance of getting checked often. “A lot of people don’t even know until it’s at its major stages.”
According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women and one in 726 men will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. When breast cancer is found early and still in the localized stage, there is a 99% chance of survival. Black women are the least likely to get diagnosed in this early stage, and have the lowest survival rates, according to the American Cancer Society.
Anjana Saxena, a BC professor and chair of the Biology Department, shared that her aunt was a survivor and walks to support everyone. “I’m doing it for everyone, not just family,” she said.
Ana Bartolomé, BCCC-CURE operations manager and communications outreach coordinator, said that the main goal of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk is to foster awareness of the disease and raise donations for cancer research.
“I think it’s wonderful. I think we brought out a lot of people, way more than the last two years. This is our third year doing it, and there are about thirty people that I already know will be here from Brooklyn College,” Bartolomé said. “It’s very exciting to see that every year there’s more and more.”
Tabling before and during the walk, BCCC-CURE volunteers had the chance to engage with community members united for the cause. Originally aiming to fundraise $1000, BCCC met their goal and more with a total of $1,653.61 raised. Part of raising awareness according to organizers is to also create a legacy of support at BC, as many might be unaware of what the Center has to offer.
“We had survivors that were alumni. So, they went to college in different years, and they saw the sign and wanted to see what this Brooklyn College Cancer Center was. Because, we’re only five years old, so not a lot of people know about us,” Bartolomé said.
Bartomé’s main message to students is that BCCC has abundant resources and opportunities waiting for them, including research, internship, and educational experiences. As part of their continued efforts to increase opportunities for students, BCCC is offering summer internships for underrepresented students in biomedical research, according to their website. Underrepresented students, according to the application, include “racial or ethnic minority group; individuals with disabilities; individuals from a family below the established low-income threshold; or individuals from an underperforming urban high school.”
“I want them to know that the opportunities are there. We just need to figure out how to help them,” she said. “We have opportunities inside labs in Brooklyn College, but also in hospitals, and we want to help them get into the health field, which is one of our major goals.”
Students interested in learning more can visit the BC Cancer Center located at 139 New Ingersoll Hall or follow them on their Instagram @bccancercenter