Campus Celebrates 20th Annual Poly Goes Pink Event
SUNY Poly celebrated its 20th annual Poly Goes Pink event dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer and showing support.
SUNY POLY – WILDCAT FIELD HOUSE. SUNY Poly hosted its 20th annual ‘Poly Goes Pink’ event, attended by staff, faculty, students, and campus community alike. The event kicked off in the Field House gym Wednesday afternoon at 3pm. Over one hundred people attended wearing all shades and manner of pink clothing to show their support.
The event was opened with remarks from the Director of the Wellness Center, Stacey Genther. Director Genther highlighted the significant milestone of the event’s 20th year. She first introduced the event’s co-founder, adjunct professor Lynne Browne, herself a survivor of breast cancer. Lynne reflected on her personal experience as a survivor of breast cancer as well as the history of the event, sharing how it had come about twenty years earlier out of a desire to raise awareness and show support for breast cancer patients.
Director Genther next introduced Wendy Hunt, Program Manager at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Wendy is in charge of Upstate University’s Upstate Mobile Mammography program, offering breast cancer screening around Central New York. More about Upstate’s Mobile Mammography program can be found on their webpage. Wendy discussed the importance of regular screening mammograms to enable early detection of breast cancer.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. One in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime; on average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes. With early detection of localized breast cancer, however, the five-year survival rate of breast cancer is over 99%. As Wendy addressed in her remarks, women who receive regular screenings – like mammograms from Upstate’s Mobile Mammography program – have close to a 26% lower mortality rate compared to women who do not undergo regular screenings.
The next Upstate screening event near SUNY Poly is at the New Hartford Public Library, on Tuesday, November 17th. Appointments are encouraged and contact information can be found on the Upstate Mobile Mammography program webpage.
Director Genther returned to the podium to lastly welcome campus President Wole Soboyejo. President Soboyejo thanked Director Genther, Lynne Brown, Wendy Hunt, and all the participants for attending.
President Soboyejo went on to share his own experience with breast cancer through a family member’s diagnosis. He described how following this diagnosis he was inspired to research and study different ways to treat breast cancer, including research published concerning a hard-to-treat type, known as triple negative breast cancer. President Soboyejo highlighted how SUNY Poly, and its students, can effect real change and make a difference in challenging areas like disease treatment. He concluded with a reminder to attend the ‘Kick Out Cancer’ women’s soccer game happening later that afternoon.
After the remarks given, participants were invited on a one-mile walk around campus, led by school mascot Walter the Wildcat. Upon returning to the Field House, refreshments from Aramark – hot apple cider, donuts, and sugar cookies – were offered. The results and coverage of the women’s soccer game can be found on the Wildcat Athletics website.