BAHRAIN will walk, ride, dance, keep fit and even turn pink next month as it strives to raise money and awareness in support of the fight against breast cancer.
For the sixth year running Think Pink Bahrain is holding a variety of fund-raising and awareness activities during International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which falls in October.
It will team up with other organisations and groups such as the Rotary Club of Adliya, Royal Golf Club and Harley Davidson Owner’s Group (HOGS) to help raise funds and spread awareness.
The main aim of the Think Pink Bahrain campaign is breast cancer awareness and the importance of monthly self-examinations, but the charity also raises money to support the long-term fight against breast cancer.
The majority of the funds raised this year will go towards a digital Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which will be donated to the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).
It will be the country’s first MRI dedicated to detecting breast cancer and is described as the best tool to screen the condition in young women.
The MRI costs about BD880,000 and Think Pink Bahrain still have BD450,000 to raise.
“We need this machine and we needed it yesterday,” Think Pink Bahrain founder and chairwoman Jules Sprakel told the GDN.
“We hope to have the machine within a year. I don’t want people to have to go somewhere in the GCC to have this diagnostic tool, I want it to be available in Bahrain and for them to be proud of the services here.
“This is a community project, it is done by the community for the community.
“When you know you sold or bought a pink ribbon or you have participated in a Think Pink Bahrain event you will know the donations raised went to this machine,” Ms Sprakel added.
A walkathon organised by the Rotary Club of Adliya on October 1 will launch the fund-raising activities, followed on October 8 by the HOGS, which will ride around Bahrain, adorned in pink.
The bikers will start the ride from the Harley Davidson offices, Budaiya, at 8am.
They will tour the island for several hours, calling at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB), Busaiteen, and the Royal Golf Club, Riffa, among other stops.
Various fund-raising fitness events will also be held throughout the month in support of breast cancer awareness and Think Pink Bahrain’s fund-raising campaign details of which will be announced soon.
In last week of October two charity golf tournaments will be held at the Royal Golf Club.
The second annual Think Pink Bahrain Gent’s Night Golf Tournament will take place on October 24 and the sixth annual Think Pink Bahrain Ladies Charity Golf Day on October 27.
Tournament
Money raised from the tournament will be directed towards education.
Funds raised at last year’s tournament were used to send four SMC healthcare professionals to take a certified lymphedema course in Germany.
They also enabled two SMC nurses to take their Master’s in Nursing, which includes a major in the oncology of breast cancer, at the RCSI-MUB.
The first will graduate from the two-year programme in June and the other has just started.
Meanwhile, Think Pink Bahrain will hold the sixth annual Think Pink Bahrain Gala Dinner at Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa on October 29, at 7.30pm.
More than 600 corporate sponsors and members of the public are expected to attend.
Tickets are BD30 and all money goes towards the MRI machine.
Next month Bahraini Olympic sailor Sami Al Kooheji will take over from Bahraini racing car driver Hamad Al Fardan as Think Pink Bahrain’s goodwill ambassador.
“We have a Bahraini sportsman for the second time as our brand ambassador and that’s something for Bahrain to be really proud of,” said Ms Sprakel.
“He carries our logo on his sail and helps us raise awareness.
“It’s important to remember that it’s not just a female disease, men can also develop breast cancer and it affects everyone, children, parents, family and friends.”
Think Pink Bahrain was officially registered as a not-for-profit charity in June, but still works closely with the Health Ministry and the SMC oncology department.
“We are a not-for-profit charity which means all the girls work full-time and volunteer their own time,” said Ms Sprakel.
“We don’t have drivers or overheads to keep our costs down and our financial report will be available on our website and given to corporate donors,” Ms Sprakel added.
“It’s important to raise money and have fun events but the phone calls from schoolchildren giving their support and the thanks from women that have been helped by Think Pink Bahrain is at the core of why I started it,” Ms Sprakel said.