The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

FOR the entire month of October, a new movement on Grand Bahama will be hosting activities to assist the island’s Cancer Society as much as possible.

‘The Warrior Campaign’ will present a calendar of events, which officially kick off on October 3 with the “Coco Chanel Principles of Business for Women” event to be held at the Grand Lucayan.

Other activities to follow will include the “Relay For Cancer” at Taino Beach, an event called “Burning of the Bra” at the Island Seas Park, “The Hope Ball Health Fair” at the Eight Mile Rock School Gymnasium, “Cupcakes and Cocktails” at the Grand Lucayan, “The Hope Ball”, also at the Grand Lucayan, and “Rock Da Block” at Entwined in the International Bazaar.

The campaign was developed by three women, all entrepreneurs, who have been affected by cancer through the experience of loved ones that have battled the disease.

Charlene Carey of Bullart Design acts as the designer of the campaign shirts and graphics concepts. LaTess Bartless of Chocolatess Island Delights assists in making chocolate treats for the movement, and Davina Rutherford, of the company Minding Your Business, manages the marketing and public relations aspect.

They have come together for achieve their goal – to raise awareness of cancer and to educate the community about the work the Cancer Society of Grand Bahama is doing. The aim is to also raise $5,000 for the Society to assist with their projects.

“In the future we would like to continue to work with the Hope Ball Committee and the Cancer Society of Grand Bahama. We would like to be able to increase the amount of our donation, pay for mammograms and we would like to see the campaign grow to as many islands as possible with events on each island throughout the month of October,” Ms Rutherford told Tribune Health.

“We all have families that have battled the disease and their battle is our inspiration and motivation. That’s why we chose the name for the survivor, the fighter and the taken, as we know so many others have been affected the same way.”

She said raising awareness can bring people closer to finding the cause and cure for cancer, and being a part of a campaign like this one is important to her because its main focus is giving back. The businesswoman said no one is exempt from the disease.

“Some of us are blessed to have never had to go through it, but you just never know,” she said.

“The rate of people that have been diagnosed with the disease is growing at an increasingly alarming rate. Research needs to be done to figure what causes or triggers the disease. There has to be a common factor that can link some of the cases. I feel it’s environmental, some of it is genetic, diet and stress. There are a number of factors that need to be looked in to that can be controlled to some degree but we have to determine what that factor is.”

She believes prevention is better than the cure, and early detection does save lives. Ms Rutherford said people should be more aware of their environment, level of stress and the chemicals they put in their bodies. She said it is also very important to get regular checkups, mammograms, pap smears and prostate exams, as she believes that the more knowledgeable people are, the better chance they stand in the fight against cancer.