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October is the breast cancer awareness month and people all over Bahrain will be 'thinking pink' to support and honour the cause.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women all over the world and according to statistics one out of every eight to 10 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
According to the Ministry of Health statistics, every year 74 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in Bahrain. Men can also develop breast cancer.
"Awareness and consequently early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer. Although 90 per cent of the lumps found are not cancerous the key is to be proactive and know what is going on in your body," said Jules Sprakel, the force behind Think Pink in Bahrain.
Think Pink Bahrain is entirely home grown and was initiated by Ms Sprakel, an Australian-born intensive care nurse, in 2004 with an event at Camelot's restaurant in Adliya. The dinner raised BD10,500 and left an indelible mark on the island's community.
Spurred by the amazing response and encouraged by all and sundry, Ms Sprakel, despite her exhausting full time job, put her efforts together and launched Think Pink on a larger scale.
Apart from being a personal cause - Ms Sprakel's grandmother, mother and aunt had breast cancer and she has been through two cancer scares herself - Think Pink has grown into a charity that continues to bring people from different communities and walks of life together to work for a cause that affects many in some way or the other.
"When you have a seven-year-old giving you BD3 from her pocket money because her aunt died of breast cancer that is when you know that you have to continue with your efforts because awareness about breast cancer can save a loved one's life," said Ms Sprakel.
In 2006 Think Pink raised BD17,000 and last year it amassed a total of BD34,000. Think Pink donates all its proceeds to Bahrain Cancer Society (BCS). Bahrain is the only country in the entire GCC that performs free mammography and screening for its local women.
"I believe that Think Pink is making a difference and that is evident with the people who want to support us and come on board. It is not just a female issue because it affects everyone," she stated emphatically. "Think Pink has 12 women on its committee and although all are full time professionals, each one of them brings a unique set of capabilities and mobilises a segment of community in Bahrain to support our cause," she added.
This year Think Pink is organising a wide range of activities from an exclusive luncheon at La Fontaine with a talk by a popular Emirati female surgeon to Bahrain Cancer Society's walkathon and ladies golf, Pakistan School Pink Ribbon day and open day exercise sessions at World Beat Fitness, EZFit and Body Line. The culmination of Think Pink month will be a gala dinner at Diplomat Radisson SAS hotel on October 30.
"The Diplomat Radisson SAS is committed to living 'Responsible Business' and actively supports several local charities and causes within Bahrain. Think Pink has done such a terrific job of promoting awareness of Breast Cancer, raising significant funds in aid of the Bahrain Cancer Society, and we are delighted that we can assist them in this worthy cause by hosting their upcoming Gala Ball," said Rick Erdos, general manager of the hotel.
