CLEWISTON — The Hendry Regional Medical Center’s annual special observation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, its Pink Warriors Walk, is coming up on Oct. 26. Hospital official Electa Waddell came to thank city commissioners at their recent meeting for the city’s support and report on their results.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/Courtesy of HRMC
The Hendry Regional Medical Center building on West Sagamore Avenue in Clewiston is all lit up in pink this month.

The marketing and foundation director for HRMC, Ms. Waddell said. “I just want to thank the city and the commission for all you do for our Pink Warriors Month. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We will be hosting our Pink Warriors Walk again on Oct. 26. It’s $50, which includes a shirt and also breakfast afterward.

“In the past two years we’ve raised over $40,000, which goes into our Pink Warriors fund, and about $15,000 of those funds have been used for women in our area, not just for screenings but also for diagnostic exams.”

HRMC and the Hendry Regional Medical Center Foundation had an open house in conjunction with the Clewiston Chamber of Commerce Oct. 1, to which she invited everyone, distributing their fliers.

It included tours of the hospital’s imaging department, where, she said, the foundation along with HRMC “funded a new three-dimensional mammo unit,” which has been up and running since April.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/Courtesy of HRMC
This cake, baked and donated by Ana Hernandez, was sold in their fundraising Bake Auction for $30 to Everglades Federal Credit Union. It raised over $1,600 total.

“We’ve drastically reduced our callbacks, by over 40% just in that first month that we opened it. So we’re making a lot of strides in our community to better the health for both our women and men,” said Ms. Waddell.

She encouraged everyone to join them in their other events such as the annual Bake Auction. “There’s other fun things we’re doing, like lighting up our new PT building pink for the month,” she said.

Pink light bulbs were being sold for members of the community who also like the color and wanted to help spread awareness of breast cancer. Join in by purchasing your own pink light bulb at the Clewiston Chamber of Commerce, #HRMC Imaging Dept (Clewiston) or Hendry Regional Convenient Care Center (LaBelle). All proceeds benefit the Pink Warriors Fund.