GONZALES, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s popular Live Well community health event is set to return to Ascension Parish next month. Live Well Ascension, a FREE cancer screening opportunity, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Gonzales’ Jambalaya Park (1015 E Cornerview St.). This free community event provides residents with an opportunity to take advantage of four different types of cancer screenings, including breast, prostate, colorectal and skin cancer. Participants can also access blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose checks.
“We have had great participation every year we have hosted Live Well Ascension, which means residents are taking advantage of early detection and prevention services,” said Renea Duffin, vice president, cancer support and outreach, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “We are so thankful for community partners who understand the importance of cancer screenings and making them accessible in a convenient way.”
Live Well Ascension is made possible annually thanks to the generous support of the Gonzales Area Foundation (GAF). GAF has been fundamental in helping the Cancer Center expand access to early detection and prevention resources across Ascension Parish at no cost to residents. Local stakeholders, who have a pulse on the needs and desires of the community, are essential in fostering the Cancer Center’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.
“The Gonzales Area Foundation is proud of the alliance we have formed with Mary Bird Perkins, which has provided much-needed cancer resources to residents of Ascension Parish in a convenient and comfortable setting,” said DeEtte DeArmond, a founding member, Gonzales Area Foundation. “The Cancer Center and its team members are part of the fabric of our community, and being able to showcase the work we continue to do together through Live Well Ascension is truly inspiring.”
Appointments are required for all screenings. If an abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with next steps, also at no cost. To make a screening appointment, please call (225) 425-8034.
For more information about this event and other cancer screening opportunities, please visit pogo.marybird.com
About Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is a regional cancer care organization that has been fighting cancer for more than 50 years. The cancer care organization provides care at 10 centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Gonzales, Hammond, Houma, Opelousas, Slidell, and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. Mary Bird Perkins has a strategic affiliation with OneOncology and the largest radiation and medical oncology groups from across the area including exclusive partnerships with Southeastern Louisiana Radiation Oncology Group, which provides radiation therapy throughout Mary Bird Perkins’ service areas, Northshore Oncology Associates, serving St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, specifically the communities of Covington and Slidell and Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, which services the Greater Baton Rouge area. For more information, please visit www.marybird.org.