Baton Rouge, La. – With the support of corporate partner, GMFS Mortgage, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will hold a skin cancer screening event on Saturday, June 4 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. This free community event will also provide sun safety education to adults and children.
This screening, part of the Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go program, is funded by GMFS, which became Mary Bird Perkins’ first corporate partner in 2017. To learn more about the partnership, visit marybird.org/giving/corporate‐giving/.
“For more than twenty years, GMFS has had a passion for serving the local community that goes beyond lending,” Danielle Mack, vice president and chief development officer, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, said. “Through their generosity, residents have more opportunities to access convenient early detection
and prevention resources.”
In addition to skin cancer screenings, free take‐home colorectal screening kits will be available. Men and women, age 45 and older, who have not been screened for colorectal cancer in the past 12 months are eligible to receive take‐home kits, but it’s important to note that these kits do not replace a medical examination or other screening procedures. Sun safety kits for children and sunscreen will also be
distributed.
Appointments are required for screenings. Call (225) 425‐8034 to schedule an appointment. If an abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with next steps.
The fight against cancer is a group effort, and GMFS’ commitment to the Cancer Center and its mission is evident through its generosity each year. This year, that commitment has been elevated. Starting in 2022, GMFS begins a three‐year pledge to donate a cumulative $150,000, its largest total to date.
The mortgage lending company also takes advantage of resources available through Mary Bird Perkins’ Prevention on the Go Workplace program, bringing mobile cancer screenings to its employees.
“At GMFS, we believe our services help to change lives, while Mary Bird Perkins works to save lives,” Tee Brown, president and CEO, GMFS Mortgage, said. “Coming together through this existing partnership benefits our community by providing life‐saving screenings that can detect cancer earlier, leading to better outcomes.”
This screening event also highlights the ongoing partnership between the Cancer Center and BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. Last fall, sunscreen kiosks sponsored by Mary Bird Perkins were installed throughout the zoo, providing patrons sun protection free of charge.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with one in five Americans developing skin cancer in his/her lifetime. As dangerous as it can be, it is also very curable if caught early.
“As summer arrives and many of us begin spending more time outdoors, it is critical to recognize the signs of skin cancer and learn sun safety,” Heather Johnson, director, early detection and outreach, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, said. “What better way to spend a weekend than enjoying one of BREC’s best attractions, the Baton Rouge Zoo, and getting your skin examined, potentially saving your
life.”
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 eight centers in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma, Gonzales, and Natchez, Mississippi, and its service area encompasses southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi regions. Mary Bird Perkins has a strategic partnership
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 marybird.org.