Cancer Center Hosts Free Screenings, Entertainment and Food for the Entire Family

In Recognition of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, Honorary Chairman Mayor Kip Holden along with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center invites community members to Fest for Life, A Minority Cancer Awareness Event.

(Baton Rouge, La.) Free cancer screenings, entertainment and food are all on tap for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s 7^th Annual Fest for Life, A Minority Cancer Awareness Event set for Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Bon Carre Business Center, 7173 Florida Boulevard. Fest for Life is a free health event recognizing Minority Cancer Awareness Week and includes fun activities for the entire family. Free cancer screenings include breast, prostate, skin, colorectal and oral cavity, along with blood pressure and glucose checks. Fest for Life Honorary Chairman Mayor Kip Holden will be on hand to make remarks and meet constituents. The event also includes free food, music and activities for kids. All community members are welcome. “Although cancer affects men and women of every age, race, ethnic background and economic class, the disease has a disproportionate impact on minorities and the economically disadvantaged,” said Mayor Holden. “Raising awareness about this disturbing fact is a step toward saving lives. Early detection, through yearly screenings, and can help find cancer early before it has a chance to spread, increasing the odds of successful treatment.” Since Fest for Life’s inception in 2008, approximately 3,000 people have been screened for cancer at the one-day event.  Eighty-seven percent of those screened belonged to minority populations. “Through our community partnerships and with the support of our sponsors we are able to directly impact the health and wellbeing of many people in our community,” said Johnnay Benjamin, director of early detection and education for Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. “This is a true collaborative effort that lessens the burden of cancer and potentially saves lives.” All screenings are available to those who do not have a doctor and who have not been screened for cancer in the past 12 months, as well as for people who do not have insurance or considered to be underinsured. Appointments are required for breast cancer screenings only. To make an appointment please call (225) 215-1234 or (888) 616-4687. Fest for Life is sponsored in part by Karnival Krewe de Louisiane, 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, Amerigroup, Associated Grocers, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Baton Rouge State Fair Association, Bluebell Creameries, Capitol City produce, Cox Communications, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge, Papa Murphy’s, Allied Waste Services, Communities of Color Network – Southern University Ag Center, USAgencies, Whole Foods Market, Flowers Baking Co., Avita Pharmacy, Capital City Grill, Shedrick Fields and Friends, AmeriHealth Caritas, Unique Creations Therapeutic Day Spa LLC, M. Celeste Francois, Britney and Collis Temple, III, Todd and Shelia Sterling, Morise and Renea Duffin, John F. Smith, and Full Circle Communications. For additional information about this event and other upcoming screenings, please visit www.marybird.org/olol. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is the most comprehensive cancer center in Louisiana offering patients the convenience of receiving high-quality, advanced care close to home. The Cancer Center is part of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), a group of competitively selected cancer centers that is developing a national model for community cancer care.