BATON ROUGE, La. – Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will host Live Well Baton Rouge – a community health event featuring free cancer screenings, food, music and other health resources – on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2250 Main Street, Baton Rouge.
This popular annual event is part of the Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go (POGO) program, which provides free early detection and education services across Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. Local residents are invited to take advantage of four different types of cancer screenings, including breast, prostate, colorectal and skin cancer. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose checks will also be available.
Live Well Baton Rouge will also feature various health vendors, food, music and fun activities for the entire family. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome for all screenings. Call (225) 425-8034 or visit marybird.org/livewellbr to schedule an appointment.
Karnival Krewe de Louisiane (KKdL) will again serve as the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. KKdL engages in fundraising throughout the year to support local cancer research, cancer education and underserved cancer patient care in the Baton Rouge area. Live Well Baton Rouge would not be possible without KKdL’s support. Since KKdL’s establishment in 1987, it has contributed nearly $6 million to support Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer.
“We are proud to once again serve as presenting sponsor of Live Well Baton Rouge,” said Amy DeJean, board president, Karnival Krewe de Louisiane. “This event means so much to us because it provides our community access to life-saving cancer screenings and other health services in a fun, family-friendly environment. We encourage everyone to come out to the event and take charge of their health!”
Live Well Baton Rouge also marks the kick-off of KKdL’s fundraising season. Each of the new debutants are crowned and recognized annually at this event.
Additional sponsors for Live Well Baton Rouge include Baton Rouge Coca-Cola, Louisiana Lottery and Republic Finance.
Last year, 129 capital area residents received a total of 237 screenings, with 31 requiring additional patient navigation and one breast cancer diagnosis. Nearly 46% of those participants had never been screened for cancer prior to the event. Additionally, more than 50% of participants reported being uninsured.
“Our message is clear – early detection saves lives,” said Sharneitha Bradford, regional director of cancer support and outreach, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “Thanks to KKdL and our other partners who make Live Well Baton Rouge possible, we’re able to spread this message to more and more people each year.”
For more information about this event and other cancer screening opportunities in your community, please visit marybird.org/get-screened.