Raising awareness of breast cancer

The Women's Preventive Healthcare Project, which serves a seven-county region, and the Putnam County Health Department have received grant funding in the past several years from the Northwest Ohio Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This money helps to provide mammograms and breast ultrasounds free of charge to qualifying women.

We are asking businesses, schools and individuals to participate in this year's project, Denim Day for Cancer. Simply have your administrator/manager pick one or more days during October for employees to wear blue jeans to work at a cost of $1 per person. Designate someone to collect the money and send donations to:

Women's Wellness Center at St. Rita's - Project Denim Day

770 W. High St., Suite 250

Lima, OH 45801

All donations will be sent to the Northwest Ohio Komen Affiliate. In order to keep receiving grant money, it is important to show we are committed to addressing breast cancer. Hundreds of women in our community would not be able to have mammograms without this program.

If you can participate in only one day, I suggest Friday, Oct. 17, National Mammography Day. Breast cancer affects one in eight women. Early detection is the best protection against the disease. Please, help us make sure all women in our region have access to obtain a mammogram.

Mary Kay Verhoff is director of Women's Wellness Center at St. Rita's Medical Center.