Annual race raises more than $36,000 to support mammograms, cervical screenings
LEXINGTON — The CommonSpirit – Saint Joseph Foundations’ 11th annual Yes, Mamm! Yes, Cerv! 5K at the RJ Corman Railroad Group Campus in Nicholasville, held Saturday, October 13, raised more than $36,000 to support mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. The family-friendly event held annually in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month invites the community to celebrate life and fund hope for patients, survivors and families in central Kentucky.
The Yes, Mamm! program launched at Saint Joseph Hospital more than a decade ago with the goal of making sure women in Kentucky could access lifesaving breast cancer screenings. The initiative was so successful that the Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation launched Yes, Cerv! in 2021 to help women access cervical cancer screenings. The programs are funded through numerous grants, as well as community and hospital philanthropic support.
Since 2015, the programs have served over 12,000 patients and distributed more than $2.1 million in resources. Those dollars also support costs related to transportation, co-pays, time off work and more, aiming to meet patients where they are and reduce the barriers to preventive care.
“Our goal is to reduce barriers to access, screenings and resources, because we know that early detection is critical in prognosis and treatment,” said Delaine Thiel, CFRE, market vice president of Philanthropy at CommonSpirit – Saint Joseph Foundations.
This year’s event also included a Survivorship Day celebration held in partnership with CommonSpirit – Saint Joseph Medical Center – Cancer Center – East Lexington, providing a dedicated space for cancer survivors to share quality time and inspiring stories in honor of courageous survivors in our community.
Angel Brooks, a young breast cancer patient currently completing radiation therapy, spoke at the celebration to share her inspiring story and help raise awareness about the critical importance of early detection at any age.
“I want people to understand that breast cancer does not happen to just older women,” said Brooks. “It happened to me at 29, hearing the words that changed my life. We need more awareness, more research, better treatments. We need earlier mammograms. We need women to know their bodies and feel comfortable speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.
“And, most importantly, we need to continue fighting for a future where fewer women have to hear the words, ‘you have cancer,’” she said. “We are stronger together, and today we will keep fighting.”
