Bonanza Valley Voice -

October colors bring to mind orange, black - and pink. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, pink will be all over Pope County.

Support for breast cancer awareness is shown across the country and will be especially prevalent here where Glacial Ridge Health System has planned an atypical "Women's Night Out" on Tuesday, October 18th from 4:30-7:30 pm urging women to schedule and get mammograms. Radiology staff will be present to schedule.

At 5:00 pm that night, check out "When Your Plumbing Leaks." Learn practical plumbing tips from Justin Greeley, owner of Greeley Plumbing, then...about how to fix your "other" plumbing. Physical therapists LaNita Mortenson and Jennifer Plaetz will share what they know about pelvic pain and urinary incontinence. New techniques can improve and repair even those leaks too. The rest of the evening is all about "girl time":

• Indulgent appetizers, desserts and beverages

• Free gift for the first 50 women

• Chair massages

• Professional bra fitting

• Hair styling

• Health and nutrition assessments

• Schedule your mammogram and be entered to win a prize

• Door prizes

And much more!

"We work with women throughout the year, educating and performing mammograms, etc. but during the month of October, we do more to promote breast cancer awareness and the importance of early detection," stated Amanda Kath, Radiology Manager at Glacial Ridge Health System. At Women's Night Out and all month, women who schedule a mammogram within the next 12 months are entered into a drawing for a special pampering gift basket. "We want to make sure our efforts are motivating women to be ambassadors of their health by getting regular screenings. Annual mammograms are vitally important because they can detect changes in the breast that may be early signs of cancer, but are too small or subtle to be felt," added Kath.

Breast cancer forms in the cells of the breasts and can occur in both men and women, but it's far more common in women. About 1 in 8 U.S. women - 12.4% - will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 40,000 women die each year from breast cancer even though it is one of the most preventable forms of cancer deaths.

It is not clear what causes breast cancer, but there are risk factors that are linked to the disease. By staying physically active with regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol consumption, a woman can reduce her risk for developing breast cancer. Early detection through screening mammograms is essential for treatment and survival. If you're forty or over, consider scheduling a mammogram – it could save your life.

Glacial Ridge Hospital is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), 19-bed Critical Access, Trauma Level IV hospital located in Glenwood, MN serving Pope County and portions of the four adjoining counties. Glacial Ridge Health System is comprised of the hospital, two medical centers, an ambulance service, homecare, hospice, EMS training, and a wellness center. The mission of Glacial Ridge Health System is to provide the highest quality "heartfelt" care to the communities we serve.