BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN continuation of its thrust to promote breast cancer awareness and early detection, the TDC Group of Companies recently handed over a portion of its Think Pink Campaign promotion to the St. Kitts-Nevis Breast Cancer Patients Assistance Fund.
The Campaign was held during the month of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) at the TDC’s Home and Building Depots on both St. Kitts and Nevis.
Earlier this week a $2 000 cheque was handed over by TDC officials to trustee of the St. Kitts-Nevis Breast Cancer Patients Assistance Fund, Dr. Kathleen Allen-Ferdinand.
At the brief handing over ceremony held at the Home and Building Depot (St. Kitts), Assistant General Manager of that Department Leon Bass declared that it was a tangible means of the Group’s support of increased awareness about the disease.
“It gives me great pleasure to be here today to hand over this cheque to the tune of EC$2 000 to one of the trustees of the St. Kitts-Nevis Breast Cancer Patient Assistance Fund. As we know, breast cancer is, I would say, rampant in our society. I’m sure all of us do know someone who has been affected in some way by this disease, and so TDC, as a group, we actually thought it would be nice to bring awareness to such a disease and hence handing over this cheque to defray some of the costs.”
In receiving the cheque, Dr. Ferdinand thanked the Group for its support in raising breast cancer awareness.
“May I first say on behalf of and all of those who would benefit from this fund, thank you to TDC on several levels. Thank you for coming up with this brilliant idea and for showing that with partnership in the private sector, along with what the public sector does, each of us has a role to play, and that with partnerships as successful as these we can raise awareness to a different level than we’ve had any other time in St. Kitts.”
Dr. Ferdinand, who was also instrumental in administering a particular aspect of the Think Pink Campaign, expressed thanks to the Group for allowing her and her colleagues to be part of the exercise.
“Thank you also for allowing myself and three colleagues to participate in your Saturday breast examination sessions which we did every Saturday during the month of October. And thank you now for this generous donation.”
A lot of people do not know the enormous cost in caring for persons with breast cancer in particular once oncological services – that is cancer services – which are not available St. Kitts, have to come into play. And most persons who have to seek attention overseas really have to think in terms of US$40 000.
In providing an overview of the Think Pink Campaign promotion, TDC Client Relations and Marketing Department Manager Jonel Rawlins-Drew named it “the first of its kind in St. Kitts in a retail department”.
“We offered free breast examinations and discounts towards mammograms at Dr. Hodge’s office. The store was decorated with pink, we offered 20 percent to all persons purchasing any of our pink items, and to culminate the promotion, we decided that we would give some proceedings of our promotions to the St. Kitts and Nevis Breast Cancer Patients Assistance Fund.”
