PUT-IN-BAY (WTOL) - Put-in-Bay looked very pink Saturday for the 4th annual Pink at the Bay event to help raise funds for Susan G Komen Northwest Ohio.
Jet Express, the ferry service that provides transportation to Put-in-Bay, has been helping collect change at their ticketing booths. This is the first year they have gotten involved with the organization.
"How could you not want to help?" said Nicole DeFreitas, the sales and marketing director of Jet Express.
In addition to funds, the goal of the day was also to raise awareness about breast cancer and clear up misconceptions. According to the executive director of Komen Northwest Ohio, Mary Westphalt, although someone may go through remission, breast cancer can always come back.
"You can certainly have a recurrence of breast cancer at any point in your life. Just because you've been through the full treatment and you seem to have a pass from you physician that you're all clear now, it doesn't mean that you are forever safe," Westphalt said. "What we know is often when women are touched by breast cancer they're frightened because they recognize that they may have risk down the road."
It's something both women and men need to worry about.
According to Westphalt early diagnosis is key and that requires each person to self-monitor their health and to go to the doctor right away if something doesn't feel right. There are many types of breast cancer, but Westphalt is confident that they are going to find cures for them.
"We are working very hard every day through our research dollars to actually identify the cures and find treatments and find treatments that will be able to beat the disease and address the cures," she said.
During the event, people were also encouraged to sign up for their primary fundraiser of the year, the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, on September 24th in Findlay and on September 25th in Toledo where thousands of people participate annually.
