Thunder Bay breast health campaign launched via teleconference

by Karina Hunter

Helen Williams and Donna Celikovsky have fun looking over the Styling for Life campaign tools.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Styling for Life a breast health program, piloted in Thunder Bay last year with great success, was launched via teleconference across the Thunder Bay District and Northwest Region Tuesday, September 23^rd. Lori Della Vedova, M.A., manager for the Ontario Breast Screening Program lead the conference, explaining details of the program to attendees, and ensuring that all participating salons and Public Health Nurses (PHN’s) had the opportunity to have any remaining questions answered.  Manitouwadge’s MJ’s Hair Salon was well represented at the launch as Marla Piché, Helen Williams and Donna Celikovsky attended the launch, excited about the possibility of their clients wining one of three $100 gift certificates which are available to be won by women 50 years and over booking their breast screening appointment during the month of October 2009. For more information regarding the draw or how you can be more proactive in regards to breast health, visit MJ’s Hair Salon in the Hallmark Square. Stylist Marla Piché said she felt this campaign marked the beginning of a unique partnership between TBDHU, Regional Cancer Care and hair salons in the promotion of breast health
to women.

Marla Piche and Jackie Jung_RN_discuss the styling for life promotional items at Tuesday's teleconference

In Northwestern Ontario, only half of all eligible women are screened regularly for breast cancer but with the involvement of area hair salons, the Regional Cancer Care Centre and Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) hopes are to reach out to all women age 50 and over.  The Styling for Life campaign, running from October 1 to October 31, 2009, will include more than 70 salons throughout the regions and builds on the special relationship between stylists and their clients. TBDHU provided participating salons with simple facts about breast health and fun promotional items contributed by Regional Cancer Care such as lip glosses printed with the Breast Screening Program’s toll free number, as well as Styling for Life decals for the stylists’ mirrors intended to encourage easy and open conversation between stylists and clients about the importance of breast screening for women. New this year, the Cancer Society has provided TBDHU with a Thingamaboob keychain for each of the salons that stylists will use to explain the importance of early detection.

Manitouwadge’s District Health Nurse, Jackie Jung, RN, is the campaign’s Northeast representative and was involved in organizing the other Branches – Marathon, Terrace Bay/Schreiber, Nipigon and Geraldton/Longlac.  She offered the opportunity to Public Health Nurses from those communities to be involved in the project and was thrilled when all of them agreed and brought salons from their communities onboard.  

Jung was the host for Manitouwadge’s launch site at Manitouwadge General Hospital where she decorated the boardroom in pink, in honour of breast health awareness providing participants with refreshments and snacks.  Betty Oksanen attended the launch on behalf of the Manitouwadge Cancer Assistance Group to thank Jung and those in attendance from MJ’s Hair Salon for their dedication to the campaign.  Other salons participating in Manitouwadge though not unable to attend the launch, are Carol’s Mobile Hair Care and Shear Talent Hair Salon.  As the evening wound up, the ladies from MJ’s were enthusiastically discussing ideas to keep campaign momentum going throughout the month of October including initiatives such as their Pink Thursdays when you’ll find stylists at MJ’s dressed in pink hoping to remind you about the importance of mammograms in women over 50 and those at risk due to family history.

Watch for the Styling for Life logo at your favourite salon or ask your stylist about steps you could be taking to be pro-active in the fight against breast cancer! This Thursday, October 1^st, visit salons in Manitouwadge (or in the case of Carole’s Mobile Hair Care, book an appointment to have her visit you) and see what they are doing to kick off October’s Breast Health Awareness Month and the Styling for Life campaign! 

Submitted to The Echo 09.25.09