Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Board of Commissioners Vice President Barbara McGowan, a breast cancer survivor, asked all MWRD employees to “PINK IT UP!” and wear pink on October 20 to honor those impacted by breast cancer.
At the October 20 Board meeting McGowan sponsored a resolution on behalf of the Board of the Commissioners supporting breast cancer awareness and honoring employees who are survivors.
“Breast cancer can kill if it is not caught early enough,” said McGowan. “I am blessed to have had a wonderful medical team that diagnosed, then treated my breast cancer. I am grateful to be cancer-free today.”
Let’s “PINK IT UP!” she encouraged staff members.
Statistics regarding breast cancer diagnoses are startling.
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It represents about 30 percent (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year.
About 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women and about 43,250 will die from the disease. For men, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 2,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed and 530 men will succumb.
MWRD President Kari K. Steele took note of McGowan’s resolution, saying, “I appreciate Vice President McGowan for bringing forward this Breast Cancer Awareness resolution and the opportunity to raise awareness. It is an important reminder to men and women to be proactive about all their health screenings and encourage others to do the same.”
