Ride A Bike or Walk This Week for Breast Cancer Awareness

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Crittenton Hospital Medical Center and the Rochester Bike Shop are both hosting their own awareness events this week.

Creating the awareness events is important said Meagen Kaczmarek, who works at the Rochester Bike Shop. By walking, riding or even being educated on the disease, people are showing their support for loved ones battling the cancer, honoring survivors or family and friends that lost their lives to breast cancer.

“It’s important to get people involved with breast cancer awareness,” Kaczmarek said. “People are able to be a part of the big picture - helping a humongous foundation that helps support breast cancer.”

Crittenton Breast Cancer Walk

At 5 p.m. today, Crittenton Hospital is bringing residents together for its to help build awareness for the disease.  The walk begins at the main lobby of the hospital and walkers will march one mile through Rochester. The opening ceremony will be held on site at the hospital at 5 p.m., and registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. Registration for the walk is free. Light refreshments and health information will be available as well. For more information call (248) 652-5269.

Breast Health Educational Symposium

On Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Crittenton Hospital will be hosting a , with a panel of four doctors. According to Jeff Kapuscinski, director of marketing and communications for Crittenton Hospital, panelists include a surgeon, oncologist and radiologist. For members of the public unable to make it to the Crittenton Auditorium that evening, they can register and watch the program online via http://www.livestream.com/.

Registration for the event is free, and people viewing both onsite and online will have the opportunity to ask questions. The panel is set to give a presentation talking about all aspects of breast health from exams to disease to treatments, and then the floor will open for questions.

“This is a new thing for us. But because there are so many questions surrounding the topic this was the most appropriate way to present this information,” Kapuscinski said. “The breast cancer topic is growing in participation because so many people are affected and so many people have questions.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Ride

The Rochester Bike Shop will be sponsoring its at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Online registration closes Friday afternoon and onsite registration is available until the ride starts on Saturday. Riders will kick their bikes into gear at 10 a.m. and take part in their choice – a 10 or 25-mile ride along the Clinton River Trail. Kaczmarek noted that though it has been advertised as a 25-mile trek, they are opting for a safe turning point so it will most likely end up being a slightly shorter ride for people choosing the longer coast.

“This will be a casual, comfortable, fun, family-friendly ride,” Kaczmarek said.

Bikers will start and finish in the parking lot behind the Rochester Bike Shop. The Rochester Bike Team will be scattered along the trail for assistance. In addition to the ride, downtown Rochester stores donated gifts for door prizes and snacks and drinks will be onsite.

“We had 100 participants last year…we’re hoping for more this year,” Kaczmarek said. “The weekend is supposed to be beautiful.”

Cost to participate is $25 and all proceeds will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. To register before the race visit www.active.com and enter the key word: Rochester Bike Shop to locate the proper registration. For more information contact the shop at (248) 652-6376.