BAKERSFIELD, CA - Bakersfield is painting the town pink in October. It's all for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Wednesday afternoon, supporters and survivors led the 31 days of kicking cancer to the curb with the Links for Life Lace'n It Up Walk.
They want the color pink to be a reminder to get screened for breast cancer.
At the Liberty Bell, each ring, came from someone who beat breast cancer and is still swinging in the fight against it. Mary VanBlake is among them.
"When I was diagnosed, I didn't want anybody to know," said VanBlake.
Now, a seven year survivor, she's happy to wear a bra as a hat, joining the rest making up a sea of pink on a walk for breast cancer awareness.
"I had mammograms done every year and if I would have missed that one year I would have been in stage four," said VanBlake.
"They are out and educating and telling the community, hey, I survived you need to get in. You'll survive. And it's just, it's a sisterhood that just moves people," said Jennifer Henry, Executive Director of Links for Life.
The power of the pink paraded through downtown Bakersfield. Each of the over 900 wristbands sold at the Downtown, Riverwalk, Taft and Belridge walk locations Wednesday will help pay for screenings and cancer services in our community, like they did for Steve Hamblet's wife.
"We're never alone. This community of breast cancer survivors is an amazing group. These women are so strong. So, we kind of got our inspiration from the outside," said Hamblet.
In the last year, nearly 800 women got screened or had biopsies thanks to Links for Life. Seven of those women under 40 were found to have breast cancer.
But each bell that rang Wednesday is a battle cry to support, survive, and walk stride by stride together. Because, like Mary VanBlake knows, there's no hiding, just fighting.
"I got tired of upstairs to my room and crying every time some one would call me or every time somebody would send me a card. And, I said I'm going to fight this and I've been fighting ever since," said VanBlake holding back tears.
In case you missed Wednesday's walk, another walk is being held this Saturday in Tehachapi at the West Park Activity Center. Registration is at 8:00 am. The walk starts at 9:00 am.
Wednesday afternoon, supporters and survivors led the 31 days of kicking cancer to the curb with the Links for Life Lace'n It Up Walk.
They want the color pink to be a reminder to get screened for breast cancer.
At the Liberty Bell, each ring, came from someone who beat breast cancer and is still swinging in the fight against it. Mary VanBlake is among them.
"When I was diagnosed, I didn't want anybody to know," said VanBlake.
Now, a seven year survivor, she's happy to wear a bra as a hat, joining the rest making up a sea of pink on a walk for breast cancer awareness.
"I had mammograms done every year and if I would have missed that one year I would have been in stage four," said VanBlake.
"They are out and educating and telling the community, hey, I survived you need to get in. You'll survive. And it's just, it's a sisterhood that just moves people," said Jennifer Henry, Executive Director of Links for Life.
The power of the pink paraded through downtown Bakersfield. Each of the over 900 wristbands sold at the Downtown, Riverwalk, Taft and Belridge walk locations Wednesday will help pay for screenings and cancer services in our community, like they did for Steve Hamblet's wife.
"We're never alone. This community of breast cancer survivors is an amazing group. These women are so strong. So, we kind of got our inspiration from the outside," said Hamblet.
In the last year, nearly 800 women got screened or had biopsies thanks to Links for Life. Seven of those women under 40 were found to have breast cancer.
But each bell that rang Wednesday is a battle cry to support, survive, and walk stride by stride together. Because, like Mary VanBlake knows, there's no hiding, just fighting.
"I got tired of upstairs to my room and crying every time some one would call me or every time somebody would send me a card. And, I said I'm going to fight this and I've been fighting ever since," said VanBlake holding back tears.
In case you missed Wednesday's walk, another walk is being held this Saturday in Tehachapi at the West Park Activity Center. Registration is at 8:00 am. The walk starts at 9:00 am.
