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Get a free mammogram with Pink Saturdays

Updated: Wednesday, July 25 2012, 01:54 PM EDT

Why don’t women get a mammogram? There are several reasons for this. Fear. Discomfort. No time. Pink Saturdays believes that the key reason these women are not being screened for breast cancer is a lack of insurance. That’s why we are offering free mammograms during “Pink Saturdays” during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

Why, Pink Saturdays? A disturbing statistic brought all the providers together and led to the development of Pink Saturdays in 2007. From Mammography facilities that report their numbers, it’s estimated that only 30% of women 40 and older in Southwest Michigan were getting a mammogram every year. That compares to the Michigan average at that time of 62% and a National average of 65-70%! If you look at a county-by-county comparison, some of the numbers were even lower…for example, only 11% in Cass County and 18% in Allegan County.

Through the efforts of people like Terry McKay and others, Pink Saturdays started with nine participating facilities in 2007. Today, West Michigan Cancer Center, Access Breast Cancer Screenings, and Southwest Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program help to organize and implement the program with more than 32 other participating organizations. With West Michigan Cancer Center acts as fiduciary for the program, in 2011 the Southwest Michigan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure provided a community grant to fund the program. Since its inception, Pink Saturdays has provided a total of approximately 4,388 FREE screening mammograms.

Don't delay... call 1-800-873-0649 today to schedule your FREE MAMMOGRAM!