'Long Island Go Pink' For Breast Cancer, American Cancer Society Urges

FARMINGDALE, NY — "Long Island Go Pink" is the message that the American Cancer Society, along with officials from Nassau and Suffolk counties, plan to spread on Thursday.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at Ward Hall in Farmingdale State College where Long Islanders will be urged to commit to screening, build awareness, volunteer, participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement and raise funds for research and programs to support breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer worldwide, according to the American Cancer Society. In New York, the society estimates 18,780 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 2,440 will die of the disease. Nationwide, 2,880 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, the society estimates.

The American Cancer Society has put more than 100 years of cancer-fighting experience to work through investments in breast cancer research, it said. It aims to ensure greater access to quality care, influence public policy, and provide patient support.

"In its 30th year on Long Island, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement embraces a bittersweet mix of purpose – celebrating survivorship and paying meaningful tributes to loved ones lost, while raising awareness and funds for a world without breast cancer," the American Cancer Society wrote. "The American Cancer Society urges the public to get involved, follow the society’s guidelines for breast cancer screening, support breast cancer research through participation and donations to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer."

On a local level, the Handler Hope Foundation of the Northport-Huntington area is raising funds and awareness of breast cancer.