Women from different walks of life and of different age groups rolled their sleeves up in the early hours of last Saturday to burn calories for a good cause.
At Zamalek’s Marriott hotel, the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt (BCFE) held a fitness-fundraising event, titled “The Zumba Pink Party for the Cure,” aiming to raise awareness and empower women going through the struggle.
The party kicked off with a dance on the music of “Best Day of My Life” song by American indie rock band American Authors. The lyrics embrace a positive tone, calling for hope and courage to overcome life’s hurdles.
More than 800 women, including survivors, showed up in plain pink t-shirts or emblazoned with pink ribbon (the international symbol of breast cancer awareness) while following international Zumba instructors’ energetic steps.
“Zumba party is not just about dancing, but it is also an entertaining way to stay in shape and be healthy as well as help raise funds to save thousands of lives,” said Ghada Mostafa, BCFE media director.
“It is an amazing approach to attract women’s attention to breast cancer, encourage everyone to join the fight by spreading knowledge about it, and encourage their loved ones to get screened.”
According to the statistics of BCFE, breast cancer represents 29 percent of women’s cancer cases in the world and 37.5 percent of women’s cancer cases in Egypt.
“Though a lot of progress had been achieved in educating people about the disease in Egypt over the last decade, the country still has a long way to go,” said Mohamed Shaalan, a professor of surgical oncology at Cairo University’s National Cancer Institute and BCFE chairman.
Deep-rooted misconceptions about cancer are widespread in our society, which stand as an obstacle in the way of fighting the devastating disease.
“Women fear a cancer diagnosis for mistakenly believing that that the only cure of the disease is a mastectomy, so they reluctant to have a breast exam in the first place,” Shaalan said.
“The truth, however, is delaying treatment costs lives,” Shaalan added stressing on the importance of breast self-examination at age of 20.
From the age of 40, women should get mammogram once a year as women’s chances of developing breast cancer increase with age.
During the event, a video about the treatment journey of one of the survivors was screened. It recounted a touching story that started with late detection and feeling of loss and depression.
However, the patient decided to stand up for herself and challenge life’s hurdles through getting involved in cancer patient community to boost its psychological well-being and practicing physical activities to increase energy and decrease cancer related-fatigue.
The experience conveyed an inspiring message urging attendees to take charge of their lives and recognize the symptoms of breast cancer at early stages, while giving hope and strength to those who are still battling the disease.
Booklets were distributed for free during the event for providing critical knowledge in many key facets of breast cancer and how to decrease the likelihood of developing the disease.
