SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The annual Pink Parade is back and is calling the whole community to be creatively pink this Friday September 29th, 2023. The Pink Parade started back in 2010. The last three years the Pink Parade had to be cancelled due to Covid 19 world pandemic and the island lockdown policies and measures.
This annual event is organized by the Positive and Elektralyets Foundation. The foundation’s presidents Shelly Alphonso and Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals-Wyatt are requesting the cooperation of the community, organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and schools to wear pink on Friday September 29th and further participate in their annual PINK PARADE.
The foundations welcome the participation of your organization in the PINK PARADE complete with organization banner or flag. The participants can be as creative as they like representing your group, school, organization, or business but everybody must wear ONLY PINK! PINK! PINK!
Businesses are required to pay a participation fee. While nonprofit organizations can participate free of charge. The foundations imploring that you please register to be part of the parade. This is vital to ensure that the parade runs smoothly.
Groups and organizations will be assigned their number and placement in the parade the day of, on a first come first serve basis by the parade’s coordinator. We are asking the general public to please be on time.
ROUTE
PINK PARADE DATE: September 29th, 2023
PINK PARADE TIME: 4.30 pm (line up 3.30pm at the University of st. Martin)
PINK PARADE ROUTE: The march will start at the University of St. Martin, turn right onto the Walter Nisbeth Road, left to the Long Wall Road, Front Street, turn left unto to the Juancho Yrasquin Boulevard, left on Walter Nisbeth Road to the University of St. Martin. Participants will be accompanied by brass and drum bands.
The PINK PARADE is in recognition of those who have lost their lives to breast cancer, those who have survived it and those who are still engaged in the struggle against it. It is important that these individuals know that the thoughts and prayers of the island are with them while they strive to beat this disease. The Pink parade is also raising awareness to encourage people to get checked as early detection is the best prevention.
Businesses are required to pay a participation fee, while nonprofit organizations, groups and schools can participate free of charge. Various drum bands will also be participating in the parade.
The foundations are request that people please also walk with an extra bottle of water to stay hydrated. Nagico Insurances will provide different water stops along the pink parade route, to ensure that people stay hydrated, and they will also offer goodies along the way.
PINK T-SHIRT DRIVE
The Foundations have also launched a pink t-shirt drive, requesting the community to support the drive and to be part of ‘PINK FRIDAYS where each Friday in the month of October persons wear their pink t-shirts. The Pink T-shirt drive is a two-part concept where businesses, organizations and individuals may purchase t-shirts with ‘Love the Tatas Check’em design on the front of the t-shirt.
The drive will also serve as a creative fundraiser for the foundations. To order your pink T-shirts please contact:
Elektra on 523-7418 or email elektravoltage@hotmail.com.
Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals-Wyatt and Shelly Alphonso and are enormously grateful to the business community, supporters, and volunteers for their continued support. Our community conitnues to embrace our October 2023 “Love the Tatas Check’em” campaign”, the foundation presidents echoed.
As St. Maarten continues to bounce back from the Covid 19 pandemic, people shy away from thinking about difficult things. We want to remind them that timely action can halt things from being truly difficult.” says Positive Foundation President Shelly Alphonso. “It is our responsibility to be positive in the fight to save our nation’s women and men by reminding them to be breast aware and providing them with the opportunities to get checked.
ACTIVITIES
This October, the breast cancer awareness activities include a balance of education, awareness, fundraising, physical activity, and opportunities for women to get a free clinical breast examination.
Activities comprise of a Pink Parade, Pink Sunset Sail, Paint It Pink do it yourself workshop, Play for the Cure Still Beautiful Foundation, , Pink Phit&Phabulous /walk challenge, Bikers for Boobs rally, Breast Cancer Awareness Support Group, Walk for the Cure, Full Moon Paddle a Women’s Health Day screening, public service announcements on the radio, public and private group information sessions, the distribution of educational literature like shower guides and women’s breast health handbook and many opportunities where women can get a free clinical breast examination offered by our resident health care providers. For dates of activities and events please check the Positive and the Elektalyets Facebook Pages.
By keeping breast cancer awareness campaigns engaging, interactive creative and innovative we can connect and stimulate the community to be proactive with regards to getting checked and helping to reduce risk factors.
Through various activities, events, and information sessions we are striving to create a safe space where persons can talk openly about their breast health says Elektralyets Foundation President Mercedes” Elektra “Van der Waals-Wyatt.
The breast cancer awareness movement launched in 1998 by the Positive Foundation has collaborated with the Elektralyets Foundation for the last 15 years in the fight to save lives with through their call to action for the community to GET CHECKED. Breast cancer does not discriminate.
For more information and registration for the PINK PARADE and other breast cancer awareness events contact Shelly Alphonso at 580 9658 or email positivefoundation@caribserve.net or
Elektra at 523-7418 or email elekravoltage@hotmail.com.
We look forward to receiving your confirmation as soon as possible.
https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=52002:pink-parade-to-kick-of-breast-cancer-awareness-month-on-friday&Itemid=450
