Thinking Pink: Campaign focuses on saving lives

As leaves turn gold, Save a Sister turns the Flathead pink in the annual October crusade to boast breast cancer awareness among women as well as men.

Susan Stevens of the HealthCenter at Northwest Healthcare coordinated "Turn the Flathead Pink" this year for Save a Sister. She said the effort on Wednesday, Oct. 5, concentrated on covering Kalispell and Columbia Falls.

As a result, businesses put up balloons and employees wore pink clothing in downtown Kalispell and along U.S. 93 and U.S. 2. Health-related services such as the county health department and Kalispell Regional Medical Center were seas of pink in strong support of the effort.

Stevens was particularly impressed by the efforts of the Loose Change and Nickel Casino on Main Street.

"They painted the front railing pink and did a benefit for an employee who has breast cancer," she said. "That's really fantastic support. The owners went to great lengths to promote it."

Stevens said that casinos often "get a bad rap" as not very caring but this business stands out as very different from that perception.

"This is really a neat close-knit family of employees."

Don Skiles, who owns the casino with his wife, said most of their employees have been with the business for 15 years or more. During that time, they have all grown very close, so the diagnosis of one with breast cancer was devastating.

"It hit us pretty hard," he said. "She's been in treatment quite a while. It's been pretty tough. She's a brave girl."

To try to help out with expenses, the employees and Skiles organized a two-day yard sale on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. They solicited donations of goods from people and businesses around the Flathead Valley.

"We had a tremendous amount of support," he said.

They raised additional money with drawings and special activities on the Wednesday "Paint the Flathead Pink" day. Skiles said the original plan was to donate half the proceeds to their employee and half to Save a Sister.

"Save a Sister said your employee needs it more than we do," he said. "That shows you the kind of organization it is."

He said their efforts painting their business pink were worthwhile if just one woman quits procrastinating and begins getting yearly mammograms after age 40. Skiles said he was surprised at the amount of press given to October as breast cancer awareness month.

"There is a lot of education out there," he said. "Now women just need to do it."

He said he has the credentials to encourage others to get potentially uncomfortable screenings because he has had colonoscopies since he was 35. Skiles added that women who can't afford a mammogram need only contact Save a Sister for financial assistance.

According to Stevens, the organization assists both men and women. It isn't limited just to October, either.

"We do this year-round," Stevens said.

She pointed out that the health reform act has provisions requiring most insurance providers to pay 100 percent of the cost of the mammogram. People should check with their provider to find out about their coverage.

Those without insurance and who need financial assistance may call 1-877-399-0384 to learn about the Save a Sister program. A toll-free number was obtained as an incentive for people to call from outlying areas such as Eureka.

To raise money, Save a Sister has numerous benefits including the very popular bachelor auction that began last year. The event returns Oct. 28 as the second annual "Save a Sister Artful Bra and Bachelor Auction.

This year's benefit includes 10 bachelors, 11 artist-decorated bras in the live auction and 18 bras in the silent auction and entertainment by Cold Hard Cash from 10 p.m. to midnight.

Scheduled to begin at 5 p.m, festivities take place at the Hilton Garden Inn. Tickets are $25.

For more information, call 751-6488 or 1-877-399-0384.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.