MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER IN NEWBURYPORT

LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS LAUNCH ‘MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER IN NEWBURYPORT’ CAMPAIGN TO RAISE COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND SUPPORT

Long‐time Newburyport resident Marilyn Flaherty is a three time breast cancer survivor. She was first diagnosed in 1982 when her children were only six and eight years old. Ten years later, working as Office Manager in the office of the Newburyport Public Schools she endured treatment again when she was diagnosed in her other breast. For many years Marilyn remained cancer free, until May 2010, when she faced her third diagnosis.

During Marilyn’s breast cancer journey she was helped by the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery, a program which matches trained breast cancer survivors with newly diagnosed patients to offer one‐on‐one support. Since Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
began in 1993, Marilyn has been involved with the walk which took place Sunday, October 2 in Boston, and last year was recognized as the 2010 Making Strides SuperFan on the Hatch Shell in front of thousands of walkers and volunteers. But this year Marilyn had a different idea: to get her hometown community of Newburyport behind her and so many other greater Newburyport individuals and families touched by breast cancer. To assist her she reached out to longtime acquaintance Mary Anne Clancy and the Institution for Savings. As a result the Bank made a $2500 donation to Marilyn’s Making Strides efforts and is spearheading a month‐long schedule of activities in each of its 7 offices as well as assisting Marilyn in drumming up support in the business community during
the month of October.

For a $100 donation, businesses and individuals can sponsor a lamppost in downtown Newburyport, which will be adorned with a large pink ribbon and a tag bearing their name. Additionally, businesses are being encouraged to do their own ‘pink’ activities, such as
decorating window storefronts in a pink theme, encouraging employees to have ‘pink’ days, offering ‘pink’ items with portions of purchases going to the American Cancer Society and more. Other ideas include encouraging restaurants to offer pink drinks or desserts pink drinks and more.

At the Institution for Savings offices, preparations are well underway for October’s activities. Last week 90 of the bank’s 120 employees received pink hair extensions in support of fellow employees, friends and family members. All offices will be decorating their customer
areas with the pink theme and promoting special activities, raffles and offerings during the month October. Employees are sporting pink ribbons and bracelets and collecting donations from willing customers throughout the month, all of which go directly to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides efforts. Customers receive pink deposit slips and coin envelopes with early prevention guidelines and information throughout the month as well.

A highlight of the month’s activities will be the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Monthly Breakfast, sponsored by the Institution for Savings on Friday, October 14 beginning at 7:30 AM at the Phoenix Room. The topic of the breakfast is ‘Less
Cancer, More Birthdays’ and will feature a panel of three woman who will talk about their own individual journeys: raising funds to make a difference; prevention and early detection; and surviving breast cancer. Speakers include Pauline Alighieri, founder and president of Friends of Mel Foundation; Lisa Moore, RTRM, Mammography Supervisor at Anna Jaques Hospital; and Marilyn Flaherty, Newburyport resident and three‐time breast cancer survivor. Reservations for the breakfast can be made by contacting the Chamber at 978‐462‐6680.
To sponsor a lamppost in downtown Newburyport for $100, please contact Mary Anne Clancy or Debbie deHaas at 978‐462‐3106 or mclancy@institutionforsavings.com. Checks can be made payable to the American Cancer Society and delivered or mailed to the Institution for Savings, c/o Pat Connelly, PO Box 510, Newburyport, MA 01950.