Pink raises green for local breast cancer efforts

Jana Mathia, Gazette Reporter | Nov 02, 20170

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pink golf

It was hard to miss the barrage of pink down the streets and on store fronts during October for Colfax’s Paint the Town Pink event. The decorations were only part of the move to raise awareness of breast cancer; more meaningful was the kickoff and initial building of a fund to help with mammogram screening and testing for breast cancer.

“It’s designed to help our local community members who may need help,” said Laurie Gronning, public relations specialist at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. “We don’t want a financial issue to be a barrier.”

The move to paint the town pink was spearheaded by Colfax Police Chief Rick McNannay whose wife has been fighting breast cancer. The kick-off event was a Paint the Town Pink Golf Tournament Sept. 30 sponsored by the Colfax Police Officers Association. That event raised more than $2,700 for the fund which is managed by the Whitman Hospital Foundation.

More donations rolled in during the month to total more than $5,000 for the birth of the fund.

“It’s a program we’re hoping to continue,” Gronning said.

There are still t-shirts available for sale with all proceeds going to the fund.

Gronning added that they are still working out the logistics of dispersing the funds. All dollars in the fund will be used by locals.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can contact Gronning at WHMC, 397-5722; the Hospital Foundation at WHMC 397-3435 ext. 400, or the City of Colfax.

—Sarah McKnight photo

Val Gregory tees off at the Colfax Paint the Town Pink golf tournament Sept. 30. The event raised money for the Whitman Hospital Foundation’s special fund for breast cancer screening and testing.