The province's first breast health education centre on wheels in making a stop in Prince George on June 30.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region (CBCF) started the tour on May 4. The bus is stocked full of information about breast health and lifestyle choices that can decrease a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
More than 3,720 British Columbians have been through the bus and to date, 350 have signed up on the bus for a mammogram.
"B.C. has a good system with 51 per cent of people in the province getting mammograms but we are trying to that other 49 per cent," said media contact Gladys Johnsen.
The bus will be stopped in front of the CIBC, 1410 3rd Ave. from noon to 1 p.m. Among the speakers will be MLA Shirley Bond, Darlene McIntosh from the Lheidl T'enneh Band, medical oncologist, Dr. Winston Bishop. The event will be emceed by Jessica Rankin.
The pink tour bus will also be at the Canada Day celebration at Fort George Park on Friday.
Visitors to the bus are welcome to sign the exterior as a commitment to adopting breast health practices and booking their free mammogram.
The Pink Tour is a province-wide educational initiative to encourage woman 40 to 79 years of age to take advantage of B.C.'s free screening mammography program. The bus will travel through more than 50 communities around the province from May to September, on the tour the bus will also make stops at a number of Aboriginal Friendship Centres.
"I must say that this kind of a project is amazing because as soon as you ask somebody to participate - they're in. Roxanne Evans [who is] the [local] survivor of breast cancer, she's got a very real story, and she will be there. Out of all the sessions we've done, I've never had anyone say no to us," said Johnsen.
The people working on the bus have laptops and they assist people in registering their names. Within a few days they will be contacted by the screening mammography program who will direct them either to where they can get their mammogram locally or ensure they know when the mobile unit is coming to make sure that they get these women get tested.
Currently, it's estimated that 51 per cent of women in the province who should go for regular mammograms, actually do.
According to the World Heath Organization investigations, if 70 per cent of women had mammograms, the number of breast cancer death would be reduced by a third.
For more information visit www.thepinktour.com.
