The staff at the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s health and wellness facility are partnering with The Aroostook Medical Center to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with the 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Women’s Expo. The event will focus on breast cancer prevention and early detection, healthy living, stress relief and celebrating life. The Breast Cancer Awareness Women’s Expo will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 6–9 p.m. at Gentile Hall. This event is free and campus and community members of all ages are invited to attend.
The Expo is being planned by Keli Marston, UMPI’s Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, and Amanda Baker, UMPI’s Recreation Program Coordinator. Marston explained that the Gentile Hall staff wanted to find a way to join the community in celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as the disease has touched so many lives.
“We wanted this space, which is dedicated to health and wellness, to be a place for women of all ages to gather, share their stories, and support each other,” Marston said. “Our Women’s Expo activities are wonderful opportunities to learn, celebrate, be active, and have some fun. We hope mothers, daughters, grandmothers, friends – everyone – will join us for our special one-night event.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. on Oct. 1. The entire gymnasium will be utilized to exhibit four different main attractions. One area of the gym will have vendor tables for TAMC and other local businesses to display health information, organization or business information, and business and product advertising.
“Don’t forget to bring your wallet because even though the event is free, the vendors have lots of wonderful products for sale!” Baker said.
Another area of the gym will be set aside for 30-minute educational workshops. Topics will include breast cancer early detection, plant-based cancer preventing foods, “Sugar Blues,” and a Reiki demonstration. In another corner of the gym, 30-minute fitness sessions will be offered, including the rock wall (open exclusively for women from 6-8:30 p.m.), Aqua Zumba, Pilates and yoga. All of these activities are free. The fourth and final area of attraction is the stress relief component, which is all about pampering. Everyone will win either a free chair massage, manicure, or glitter tattoos.
“All cancer survivors will receive VIP treatment, including receiving a Survivor Sash at the door and all three pampering service: a 10-minute chair massage, manicure and glitter tattoo,” Baker added.
Participants will end the night with a mini luminary ceremony just outside Gentile Hall and candlelight vigil walk through campus starting at 8:30 p.m. Members of the UMPI Owls “We Give a Hoot” Relay for Life team are helping to facilitate these activities.
This event is sponsored in part by UMPI’s Gentile Hall and The Aroostook Medical Center.
For more information about Gentile Hall’s Breast Cancer Awareness Women’s Expo, contact Marston at 207-768-9773 or Baker at 207-768-9401.
