Bingham Healthcare held Brake for Breakfast event Wednesday

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) ― In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bingham Healthcare held its annual Brake for Breakfast event: Wednesday.

At 3:30 a.m., more than 100 Bingham employees and volunteers started preparing 5,500 bags filled with healthy breakfast items. Also included in the bags was chapstick, shower self-exam hanging cards and mammogram information.

“Every year this event becomes more popular, and I am especially grateful because it gives us a chance to provide the community with useful information about breast cancer, which is our top priority,” said Valerie Jewett, director of marketing & PR at Bingham Healthcare. “In addition, this powerful event also highlights that cancer never sleeps and honors those who have lost their life to cancer and those who bravely continue with the fight.”

In the United States, breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women, and the most frequently diagnosed. In 2022, an estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 51,400 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer, according to breastcancer.org. This year, an estimated 43,550 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S.

However, breast self-exams save thousands of lives each year, and regular screenings—a combination of mammograms, clinical breast exams, and self-exams—can help catch cancer earlier, when it’s easier to treat.

“It was great to be outside welcoming all of the community members who came out for this event,” Jewett said. “Thank you so much for stopping by our hospital. Also, I’m extremely thankful for all of the Bingham employees and record number of volunteers who graciously gave their time to make this event such a huge success.”