Brake for Breakfast promotes breast cancer awareness

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

At 3:30 a.m., Bingham employees and volunteers started preparing 5,000 reusable bags filled with healthy breakfast items. Also included in the bags was a fun reusable water bottle and a “change begins with awareness” bracelet. They also gave out bookmarks with information on performing breast self-exams, breast cancer fact sheets, and information about testing for cancers that are hereditary.

“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,” Bingham Healthcare CEO Jake Erickson said. “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 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer, according to breastcancer.org. And, about 43,600 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2021 from breast cancer.

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,” Erickson said. “Thank you so much for stopping by our hospital. Also, I’m extremely thankful for all of the Bingham employees and volunteers who graciously gave their time to make this event such a huge success.”