What Did October Mean to You?

Every year in October we are inundated by the Pink. Let me ask you this: is Pink still relevant?

I went to one of my favorite re-use stores in Boise’s Collister Center a few weeks ago, and Naomi made a casual remark that has struck me ever since. She said, “I think by now we all have awareness about breast cancer. I want to know what they are doing about it!” Naomi is right.

I can tell you what I told Naomi that day. I told her that all across this country and around the globe, there are researchers, scientists, oncologists and physicians working on that answer. In all of my years of either lobbying on Capitol Hill for breast cancer research dollars or personally donating to Expedition Inspiration, I have found that the funds we allocate in the form of grants to those researchers make a striking difference in clinical outcomes.

The reason I became involved with Expedition Inspiration in 1995 is because I knew the founder, Laura Evans. She was one of a handful of women I called the day I learned of my own diagnosis. After I moved to Boise in 1997, Laura recruited me to organize a small fundraiser and ever since then, I have been involved in one way or another with Expedition Inspiration. That involvement has become second nature to me.

I have seen and read about the progress and results of the researchers and scientists that are recipients of grants from our organization. Expedition Inspiration also makes a mark on the breast cancer science world when we invite the best and the brightest researchers and scientists to our Medical Symposium.  Meeting these dedicated professionals is quite an experience. Gives me goose bumps just writing about it.

Every year we deal with the Pink. Maybe it is time to make that Pink take on a new hat. The new hat can be a mission for research rather than awareness. Who’s in with me on that?

Laurie Barrera

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