Beverly Walker-Griffea, PhD, knows firsthand the importance of early detection when it comes to breast cancer. She’s a breast cancer survivor herself. Experiencing her own fight and recovery is the inspiration behind her family sponsoring a ‘Free Mammogram and Wellness Day’ from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, at Hamilton Community Health Network (2900 S. Saginaw Street).
“My inspiration is that I’m a 15-year breast cancer survivor this year, and I wanted to honor the community that I love by making sure no one else has to go through the experience that I did with breast cancer,” said Walker-Griffea, who was the president of Mott Community College for 10 years and is currently the director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). “The people that I met in Flint became like family for me. I want to make sure they are living their best lives, because the community was so supportive to me during my 10 years there. And this is an issue for Flint. We are least likely in the state to get a mammogram at an early stage. So following those routines of getting your mammogram annually after a certain age, those are things that help us thrive and do the things we want to do to enjoy life.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month nationwide, which raises awareness for the importance of early detection – survival rates improve drastically when breast cancer is found early, and regular mammograms and screenings are a vital part of that detection process. Saturday’s event will have a mobile mammography unit and people interested in screenings will just need their identification and health insurance card or information. There will also be free screenings available for people who don’t have insurance coverage. Those interested in mammograms can call (810) 410-2020 or email FreeMammo4U@gmail.com for more information prior to Saturday.
Walker-Griffea also stressed the importance of screenings for men.
“Men are also affected by breast cancer,” she said. “That’s something a lot of people don’t realize. Especially Black men, if they are diagnosed with breast cancer, they are actually the largest group to die from it because it has been diagnosed too late.”
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley plans to attend the event and receive a screening as a way to set an example for more men to get regular checkups.
The event is also meant to be a community celebration and provide other services. Activities and resources available include flu shots, free manicures and hairstyling, a kids zone with bounce houses and games, a grocery and water distribution, wellness and beauty presentations, free food from Bella’s, and giveaways of bikes, scooters, gas cards, TVs, and other prizes. There will be other doctors and medical personnel on hand to provide other types of healthcare information.
Other partners and sponsors for the event are the city of Flint, University of Michigan Medicine, McLaren Flint and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, R.L. Jones Community Outreach, the YWCA, and Hamilton Health Network.
“We are just really excited to celebrate life and to understand how to take care of ourselves,” Walker-Griffea said. “It’s critically important to be our own keeper of our bodies and understanding that this is the only body that we have, and so we’ve gotta take care of that and we have to support each other. The times that we’re going through, there’s such high stress that we need to keep ourselves centered on understanding ourselves and seeking help for ourselves.”
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