Tour for the Cure

STELLARTON - That big pink bus parked in front of Sobeys head office was hard to miss, and that's a good thing because it could save someone's life.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's Tour for the Cure made its first-ever stop yesterday in Stellarton at the Empire offices on King Street and the Sobeys office on North Foord Street.
"We're trying to raise the screening rates here in Atlantic Canada," tour representative Selina Hughes said during the Sobeys stop. "We're slightly above average (for screening rates) but they're not as high as they could be. We're aiming for 85 per cent by 2010."
According to the tour's website the current rate in Nova Scotia (from 2004/2005) is 46 per cent.
Hughes said the Tour for the Cure debuted here because Sobeys is one of the presenting sponsors along with Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Ganong and and CIBC.
"The turnout was fantastic, far more than we expected. We had to haul out more candy. It's a learning experience, but we came prepared for this."
The candy, of course, comes from Ganong and each participant is given some as part of the process, which Hughes said takes just about 15 minutes from beginning to end.
In that 15 minutes women proceeding through the bus learn statistics about breast cancer, signs to look for, how to perform a self-breast exam and watch a five-minute video on mammography.
Hughes said the video helps "dispel myths" that women might have about mammography. She added that a Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation survey found that many women don't get a mammogram because they don't feel they need to or because it's very painful. She said in truth there is only slight discomfort.
"I say it's short-term pain for long-term gain."
Breast screening isn't conducted on the bus, instead it's an educational endeavour.
"We want all women to know 'you need to go out and have your own mammogram.'"
Screening contact information is available on the bus as well.
The tour stops today in Guysborough before continuing to Cape Breton then Antigonish before returning to Pictou County. It's making 110 stops in total.
The bus will be at the East River Road Sobeys location on May 12 from 11 a.m. to
7 p.m. It will be at the Pictou Sobeys location on May 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is no charge for going through the bus.
The tour wraps up September 27 in Sherbrooke.
For more information check out the website: www.TourfortheCure.ca.