ANNUAL PURPLE TEA:  

To Celebrate Life, Cancer Survivorship and Promote Awareness

The Purple Tea
Breast Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in women. It is estimated that there are 178,480 new cases in 2007. Breast Cancer is number two to Lung Cancer deaths. A woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes. As an initiative to providing health educational programs, The Purple Tea was implemented to promote awareness, support life and survivorship of breast cancer. The message we are promoting is “Early Detection is the best Protection”. Research says that 40% of all cancer survivors are breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer has been termed from terminal disease to a chronic disease. Because of educational programs promoting early detection more and more people are aware and taking the proper screenings for breast cancer. As a result of looking for ways to help support this initiative a grant was written to Hyundai for support. The initiative was funded. Programs were established in the community centers, senior centers and Montgomery Public Housing authority facilities in the Montgomery Metro area. The culminating activity for the various cancer programs (breast, colon, lung, etc…) . The Purple Tea institutes and promotes early detection, survivorship and awareness. There were 42 people in attendance for the tea and 48 people attended the cancer classes. Eight of the 42 at the tea were survivors. Thirty five of the forty eight participants had mammograms after taking the classes. Forty two made pledges to do monthly breast self exams. A partnership with each other was used to develop telephone partners to remind each other to take their exams. A support group for the survivors was established. One survivor has become a three time cancer survivor.