Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 752

Sunday, 29 November -0001 19:03

Paint the Town Blue

Written by

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The month of March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and to help raise awareness some of Saratoga Springs’ downtown streets and businesses might be looking a little blue - literally. The Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County, in conjunction with Saratoga Hospital, is coordinating a campaign called Main Streets Go Blue (MSGB.) MSGB is a month-long awareness campaign encouraging people to stay proactive in their health, while bringing attention to the threat of colorectal cancer. 

Throughout March, the sidewalks along Broadway and Church Street in front of Saratoga Hospital will be (temporarily) painted blue. Participating businesses are encouraged to paint their shop windows blue, hang blue lights or ribbons, or offer a blue item or discount as a way to raise awareness themselves. In coordination with the event’s kickoff, March 2 has been designated as the national “dress in blue” day.  The Cancer Services Program encourages everyone to get involved and help spread the message of preventative screening. MSGB was modeled after the Colon Cancer Alliance’s national awareness program, Cities Go Blue. 
The campaign’s coordinator, Tasha Ostapczuk, hopes to raise awareness for what Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County provides for the community, while promoting a campaign designed to encourage an active role in one’s health.


“What we do is screen for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in men and women who are without health insurance,” explained Ostapczuk. “We want to get more men and women over 50 aware that if they aren’t insured, they can be screened. Cancer screening saves lives, and early detection is the best prevention.”


The Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County is funded through grants organized by the New York State Department of Health.  It’s through those grants that the program is able to provide screenings to the uninsured.


Cancer is a touchy subject, and Ostapczuk realizes the hesitancy some might have concerning a colorectal exam.


“I tell people all the time, you wouldn’t buy a car and not change the oil because the engine would seize. So why would you walk around and not have your body checked? You don’t want your ‘engine’ to seize,” said Ostapczuk.


The reservations some might have over the screening processes led to the development of what’s called a FIT kit. FIT kits are a home-based, private procedure that allows the screening process to take place, without any invasive visits to a doctor. A FIT kit can determine whether continued treatment is necessary, while remaining as private as
possible.


Though the chosen color for the event, blue, is generally thought of as a masculine color, the risk of colorectal cancer affects both men and women, and the Cancer Service Program encourages everyone to get screened.


“If you have health insurance, talk to your doctor. If you’re 50 years old, man or woman,” explains Ostapczuk. “They’ll likely discuss family history, diet, anything concerning your health, but there is no reason you cannot be screened.”


Those concerned about their risk of colorectal cancer who do not have health insurance can be screened by the Cancer Services Program.  What you may not know, is that should something be found during that screening, the program intends to stand by you through the entire process.


“We will pay for treatment for someone who is diagnosed through our program,” said Ostapczuk.  “We hear people saying ‘You’ll screen me for free, but what if I am actually diagnosed?’ We can enroll them in the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program.”


If you’re looking to get involved, or are a business who would like to officially participate, contact the Cancer Services Program of Saratoga County at (518) 580-2078.

Read 26892 times

Media

NULL
More in this category: « Facade Facelift Proof Positive »

Blotter

  • Saratoga County Court Saratoga County District attorney Karen Heggen announced 49-year-old Anthony Gargano of Gansevoort pleaded guilty in Milton Town Court on March 5 to a violation of the state Agricultural and Markets Law, a misdemeanor, in connection with a Jan. 4 incident. An investigation by the county Sheriff’s Office revealed that Gargano abandoned a cat, named Kane, after regular business hours outside the Saratoga County Animal Shelter, Heggen said, and that on Shelter cameras, Gargano is seen leaving the cat without shelter and driving away. That night, the temperature dropped to approximately 20 degrees Fahrenheit. To date, Kane the cat…

Property Transactions

  • BALLSTON Peter Ollari sold property at 3 Beechwood Dr to Stephanie Luce for $409,000 Tim Odasz sold property at 15 Marlyn Dr to Luke Snyder for $282,000 Michael Lemnotis sold property at 4 Larkin Dr to Bridget Edgerly for $350,000 CORINTH Gary ONeil sold property at 115 Hollister Dr to Aaron Schips for $345,000 GALWAY James Robinson sold property at Parkis Mills Rd to Porcupine Ridge LLC for $110,000 GREENFIELD Tamara Mustain sold property at 87 North Greenfield Rd to Federal National Mortgage Assoc. for $101,000 MALTA  Gloria Ottavio sold property at 2 Magnolia Way to Gregory Jones for $540,000…
  • NYPA
  • Saratoga County Chamber
  • BBB Accredited Business
  • Discover Saratoga
  • Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association