Cancer charity event to be dedicated to young soprano

THE THIRD Gala concert to promote breast cancer awareness, which is held in Paphos, will be dedicated to the memory of soprano Marilena Solomou, who died in August.

Solomou, 35, had performed at all three previous concerts and was herself diagnosed with the disease in February 2006.The concert will raise funds to go towards the sunflower SMS breast cancer reminder service.

Louise van Rooij, one of the founders of the pioneering SMS service told the Cyprus Mail, “Marilena was given the all-clear a number of times, but the disease came back in an aggressive form.

“We really miss her, but her death must give us the strength to carry on and live life to the full.”

The event will bring together three well-known classical International performers, Martin Toal, Craig Owen and Lenia Kallis. There will also be an Irish dance performance by 17-year-old Pierce O’Connor.

The sunflower SMS reminder service aims to help prevent breast and ovarian cancer by collecting a database of contact information for women on the island, and then sending them a reminder to go for a pap test or mammogram.

“We currently have around 8,000 women registered, and if we can manage to get the figure up to ten thousand we will be able to have more accurate statistics.

“In addition to this, we would be able to approach the EU for a grant and take the project to a higher level,” said van Rooij.

The two- ay service means that women are able to respond to the SMS message with a variety of answer options, one of which is to receive a reminder again in a few months.

The founders pointed out that text messages are currently being sent with newly registered members receiving their messages first.

“Everyone who registered will have received a message by the end of the month,” van Rooij confirmed.

The concert and five-course gourmet gala dinner will take place at the Elysium Hotel in Paphos on October 24. Tickets are priced at €59 per person including wine.

For information about the sunflower SMS service visit www. sunflower. org.cy

For further information about the Gala event call Gina Ghillyer on 99-553 933 or contact Louise van Rooij by e-mail at [email protected]

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.