Annual Pink Silhouette march to be held on October 6

The 14th annual Pink Silhouettes march organised by Europa Donna Cyprus as part of the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month will take place on October 6 under the slogan Together We Shine.

“At this year’s Pink Silhouettes march we will continue to push for spreading a culture of specialisation for the whole spectrum of breast cancer care,” president of Europa Donna Cyprus Evi Papadopoulou said.

“We want and demand specialised surgeons with experience in breast surgery along with specialised plastic surgeons.”

Together, Papadopoulou said, “we can turn these difficult experiences into a glittering armour that can help us face tomorrow. This is the strength and perseverance that fills this year’s Europa Donna March.”

She added that for the first time, “we will walk with a song in our hearts, which has been composed especially for us and which will accompany us throughout October, the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

During the march, participants will hold 618 pink figures, one for each woman diagnosed in Cyprus with breast cancer last year, a blue one for the one man diagnosed and 97 white figures for those who died from the disease over the past year.

President of the National Commission on Cancer Stella Kyriakides, who spoke on behalf of First Lady Andri Anastasiades, under whose auspices this year’s march is being held, said that breast cancer continues to be the leading cancer among women and the leading cause of death. “One in eight women will be diagnosed in their lifetime. However, prevention campaigns, early diagnosis, new targeted drugs, treatments and a specialised approach to each case bring the survival rate up to 80 per cent as in other advanced countries.”

The event will take place on Saturday October 6. The march will start at 5pm from the carpark opposite the Pasydy building and will pass along Griva Digeni and Themistokli Dervi avenues to the AstroBank headquarters, where the Silhouettes representing the new cases diagnosed and those who have lost the battle will be placed for the rest of October.

The march will then return to the starting point, where, for the first time, people will form an enormous pink ribbon, the symbol of breast cancer awareness. A celebration will follow, with a concert by Stereo Soul, which will also perform Shine, the ballad of optimism composed for the occasion.