Pink silhouettes march to be a different affair this year

Europa Donna’s 16th annual pink silhouettes march that aims to raise awareness on breast cancer will be replaced this year with a torch race to be streamed live in a bid to protect participants and especially people in vulnerable groups from the coronavirus.

The torch race in which runners and members of the Europa Donna Cyprus board will participate, will take place on October 3. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We will not march one next to the other, but we will still be together and join our voices,” head of Europa Donna Cyprus Stella Mastora said.

This, year, she said, supporters will send their messages for 610 pink figures which are the new breast cancer cases detected among women in Cyprus, three blue figures for the men diagnosed with the same type of cancer, 137 white figures for the people who have departed and 50 turquoise ones for the new cases of ovarian cancer detected this year.

The event is supported by AstroBank.

AstroBank’s deputy managing director and member of the executive committee George Appios said this is the biggest annual march taking place in Cyprus and called on everyone to join.

“It is a march we make with our heart and soul for all the women of our lives… For every woman who fought with this disease… To honour those women who emerged victorious from this ordeal and continue their lives dreaming of the future, but also to pay tribute to those who fought bravely, but left us early,” Appios said.

The torch race will start at 4.30pm from the House of Europa Donna Cyprus in Engomi where the ‘flame of strength, hope and life’ will be lit. Runners will carry the torch with the flame through Grivas Digenis Avenue with a stop at AstroBank and from there to Themistoklis Dervis street, Omirou Avenue, Eleftheria Square and end at the old town hall where the Europa Donna flame will be lit.

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides will address the event.

More information on this year’s event can be found at www.europadonna.com.cy. Members of the public can also submit their messages and make donations electronically.

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.