Breakfast in pink – A great way to connect for the cause

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By Manju Mittal

Pink Ribbon Breakfast was held on Sunday November 13, 2016 at Parra Villa function centre Parramatta. Event organiser Rekha Rajvanshi has been organising Pink Ribbon fundraising efforts for the past 6  years with a community breakfast which is fast becoming talk of the town. The annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast was a huge success with more than 100 guests turning up to support the fundraiser with women dressed in many hues of pink. They all looked pretty yet united in pink to show their support. Guest of honours included Julia Finns MP, Jodi Mckay MP, Dr. Geoff Lee MP and Hornsby Shire Councillor Gurdeep Singh.

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women in Australia. It has affected many Indian women in our community with many heartrending stories we hear of women loosing their life to the disease. Not only just the woman the whole family around her gets affected. Pink Ribbon Foundation gives women a feeling of community and support. Women are being drilled and educated about the importance about mammograms. Women today feel more empowered to take control of their health and not ashamed to seek help.

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Co-host Sue Advani and Rekha Rajvanshi welcomed the guests and spoke about the cause, focusing on the importance of support provided to women during their cancer journey. Breast Cancer Survivor and host of the event Rekha Rajvanshi shared her own touching story of how cancer impacted her life that touched the heart with every one.

The event provided valuable information, a well- known researcher  Chandrika Deshpande talked about her  breast cancer research project, she was involved in, until 2015,  Meenakshi Chopra from Pink Saree Project spoke about the importance of early detection, she also informed people about Pink Saree event ”˜Song Writing Competition.’ At the end, another Ph D scholar Usha Salagame shared information about her research findings and spoke about healthy life style.  Councillor Gurdeep Singh said the Pink Ribbon Mission is something we should all support.

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Rekha Rajvanshi thanked guests and acknowledged the community of its continued support of the event, “It is very important to go for regular check-ups as early detection can help save our   lives. I started Pink Ribbon Breakfast with Joy Kumar, a friend of mine, in 2010 after one of my work colleagues lost the battle with cancer. Sue Advani joined me in 2012 and we have been organizing this event regularly, since then.”, Rekha said.

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Bingo games, organised by Kamini Sahni and Punam Wahan, made the morning an extra special event. Raffle was organized by Bharti Gidwani and Rashmi, winners were happy to receive gift vouchers and gifts. Dipankar Chaudhury and Meena Mahanty Kumar entertained with beautiful solo and duet songs. The delicious catering was looked after by Parra Villa Function Centre. Yummy pink cup cakes were sponsored by Vivian Fletcher. Hemu Negi and Harmohan Walia captured the event with their excellent photography.

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Rekha Rajvanshi, a poet and a writer, is  an example for women to not just be aware of breast cancer but also to act on it as a preventative measure so as to  catch it early. She has inspired many women with her courage and strength. The event is such a success mainly due to the people who attend and efforts everyone puts in, all for a good cause that if screened on time many women can save themselves from this  affliction that has  taken  many lives.

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