Shoppers in Yellowknife may have noticed a number people fundraising for breast cancer research at several stores across town.
These are brand ambassadors from Calgary contracted by the Breast Cancer Society of Canada to raise funds for a new Canadian-made blood test that can detect breast cancer.
Afrasiab Agha is a brand ambassador who was fundraising at Canadian Tire on Friday.
He works for Simplified Marketing Solutions, a partner with the Breast Cancer Society. He said him and his fellow brand ambassadors drove from Calgary arriving in Yellowknife on March 21.
“We usually fundraise in Calgary, but, you know, every now and again we’ll go province to province, different location. Just fundraise there for the week, you know, just really spread awareness about the cause and what our specific research program is,” he said.
Kimberly Carson, CEO of the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, said this new blood test could be huge across the nation, including in the North.
“We know that through screening and detection, we save lives. The faster we can catch it, the better the cure rate,” Carson said.
“So can you imagine with a blood test being able to take that into the remote communities?”
Carson said she hopes the money can make the blood tests more readily available across Canada. They are available now, but only for a fee.
If the N.W.T. could access them, she said this could lessen the reliance on mammograms, low energy x-rays used to examine breasts. These are only available in Hay River, Yellowknife and Inuvik.
A study by the territorial government in 2014 recommends all women aged 50 to 69 years receive a mammogram every two years.
A heads up
Rosanna Strong, is the co-chair and of the NWT Breast Health and Breast Cancer Action Group, and a cancer survivor.
The volunteer run organization promotes breast health, advocates for those impacted by breast cancer and other cancers, in particular providing supports that meet the North’s unique needs.
Strong said her organization is not in partnership with with the Breast Cancer Society’s fundraiser, in-person collecting is not something NWT Breast Health does.
Strong said the Breast Cancer Society of Canada completes important research projects, but her organization was not informed that people fundraising would be in town, and she would’ve appreciated a heads up.
“It’s just kind of nice to sort of see who’s here in the zoo. And, you know, how can we work together to get the best bang for the buck,” she said.
“If the money is so divided into all these little parts… you don’t get …….