(MENAFNEditorial) Pink Caravan, the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients society, has announced the postponement of its Annual Ride for 2014 to early next year. The postponement aims at raising funds to buy and operate an advanced mobile mammography unit through the SMS fund raising campaign that Pink Caravan will launch
Pink Caravan highlighted that this decision comes in response to the great reception of PC's mobile clinics in February, which attracted 5,214 people for breast cancer screening tests.
Buying the mammography unit will enable the initiative to offer its free services to more people throughout the year, reaching a wider population all over the UAE
In the meantime, Pink Caravan's medical teams are following up on cases from the medical and awareness campaign which took place in Febraury.
The SMS fund raising campaign which aims at raising 15 million AED to purchase and operate an advanced mobile mammography unit, in lieu of the rented unit Pink Caravan has been using for its pan-UAE screenings
HE Ameera Binkaram, President of the Board of Trustees and a founding member of the FoCP, affirmed that the decision to postpone the ride would benefit a wider population in coming years.
She said, "Since its inception in 2011, Pink Caravan has succeeded in raising awareness around the importance of early detection in breast cancer, as well as highlighting the impact of this disease across UAE. PC's efforts resulted in offering free screenings to 28,091 women and men over the past three years, not to mention taking giant leaps in dispelling myth related to breast cancer, all the while offering financial and emotional support to patients and their families.
Binkaram highlighted that the directions and follow up graciously extended by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC, in addition to the support extended by our sponsors and the society at large, Pink Caravan has achieved the first objective of its mission, which is to raise awareness around breast cancer and dispel myths related to this disease. She highlighted that the postponement of this year's Ride and launching of the SMS fund raising campaign is only a step towards the second level in PC's mission in serving all society members in the UAE
"We hope to be able, by the support of the community, to buy and operate the mobile mammogram unit, which will make it possible for us to avail free screening services all year round, not only during the Ride's 11 days every year. Breast cancer affects more people every year from both sexes, and our goal is to minimize the breast cancer's incidence in the UAE, achieving an advanced position in its eradication, as well as relieve the suffering of breast cancer patients, thereby improving the quality of their lives, as well as saving the government large financial resources which are spent annually on cancer treatments.
Pink Caravan has been renting a mobile mammography unit during its 11-day rides over the past three years, and providing free screenings to thousands of women and men. Buying a unit will provide free screening services to more people throughout the year, even in remote areas that could not be covered in the past years, owing to the limited time and high rental costs of the unit
To donate 50 Dirhams, SMS PINK to 2305; for 100 Dirhams, SMS 2307; and for 500 Dirhams, SMS 2308. Every single dirham counts and will go to save precious lives
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