Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Fairfield, CT – Play for the Cure, the annual Fairfield PAL field hockey team fundraiser, raised $430 for Bridgeport Hospital's Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center programs for underserved women. The young players in grades six through eight designed, sold and distributed T-shirts to raise awareness of the disease and help women in need access screening and treatment services at the center. The league is part of the Fairfield County Field Hockey Association, which began Play for the Cure several years ago. The breast cancer fundraiser has been growing ever since with three teams participating this year.
“This donation means so much to our patients,” says Dr. Donna Twist, executive director of the center. “So many women are afraid to seek help because they don’t have insurance or not enough insurance. Knowing that they can get financial assistance makes all the difference.”
Eleven players submitted T-shirt designs to CustomInk as part of the contest. The winning shirt was designed by athlete Grace Bonner, whose slogan, “We Wear Pink on Game Day,” was selected for its message of solidarity with all women fighting breast cancer. An additional design by Rachel Grella was also recognized.
About ten girls volunteered to sort order forms, handle the financial end of the sales and wrap shirts for distribution. A total of 95 shirts were purchased. In addition, parent volunteers Susan and Don Wales helped two players promote and sell pink jelly bracelets with the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center name at the PAL games. Literature about the center was available to interested fans.
Maribeth Konstanty, the assistant PAL field hockey coach organized the effort and supervised the athlete-volunteers. “In all, the girls learned something about serving their community, organizing and uniting their field hockey team, and an important cause, breast cancer awareness and curing.” Konstanty said.
Part of Bridgeport Hospital and Yale New Haven Health System, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, a member of the prestigious National Consortium of Breast Care Centers, has served more than 20,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999. One of only 200 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the Center provides a wide range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials.
The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center office at 111 Beach Road in Fairfield also provides comprehensive women’s wellness services, including nutrition counseling, massage and Reiki therapy, wig and prosthesis fitting, counseling, yoga, Pilates, naturopathic medicine, and other patient support activities. The center has a satellite office on Park Avenue in Trumbull.
For more information, call 203.255.5300 or visit the center online.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
