The Paint Hamden Pink Committee held its annual kickoff event in the Hamden Town Center Park Sept. 27, raising awareness for breast cancer in the Hamden area. The town already began displaying pink ribbons in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which begins Oct. 1.
Laura Hutchinson of News 8’s “Good Morning Connecticut” hosted and moderated the event, introducing key speakers as the night progressed. In addition to the event’s speakers, small gifts were available at a table for anyone impacted by breast cancer. Those in attendance also received informational brochures.
“It’s such an honor to be here each year,” Hutchinson said. “Anytime you can use your voice to send a message and be able to be a part of (this event’s) message is such an honor.”
The message, which Hutchinson stressed multiple times in her speeches, encouraged people to get tested for breast cancer early and often, even at the slightest inkling of danger.
“You never know when someone here may be struggling with a diagnosis in their family,” Hutchinson said. “Perhaps (by being at the event) you are giving them strength to move forward with their journey, or encouraging them to get tested today … giving them the strength or the motivation to put themselves first.”
Breast cancer survivor Caitlyn Kingsley shared her story during the event, detailing her fight from beginning to end. Initially diagnosed in October 2020, the 33-year-old learned of the risk of cancer seven years prior, when her doctor originally warned her to begin looking for warning signs of the disease.
Kingsley shared some words of advice with the crowd, inviting them to take a look in the mirror.
“Know your own body,” she advised. “So you know when something isn’t right.”
The first speaker of the evening was Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett, who spoke briefly and thanked the town’s fire and police departments for their commitment to the cause. She also applauded the town’s parks and recreations department for decorating the venue, commending it for its natural beauty. Before being seated, she led a brief moment of silence to honor the victims of breast cancer.
The event’s first musical act, a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” was performed by Liz McNichols, a member of the Paint Hamden Pink Committee and a former breast cancer survivor. McNichols, who also performed last year, shared her gratitude to be able to attend the event and advocate for those she and others have lost.
Officer Jenna Davis spoke on behalf of the Hamden Police Department, while Jeffery Naples, fire chief of the Hamden Fire Department, reiterated the importance of the event and the awareness that it brings.
In addition, Naples announced that the Paint Hamden Pink Committee had raised over $40,000 across 140 different local businesses, schools and places of worship to donate toward further breast cancer research.
In support of the cause, both departments agreed to display the pink ribbon on their respective vehicle squadrons.
To conclude the ceremony, Deanna Broga, a music teacher at Bear Path Elementary School, performed “Rise Up” by Andra Day, dedicating her performance to the lives of those lost, specifically her late cousin who died of cancer on Sept. 25. Broga thanked the Paint Hamden Pink Committee, sharing her praise for their dedication, as well as the town of Hamden for rallying support around the cause.
“I’m so honored to be here today and to work in such a strong town like Hamden,” Broga said.
Paint Hamden Pink was organized not only to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but to spread the word about prioritizing early screenings, ratifying the importance of watching and detecting a disease like breast cancer while it is still in its preliminary stages. For those like Kingsley, McNichols and many others in attendance at the event who experienced the disease first-hand, they cannot stress it enough.
“I was one of the lucky ones,” Kingsley said. “(Breast cancer) is affecting so many people, more and more every year.”