KU Hospital
KANSAS CIY, Kan. – Pink waters are streaming through two fountains in the metropolitan area for the tenth straight year to commemorate October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The University of Kansas Cancer Center is sponsoring the event.
The J.C. Nichols Fountain just east of The Plaza was the first this year to undergo the “pinking” ceremony after 11 a.m. The J.C. Nichols Fountain has been part of the pinking ceremony since the event began.
Then, at 4 p.m., the Fountain at Joe D. Dennis Park, 50th & Rainbow Blvd., got the pinking treatment. Westwood is the home of the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Care Pavilion, the largest cancer clinic in the area and the primary outpatient cancer center of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute designated center.
“The goal of the pink fountains program is to raise awareness that breast cancer can be fought with early screenings and support for research,” said Terry Tsue, MD, physician in chief of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. More than 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year – one every three minutes.
The pink fountains program began with Kansas City Cancer Center, which is now part of The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
It takes one gallon of pink dye per 1,000 gallons of water to change the fountain to pink. It takes 4 to 6 gallons of pink dye to turn the J.C. Nichols Fountain pink and 1-2 additional gallons per day to maintain. The dye is food grade and will not harm animals.
Dr. Tsue added, “With our researchers spurred on by our National Cancer Institute designation, we are working harder than ever on ways to prevent breast cancer from occurring. They are also developing new drug therapies to create more breast cancer survivors.”
“We want the pink fountains to be a symbol of the lives spared through awareness, quality cancer care, genetic testing and evaluation. We also want the pink fountains to be a symbol of those who lost their battle with cancer. Finally, we want the pink fountains to be a symbol for the promise and hope of research to prevent future cancers from occurring,” said Dr. Tsue.
