By Michael Howell
Captain and/or General, as she was variously called, Amy James-Linton from Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, led the troops in celebrating last week another successful Sprinkle Pink campaign in support of the hospital’s Mammography Fund. The fund provides for a free breast exam including a mammogram, an ultra sound and a biopsy, if necessary.
According to James-Linton, the fund currently holds about $300,000. The Sprinkle Pink campaign this year brought in $27,967. Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital matched that amount and a total of $55,934 was added to the fund.
Drew Hayward, from the hospital’s Imaging department, described a program that had grown from having a very stringent criteria for qualifying applicants to the point that there is hardly any and said it was a big step forward.
“Women in low income households are used to putting themselves last,” said Hayward, “so they get into that mindset. But it is one we can affect. When they say this is going to cost and I’m putting myself last, instead, we can hand them a brochure and say you have no excuse anymore. People get stopped by money from helping themselves, but when the woman isn’t there, the family falls apart. We still have some criteria, but now we just want to get everyone in.”
A lot of those celebrating have been in on the fundraising campaign from the beginning. David Evans from Ace Hardware in Hamilton has made the Mammo Man costume a legend.
“I’m happy to see all these young people here,” said Evans. “To see the whole community, people of every age, embracing this. We have every generation in this room and that adds something really magical.”
The Hamilton girls volleyball team took a round of applause along with the Jolly Rogers 4-Hers.
Jean Schurman talked about how she got involved in Sprinkle Pink. Trying to figure out how to get involved, she said the fundraising options just didn’t inspire her much. Then one night she got an idea, something she could add to the campaign and that was the beginning of the Turn and Burn Barrel Race. This year the race netted $8,303 to win grand prize in the fundraising competition.
This year’s Sprinkle Pink campaign was especially meaningful for Schurman as, a few months ago, based on her own mammogram results she found herself headed down the scary path that one out of every eight women finds themselves on.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into until you’re in it and get the [breast cancer] diagnosis,” said Schurrman. “And then you are just kind of in shock.” She said the staff at the hospital was “amazing” and by the time she walked out the door they had already set up every single appointment in Missoula that she would need.
“It’s so comforting to know you don’t have to go home and deal with all that by yourself,” said Schurman.
The top schools, Hamilton and Stevensville school districts, raised $1,200 and $695 respectively. The top merchant participants were Farmers State Bank which raised $3,084, Valley Drug and Variety in Stevensville in second place with $2,065 and third was Evans Ace Hardware with $2,036.