The City of Lewes is participating for the ninth year in a national campaign to create awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. Volunteers “Turned The Towns Teal” by tying ribbons to the light poles in the Lewes historic business district. The awareness initiative annually takes place in September, which is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation (DOCF), a 501(c)3 all-volunteer organization, sponsors this campaign in its efforts to help save more women’s lives through its mission of increasing awareness and education, raising funds for research and helping women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Lewes Mayor Andrew Williams, Sussex County Councilman Russ Huxtable, other elected officials, and representatives from Beebe Healthcare Oncology Services which includes Tunnell Cancer Center and South Coastal Cancer Center, assisted by DOCF Vice President Sally Oberle, joined the “Turn The Towns Teal” volunteers as they tied the first ribbon on a light pole adjacent to the Savannah Road entrance of Zwaanendael Park next to the Zwaanendael Museum. The volunteers will continue the process on the streets surrounding Second Street. Educational brochures will be available at local merchants to provide additional information for women.
Sally Oberle, who lost her sister Sidney to ovarian cancer, coordinates the DOCF campaign and volunteers in her sister’s memory. She encourages more volunteers to join DOCF and to help save more women’s lives. The “Turn The Towns Teal” initiative gives ovarian cancer survivors a voice and the volunteers, who have lost a loved one to this disease, are proud to do something proactive in the memory of their loved ones. There is still no test for ovarian cancer so knowledge of the vague symptoms is crucial. Symptoms that persist for longer than two weeks such as bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, urinary symptoms, should be discussed with a physician. All women are at risk, affecting 1 in 70 females at any age. Due to late diagnoses (less than 20% are diagnosed early) and a high recurrence rate (70-90%), it is the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers.
Residents are encouraged join the awareness campaign by tying a teal ribbon on their mailboxes, doors, and sign posts to show support for this Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign. Other signs of support can be displayed by wearing teal clothing on Teal Tuesdays, teal hair extensions, teal awareness bands, teal ribbon car magnets and polishing nails as teal.
For more information on the “Turn The Towns Teal” campaign, contact Sally Oberle, DOCF Vice President and Turn the Towns Teal Coordinator, 302-463-3800, [email protected] or Dorianne Short, DOCF President and survivor, 302-998-6889, [email protected] and the website is www.delawareovariancancer.org.