Washington Commanders host Breast Cancer Awareness Month events
FOX 5's Ayesha Khan moderates breast cancer awareness panel
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Washington Commanders hosted a panel focused on raising awareness for prevention and detection of the disease. The panel was moderated by FOX 5's Ayesha Khan, who is a stage 3 breast cancer survivor.
WASHINGTON - In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our own FOX 5 Survivor and colleague Ayesha Khan has been spending time raising awareness for prevention and detection of the disease.
On Friday night, Ayesha moderated a panel hosted by the Washington Commanders alongside team co-owner Tanya Snyder, who is also a breast cancer survivor and spearheads the team’s THINK PINK and Command The Cure initiatives.
The panel, which was held at the National Museum of African American History & Culture in D.C., included several locally based cancer and health experts like Dr. Rachel Brem, Founder of the Brem Foundation; Linda Goler Blount, CEO of Black Women's Health Imperative; and Elizabeth Stark, a leading cancer genetic counselor and prevention specialist.
During the panel, the experts talked about the various efforts being made to finding a cure to breast cancer, as well as, their push for health equity among all women.
The event took place ahead of the team’s THINK PINK game happening on Sunday against the Tenessee Titans.
During the game, the team will be paying tribute to breast cancer survivors, in addition to raising awareness about the disease.
READ MORE: Walking the runway for a cure
Below are the planned tributes and activities available during the game:
- Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation will welcome 30 All-Star Survivors, whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. The All-Star Survivors will be hosted at a pre-game tailgate and in a suite during the game. At halftime, the 30 All-Star survivors and their caretakers will be honored on-field and will hold a large pink ribbon. Additionally, a pink tifo banner will be opened on the 50-yard line section of the visitor's sideline.
- Over 500 former All-Star Survivors are coming back to the game as guests of the Commanders and will sit throughout the lower bowl.
- Zeta Tau Alpha volunteers will distribute 30,000 handmade pink ribbons to promote breast cancer awareness and prevention.
- Limited-edition pink and gold pom poms will be distributed as a gate giveaway to the first 30,000 fans in attendance.
- The field design will include pink breast cancer awareness ribbons in the end zones, a pink "W" at the midfield mark, as well as "Crucial Catch" themed in-bowl banners and goal post wraps.
- Commanders players and coaches will be wearing official NFL Crucial Catch sideline gear during the game.
- Opportunities to take photos with a giant "W" wrapped in pink located on the Main Concourse in the East Endzone and a pink firetruck located at Gate A.
According to the team's website, proceeds from t-shirt and ticket sales of Sunday's game will benefit the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation and the Brem Foundation, which are dedicated to maximizing women's chances of finding curable breast cancer through expert education about early detection, access to diagnostic tests for women in need, and physician training.
The team will also host a mammogram van outside of FedEx Field on Monday, October 17 as part of the team's commitment to healthcare equity.
The Commanders will 14th annual All-Star Survivors Celebration at Firefly Cellar Vineyards on Tuesday, October 25. The event is focused on supporting and celebrating 30 women and their families, whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. The women will be treated to lunch, makeup consultations, massages, facials, and more.
2022 marks the 24th year that the Washington Commanders have held THINK PINK and Breast Cancer Awareness Month commemorations.