NOW This, By Brenda
NOW This, by Brenda
Appreciation
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It has been recognized as so since the mid ‘80’s when the American Cancer Society launched a week-long campaign to raise awareness about the disease and the importance of early detection. Betty Ford helped to kick off the inaugural 1985 event; she herself was a breast cancer survivor. Since then, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Boarding For Breast Cancer, The Pink Pumpkin Project … many charities and initiatives across the nation have been created to support the fight.
Chances are, you know someone who has battled or is battling breast cancer. Perhaps you yourself are a survivor. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one to it. If breast cancer hasn’t made an impression on how precious life is, certainly there’s a cancer out there that has – whether directly or indirectly. Lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal, kidney, bladder, ovarian, brain, melanoma, lymphoma, leukemia … it’s scary to think about how many different ways it affects our bodies. Cancer does not discriminate. And as unpredictable as it is, we are fortunate here in western New York to have one of the top-rated cancer treatment facilities in the country.
Enter Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, recently named the 14th-ranked cancer center nationwide. Located just an hour’s drive north of Ellicottville, Roswell is no stranger to our local community. Many of our own have had to make acquaintance with the corridors of the medical complex.
Ellicottville Mayor John Burrell celebrated a successful bone marrow transplant at Roswell just this past August. Because of the fantastic care he received throughout his diagnosis and treatment period — along with the quality care that some of his family and many of our community members have also received there over the years — he is moved to do something to give back and show his appreciation. “As Mayor of the Village of Ellicottville, I have proclaimed Saturday, October 17, 2020 as Roswell Park Employee & Volunteer Appreciation Day in the Village of Ellicottville, New York.”
With assistance from the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and Villaggio’s Nick Pitillo (whose Stock The Freezer ‘Donate a Meal’ program has delivered over 1,000 meals to the Roswell Team), Mayor Burrell’s invitation to host Roswell Park employees has been extended with open arms.
“On Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, many of our shops, restaurants and businesses will be offering specials to employees and volunteers of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center," Burrell wrote in the invitation which is being sent to all 3,500 Roswell employees. “These specials may be a shopping discount or a dining offer or a little gift to show our appreciation – as a village – to all those who work and volunteer at Roswell who have taken such good care of the many members of our community who have battled cancer.”
If you are a Roswell Park employee or volunteer, all you need to do is look for the ‘Welcome’ poster in our participating storefront windows on Oct. 17th and show your RPCI ID card or mention that you are with Roswell. This day is not limited to just nurses and doctors. EVERY EMPLOYEE of Roswell Park plays an important role, including administrative & secretarial staff, security, kitchen staff, housekeeping, parking attendants, etc. The day will officially start at 11:00am at the Gazebo in front of the Town/Village Hall, where there will be an official welcome with Mayor Burrell reading the Proclamation.
Roswell Park Employee & Volunteer Appreciation Day in Ellicottville will make for a memorable October outing for those that are able to enjoy the day here. For me, it’s perfect timing to show my gratitude on a personal level. The end of this month will mark one year since my last infusion at Roswell. As a leukemia survivor who lived on Roswell’s “5 West” for 29 days followed by 10 months of outpatient treatment, I will tell you first-hand that the team of professionals and volunteers deserve a special day dedicated to them. And Mayor Burrell is right. EVERY member of Roswell in EVERY department plays an important role that is worthy of appreciation. I’ll always remember the young gentleman with the friendly smile that delivered my meals, always departing with a “I wish you well”; the mom who cleaned my hospital room while we chatted about husbands and raising kids; the girls at the front desk of the infusion center who cheered me on from day one; and the volunteers that made treatment a little more tolerable … they have all become family. No, they are not the family that anyone wishes for, but nevertheless, the care provided, the conversations instilled, and the connections made … yes, they are family.
No matter how you slice it, #cancersucks. But the appreciation we can show for those who help us fight … sharing our love of our community with each and every one of them … it’s the least we can do.
Brenda Perks is the owner, editor and designer of ellicottvilleNOW and owner of DesignPerks, a graphic design company affiliated with the local media/marketing agency, PaNDaGOAT Media. You can reach Brenda at brenda@ellicottvillenow.com.
