As another Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come to a close, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group is expressing heartfelt thanks to the many partners who stood shoulder to shoulder with survivors, caregivers, and volunteers throughout October.From boardrooms to classrooms and even hospital corridors, Sister Sister’s network of supporters helped turn awareness into action – proving that small acts of kindness can ripple through an entire community.

This year, corporate and civic partnerships once again played a vital role. Ports International’s Pink Glove Initiative brought medical professionals and everyday customers together in a display of solidarity. Myers Group of Companies, Bahari, and the Atlantis family backed the cause through donations and awareness campaigns that reached thousands. At Porky’s Gas Station on East Street South, a $50-to-$1 donation drive transformed everyday sales into steady streams of support, reminding the public that giving can be as simple as changing where you spend.

Support was felt from the media with The Guardian Group of Companies contributing to this year’s efforts. Motivational speaker and host of Immediate Response Spence Finlayson also featured on his show survivor Deanthra Pratt, a Sister Sister member whose story inspired listeners across the nation. In the hospitality space, Rosewood Baha Mar infused creativity and camaraderie with its Pink Ribbon Competition, raising both awareness and spirits.

The medical community including Princess Margaret Hospital’s Oncology Department, Doctors Hospital, Southern Community Clinic, Oaktree Medical, Fourth Terrace Diagnostic Centre, and Bahamas Medical Supplies, continued to complement Sister Sister’s outreach recognizing their critical position in bridging the gap between treatment and emotional support. These partnerships reflect how crucial community-based groups are in completing the patient care circle, offering what hospitals often can’t: continued presence, empathy, and peer connection.

Civic and faith organizations also stepped forward this year with heartfelt actions for the cause. The Nassau Bahamas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority donated care packages and hosted breakfast sessions at the Oncology Department. In a show of genuine connection, sorority members took the time to handwrite personal notes of encouragement for patients in treatment. To spread the message of breast cancer education and early detection, Urban Renewal organized a drive-by breakfast and distributed breast cancer education sheets –  one of several initiatives that took awareness to the streets and put valuable information directly into the hands of the public.

As Sister Sister’s end-of-month statement reminded supporters, breast cancer doesn’t take a break when October ends. “For survivors, caregivers, and those newly diagnosed, it is a daily reality – one that requires ongoing strength, care, and community support.”

Additional contributors to this year’s awareness month efforts included Accessories Haven, Sawyer’s Seafood, CIBC, The Progressive Liberal Party, and the Chinese Dragon Boat Committee among others. Often standing as pillars of faith for those diagnosed with breast cancer, local churches joined in on the month’s activities as well – among them Mount Calvary Baptist, Zion Baptist South Beach, Holy Cross Anglican, Holy Spirit Catholic, and Vision of Hope Cathedral. It is the continued prayers and partnership of these organizations that strengthen Sister Sister and allow them to accomplish their critical outreach work, from alleviating common expenses like groceries for those burdened with treatment bills, to providing the ports necessary to administer chemotherapy.

Sister Sister is grateful for the corporate partners, community organizations, volunteers, and supporters who stand beside them in raising awareness, offering hope, and providing support to those affected by breast cancer all year round.

When asked how others can continue to advocate and raise awareness a Sister Sister spokesperson said: “We urge our corporate and community partners to continue this journey with us… to support programs that bring comfort, education, and early detection, and to advocate for a stronger, more accessible healthcare system.”

On the point of healthcare and treatment they continued: “We also call upon our government and policymakers to place a more vigilant focus on improving healthcare infrastructure, expanding access to treatment, and investing in prevention and research – ensuring that every Bahamian, regardless of circumstance, can receive quality care and hope for recovery. Together, we can turn awareness into action and compassion into change.”

The collective support of government, corporate Bahamas, civic organizations, the medical industry, and faith-based ministries ensured that awareness and education extended beyond pink shirts and ribbons and into everyday life. By actively focusing on public education, early detection, and ever important self-examinations, groups like Sister Sister are at the frontline in the battle against this disease aiming to decrease both deaths and diagnoses as we look to the future of a healthier Bahamas.