With the support of corporate partner, GMFS Mortgage, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will hold a skin cancer screening event on June 4 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. This free community event will also provide sun safety education to adults and children.
This screening, part of the Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go program, is funded by GMFS, which became Mary Bird Perkins’ first corporate partner in 2017.
“For more than twenty years, GMFS has had a passion for serving the local community that goes beyond lending,” Danielle Mack, vice president and chief development officer, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, said. “Through their generosity, residents have more opportunities to access convenient early detection and prevention resources.”
In addition to skin cancer screenings, free take-home colorectal screening kits will be available. Men and women, age 45 and older, who have not been screened for colorectal cancer in the past 12 months are eligible to receive take-home kits, but it’s important to note that these kits do not replace a medical examination or other screening procedures. Sun safety kits for children and sunscreen will also be distributed.
Appointments are required for screenings. Call (225) 425‐8034 to schedule an appointment. If an abnormality is found, a nurse navigator will assist screening participants with next steps.
“At GMFS, we believe our services help to change lives, while Mary Bird Perkins works to save lives,” Tee Brown, president and CEO, GMFS Mortgage, said. “Coming together through this existing partnership benefits our community by providing life-saving screenings that can detect cancer earlier, leading to better outcomes.”
This screening event also highlights the ongoing partnership between the Cancer Center and BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo. Last fall, sunscreen kiosks sponsored by Mary Bird Perkins were installed throughout the zoo, providing patrons sun protection free of charge.