October 14, 2008
Once again, the St. John's University Queens campus is decorated
with Pink Ribbons bringing awareness to the
American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Walkathon on Sunday, October 19 along Queens Boulevard.
St. John's is proud of the nine-year flagship sponsorship that was
established under the Office of Community Relations. Over the
years, through the Strides Walkathons, the University has raised
over $200,000 for research and programs related to breast
cancer.
The pink display of ribbons is the work of St. John's University
varsity athletic teams under the guidance of Lucy Pesce, Associate
Director of Leadership. The teams gathered on Tuesday, October 7 at
the Storm Center for an inspirational message from a two-time
cancer survivor and staff member, Mary Siconolfi, from the College
of Pharmacy and Allied Health. Both as a teenager and then as
a young mother, Mary faced health related issues. She
inspired all present with her upbeat attitude and thankfulness for
the blessing of good doctors that brought her to health.
Joseph Sciame, Vice President for Community Relations, thanked all
for coming out on such a beautiful day and explained that the
colors of the wheel of ribbons represent many different types of
cancer. “We thank you, our student-athletes, for bringing
awareness to the fund raising event. You are making a
difference with every dollar that is raised to find a
cure.”
On October 2, students from the Women in Science Society joined
many staff and administrators in responding to the University-wide
invitation from the Office of Health Services, the Grants Office
and Community Relations, and attended a lunch time discussion as
part of the St. John’s University Kick-off Event in Council
Hall. Two excellent speakers addressed those gathered.
Dr. Nancy McGarr, a 17-year faculty member in the Speech and
Hearing Department, herself a survivor of breast cancer, spoke of
her determination to recover from the diagnosis and continue to
teach her students who were so caring and supportive during the
treatment and recovery process. The love and concern for her
family along with the students’ reassurance and prayers were
instrumental during recovery.
The second speaker, Dr. Karen Karsif, Director of the Breast
Center, New York Hospital of Queens, gave up to the moment
information regarding maintaining proper health through diet,
exercise and a physician supervised health care regime.
She explained why students need to know their own bodies and how
important it is to stay current with medical appointments.
She also encouraged the students to follow through on their dreams
for an education that will lead to successful careers.
More Information
For more information about the Walk on October 19, call (718)
990-1941 or stop by the Office of Community Relations in Newman
Hall Room 155. You can sign up under the St. John's
University team online at http://www.acsevents.org/strides.
Follow the prompts to join the St. John's University team.