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Pink bus rolls out information on breast cancer

A pink tour bus is offering women tune-ups of a different variety.

A pink tour bus is offering women tune-ups of a different variety.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Society’s mammography and breast health education centre on wheels is rolling into Penticton Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. at Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.

The tour team will explain displays, share their stories on how they’ve been impacted with breast cancer and encourage women between 40 and 79 to book a free mammogram.

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s health promotion and planning director Elaine Webb said they are encouraging women to take some time out each day for breast health.

“Early detection is key: knowing your breasts, knowing how they look and feel and reporting any changes to your doctor,” Webb said, encouraging women to regularly touch their chest up to the collarbone while in the shower or lying down in bed to ensure nothing feels different. “There’s no right way, and there’s no wrong way.”

The bus launched in May and has seen 15,000 people tour the facility. Only 51 per cent of eligible B.C. women have regular mammograms, but the bus has prompted 700 women to arrange for a screening.

Visitors can also scrawl pink and white messages on the outside with special pens.

“At this stage, the bus is just covered in signatures. It’s a real eye-catcher. People come up spending five or 10 minutes just reading. I think there’s 5,000 hearts on it,” Webb said.

“The bus is just covered in these messages of hope and love and support.”

For information, visit www.thepinktour.com.