The WVU Cancer Institute’s annual ‘ Pink Party’ is scheduled for Monday, September 16th from Bartini Prime in Morgantown.
All net proceeds from the event will benefit Bonnie’s Bus, a mobile mammography unit that travels across West Virginia, offering breast cancer screening in a comfortable, convenient environment.
Donor support is needed each year to help fund $670,000 in operating costs.
Many of the women screened are uninsured and unable to cover the cost of a hospital visit.
“We’re helping women and we’re saving lives,” said Bonnie’s Bus driver Rick Maczko. “If we can detect it early, the earlier we can get it, they can get treatment and they can be around for their kids and grandkids and so forth.”
Bonnie’s Bus has completed over 20,000 mammograms in rural West Virginia, traveling over 163,000 miles since 2009.
Overall, 90 cases of breast cancer have been found in that time.
“It means the world to me to come out, do what we do, and to find breast cancer,” said mobile mammographer Kristie Park. “We found last year 14 breast cancers in West Virginia.
“Knowing that we’ve saved those lives, or to help that way, those are 14 people that would not have gotten their mammograms or the care they needed to have.”
Bonnie's Bus was first started by a donation from Ben and Jo Statler, created in honor of Bonnie Wells Wilson, Jo’s mother. Bonnie Wilson lived in rural West Virginia with no access to screening. She died of breast cancer in 1992.
“I’m very appreciative,” said Bonnie’s Bus patient Deberah Cutright. “I’m thankful that it was laid upon their hearts to do something like this. It’s very meaningful and there’s a lot of people that know about the Bonnie Bus. They know they can get help there if they need it.”
This year’s Pink Party will feature fun, food, music from local favorite singer Bobby Nicholas, and a wide variety of silent and live auctions.
2019 Pink Party: Information and tickets
Date: Monday, September 16, 2019
Time: Doors open at 5 PM (look for Bonnie’s Bus)
Program: begins at 6 PM and continues until 9 PM
Location: Bartini Prime, Suncrest Towne Centre
Parking: In the lots adjacent to the restaurant
Contact: 304-293-4597 or
cdchambers@hsc.wvu.edu with questions
Ticket Price: $100
Watch the video above for more on the impact of Bonnie's Bus.