Manassas Park Community Matters Blog Post - Cancer Awareness – By Mike Arrington

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here and many businesses and sports organizations are wearing pink to show support. Here at the Manassas Park Community Center we have decided to wear Pink every Friday all month long in support of the cause. Stop by the Community Center and you will find Pink ribbons on display and you too can show your support as we are accepting donations for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  All proceeds will go to charities supporting the Cancer Center at Lake Manassas or you can also visit the City of Manassas Park Fire department as they are selling t-shirts with proceeds donated to local breast cancer charities.

Even if pink’s not your color, you won’t be able to resist showing your support. When you turn on your TV you watch your favorite NFL, NBA and MLB teams’ rep their support in their pink #swag.  Youth sports organizations, high schools and colleges have “Pink outs” or sell Pink colored items and shirts to show their support. Take this time to educate your young athlete about what is truly behind the Pink movement. We all should use the return of Pink every October as an annual reminder to take care of the health issues that we may be avoiding or overlooking.  Be smart and get yourself taken care of. Sports are fun and rivalries are great, but in the end, it’s about more than that. It’s bigger than the game itself.

In my family we too know what is to deal with the fight and effects of cancer, albeit not breast cancer. I lost a 15 year old cousin to prostate cancer, a budding star athlete in his own right. I recall my brother, who at the time played in the NFL, shaving off his lengthy dreadlocks that he had been growing over the years on his own personal journey in support of our young cousin as he went through his treatments and having him on the sideline of as many Washington Redskins games as he was physically able to attend. It was a difficult time but one that put into perspective the importance of family, friends, support and life as a whole.

At MPCC and in the City of Manassas Park we as a working family take pride in our support of all types of Cancer research. Take time to research other Cancer awareness months and show your support of Cancer research as a whole.  We stand by and support our Fearless Leader who is battling Cancer and I may add kicking its butt, Go Catherine!!!

I would like to leave you with this passage from an unknown author, it reads:

However you support, however you participate, and however you spread the word, when you think about Breast Cancer Awareness this month, you add your voice to the swell of love that helps people fight and drives others towards a cure. You become a spokesperson for loved ones, and a source of information for others. You become part of a community of women and men that grows by the day, and will see the end of breast cancer in our future”.

Think Pink! Until next time

Mike

Mike Arrington is a Recreation Specialist for the Manassas Park Parks and Recreation Department.  He can be reached at 703.335.8872 or via email at m.arrington@manassasparkva.gov.

Community Matters is a blog created by the City of Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation. The blog features program updates, announcements of new services, special event notices, or information of general interest.