The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

THE Straw Market turned pink yesterday as vendors and market organisers worked to bring awareness of breast cancer by decorating the market to reflect the “true colour of awareness”.

Managers at the market wanted to find an unique way to involve the vendors in social effort that could display their creativity.

Margret Tatum-Gilbert, compliance and monitoring manager at the Straw Market said that a number of the vendors are emotionally connected to breast cancer and have either fought the disease themselves or know of someone who has.

“Women here represent the larger community,” Mrs Tatum-Gilbert said. “This was a great opportunity for the market and vendors to be apart of a great initiative, one that is near and dear to a lot of the persons here at the straw market.”

According to the Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative Foundation (BBCIF), when it comes to the number of women living with the disease the Bahamas ranks among the top 20 countries in the world. Officials at BBCIF indicate that one of every 10 women in the Bahamas will at some point battle breast cancer.

“The women here at the straw market either have direct experience with the disease or have had family members that have battled breast cancer,” Mrs Tatum-Gilbert said.

“Joining the national movement to bring awareness only seemed logical. We have a wall of hearts at the market that displays some of our vendors that have battled and defeated breast cancer. We thought this event was great way of getting involved and educating the wider community.”

One vendor, Monique Mitchell, applauded senior management for the event, claiming that it “was one of the best things the Straw Market has ever done. Being a woman, it makes me feel great to join the fight for the cure.

“Every year around this time the pink comes out, so you know that more and more people are becoming aware. You see husbands, fathers and sons all supporting the women in their lives. It makes me feel loved, it makes me, as a woman feel special.”

Daisy Clark has been a vendor for well over 20 years. “An event like this on is very important because it brings awareness to a very good cause (Breast Cancer),” she said. “You never know when one of your family members or someone you know will develop breast cancer.”

Joy Drakes, another vendor, added: “I am supporting this initiative because I have family members that are fighting and have fought this disease. This is just our (vendors) small part in the big picture.”

The “paint the stalls pink” campaign will award the vendor with the best decorated stall with one rent-free month. Mrs Tatum-Gilbert said: “We asked the vendors to incorporate elements of pink in their stalls layouts. The response has certainly been great.”