Mather Hospital’s breast cancer awareness community outreach and breast cancer fundraiser will join together this October to highlight the importance of breast health.

Paint Port Pink, our annual community outreach campaign in Port Jefferson and Port Jefferson Station, will join with the annual Families Walk for Hope. The Walk usually is a five-mile breast cancer fundraiser held the first Saturday in May. It was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now taking place virtually through the end of October. The Walk this year will benefit the Fortunato Breast Health Center and Mather’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund. As a thank you and a reminder to mask up, anyone donating $10 or more to the Walk will receive a handmade mask.

Paint Port Pink kicks off Oct. 1 with the lighting of pink lights throughout the Village of Port Jefferson and in Port Jefferson Station. New this year is a Virtual Paint Night, hosted by our 2 South oncology unit, and a Mask-querade contest. Virtual Paint Night participants will be supplied with paint kits and will follow along with the instructor online. Acknowledging the importance of wearing a mask in public, the Mask-querade contest asks participants to decorate their masks in the “pinkest” fashion possible. Photos of participants wearing their masks should be sent to ccourt1@northwell.edu by Oct. 20 and also posted on social media with the #paintportpink. The winner will be selected on Oct. 21 and receive a $100 gift card.

As part of Mather’s breast cancer awareness outreach, the hospital’s HealthyU webinar series will present four webinars on breast cancer each Tuesday in October from 12-1pm. The series will look at diagnosis, treatment, surgery and breast reconstruction. Register for these webinars at www.matherhopsital.org/healthyu

The popular Pink Your Pumpkin Contest returns this year. Photos of “pinked” pumpkins can also be emailed to ccourt1@northwell.edu by Oct. 20 and posted on social media with #paintportpink.  The winner will also be chosen Oct. 21 and will receive a $100 gift card.

Wear Pink Day takes place virtually on Friday, Oct. 16. All hospital staff, volunteers and community members are urged to dress in pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Selfies can be posted on social media with #paintportpink. Photos can also be mailed to ccourt1@northwell.edu to be included in a collage on Mather’s Facebook page. Those who register for the Families Walk for Hope will received an official pink t-shirt that can be used for their selfie.

Paint Port Pink community partners will offer promotions to benefit the Fortunato Breast Health Center’s Fund for Uninsured, including:

  • Chick-fil-A – For the month of October, $1 of every shake sold will be donated.
  • SaGhar Indian Fusion Restobar will host “Bollywood Brunch: A Pink Affair” on Sunday, Oct. 4 with 10% of the proceeds donated.
  • Panera Bread – On Wed., Oct. 7 from 4-8pm, a portion of the proceeds from orders will be donated.
  • Amazing Olive will donate $1 from the sale of each bottle of extra virgin olive oil
  • Holiday Inn Express Stony Brook donates a portion of the fee from their Pink Suite room all year long.

Get more information on Paint Port Pink at www.matherhospital.org/pink . Register for the Families Walk for Hope at www.familieswalkforhope.org  Call (631) 476-2723 for more information.