Health Matters: Spirited party for a good cause

The Breast Cancer Foundation is hosting its first ever Gintonica event at The Ritz-Carlton on Saturday 23rd January from 7pm to 10pm, a spirited event that will bring the island some much longed-for glitz and glamour, all in aid of this important charity.

“Gintonica will be a fantastic, old Havana-style celebration featuring the amazing food of The Ritz-Carlton chefs, along with gin tasting, a flare bar, Azucar live band and dancers. Guests will be treated to a welcome cocktail and there will be a raffle for some great prizes and a goody bag with a full bottle of pink gin, Tortuga rum cake and other goodies,” Janette Fitzgerald, Chief Administrator for the Breast Cancer Foundation said.

This is the first such event for the Foundation, who has partnered with Cayman Spirits and Tortuga to bring such an exciting party to Cayman, but they anticipate it won’t be their last. It joins two other highly anticipated fund raisers for the Foundation – the Light Up the Night walk and the Breast Cancer Gala Dinner.

“We are seeing more people with breast cancer than ever come through our doors,” Janette advised. “We currently have 238 people on our books and we are getting two to three new patients per week. We provide them with a whole host of assistance to help them and their families get through breast cancer.”

Emotional help is always on hand at the Foundation, one of the key services they provide, not only to the patient but their family as well. Partnering with Ocean Med, the George Town Hospital and CTMH Doctors Hospital, the Foundation provides free mammograms and ultrasounds for women who need them. They also have a lovely boutique where women can try on specialised bras, swimming costumes, wigs and prosthetics, a service unique in the entire Caribbean. Hampered in recent months by the Covid lock-down, they also plan to get back into schools and colleges to ensure that young people are aware of the importance of early detection as much as anyone.

Underscoring the importance of supporting the charity, Janette said:

“We work hard to get patients and their families through their grueling treatments and back to some kind of new ‘normal’ afterwards. We stay involved as long as anyone needs us.”

The Ritz-Carlton is offering staycation rates for anyone wanting to stay over and make a full weekend of it.

Visit www.breastcancerfoundation.ky for more information.