Carol Secter

On Saturday morning, October 15th, 45 people assembled at the Roddick Gates of McGill University to take part in the 4th annual 'Prevention is the Cure' march. Despite the cool, cloudy day, spirits were good. The opening remarks, delivered in English by Deena Dlusy-Apel, and in French by Nancy Guberman, were enthusiastically received.

BCAM members and supporters met at a downtown location for the first time, and then proceeded to walk south on McGill College, west on deMaisonneuve, and south on Crescent to the YWCA at the corner of Crescent and René Lévesque. It seemed we would be confined to the sidewalk but Teresa Alper offered our handout to the police constable accompanying us and, within minutes, there was a second patrol car to block traffic and we were encouraged to march on the street! The combination of location, enthusiasm, and organization meant that our small numbers got maximum attention.

At the YWCA, participants enjoyed breakfast courtesy of St. Viateur Bagel Café, Café Santropol, Lesley Levy, and Harry Lester. Abby Lippman engaged us with her retake on the breast cancer ABCDiary and marchers were encouraged to contribute their own additions — a strategy which enhanced interaction and involvement.

As always, the event was a morale booster for our members. Ideas for making next year's march bigger and better are already percolating. For those of you who joined in the fun, thank you. If you missed it, next year's event is already being planned, so watch for details. Remember, we need to draw attention to the idea of stopping breast cancer before it starts, and you can be part of the action!