Wearing pink is “in” this month at the seven Starks Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services’ chapels in Southwest Michigan. The Starks staff will wear pink ties, clothing and pins throughout October to bring breast cancer awareness and prevention to the forefront of their communities.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation reports the disease is the second most common cancer in women as one in eight will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. This year, over 43,000 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S. Another estimated 2,800 men in the U.S. will also be diagnosed with breast cancer and 530 will die this year.
“As a family, we’ve experienced firsthand the terrible effects of breast cancer,” said Tom Starks, owner and president. “My late wife Tracey, who is Olivia’s and Laura’s mother, passed away from breast cancer in 2004. Wearing pink is a way to honor everyone who survived and, more importantly, those who did not. We want families affected to know we care about them and their loved ones.”
Olivia Starks, funeral director and owner, said she and her sister Laura hope men and women in the community will show support by wearing pink this month, too.
They also want to encourage local women who faced pandemic-related cancer screening delays to get back in the habit of scheduling mammograms and seeing their doctors regularly for clinical breast exams.
“Early detection can improve your survival outcome,” said Olivia Starks. “Do self-examinations, and talk to your doctor about other ways to lower your risk of breast cancer. Together, we can fight this disease and save our own and our loved ones’ lives.”
Starks Family Funeral Homes & Cremation Services has served Southwest Michigan for over six decades. For more information, go to www.starksfamilyfh.com, or call 269-556-9450.
Headline photo: Group shot of Starks Family Funeral Homes staff wearing pink
left to right: Cameron Ondresky, manager at Swem Chapel; Laura Starks, funeral director and owner; Andy Menchinger, funeral director; Tyler Cook, funeral director; Mark Casey, pre-need specialist; Olivia Starks, funeral director and owner and Jeffrey Jakeway, funeral director.
