News

Robins joins local community for Triple Ribbon Month observance

  • Published
  • By Holly Logan-Arrington
  • Robins Public Affairs
Robins Air Force Base will be showing its colors throughout October in honor of the 5th Annual Triple Ribbon Month.

The observance - which will span all of Houston County - will promote awareness in Middle Georgia of three areas of concern for the community: Breast Cancer, represented by the Pink Ribbon; Domestic Violence, represented by the Purple Ribbon; and Drug Demand Reduction, represented by the Red Ribbon.  

In addition to joining in planned activities, people can participate by wearing purple on Oct. 8, red on Oct. 15, and pink on Oct. 22.

Bringing these areas of concern to the forefront of everyone's minds helps people do their part in reducing their incidences, Stuart Bapties, Health and Wellness Center flight commander, said.

"Alcohol and drug abuse have reached epidemic stages, making it imperative that community members launch visible, unified prevention education efforts to eliminate the demand for drugs," he said. "The National Red Ribbon Campaign offers the community the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to drug-free lifestyles."

Bapties said only a coordinated community effort will put a stop to domestic violence.  

"Domestic violence awareness campaigns have been responsible for substantial progress in reducing domestic violence; however, the reality remains that one in four women, and one in seven men in the United States still suffer serious physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner at least once during their lifetime," Bapties said. "Every day, three women lose their lives in this country as a result of domestic violence. 

"Millions of Americans live in daily, silent fear within their own homes because domestic violence attacks an individual's privacy, dignity, security and humanity through the use of physical, emotional, sexual, psychological and economic control or abuse. 

Finally breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, following lung cancer, Bapties said.

"The chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman's life is about one in eight," he said. "It's estimated that 232,670 women will be diagnosed with and 40,000 women will die of cancer of the breast in 2014; additionally, 2,360 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men and 430 men will die from breast cancer this year."  

Death rates from breast cancer have been declining and this is believed to be the result of earlier detection and improved treatment related to increased education and community outreach through awareness campaigns, Bapties said.

The observance begins with a proclamation ceremony today at Central Georgia Technical College at 10 a.m., followed by a month of activities and events. 

Some events include:

* The Houston Educare Pink Picnic on Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Museum of Aviation. 

* The Triple Ribbon Color Run/ Walk 5K and Resiliency Fair on Oct. 17 will kick off at 7:25 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. at the HAWC in Bldg. 827. 

* The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Oct. 18 at 7 a.m. at North Peach Park in Byron.   

Editor's Note: For more information, call 327-8480.