Volunteers Needed To Help Turn Doylestown Teal For September

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Volunteers are needed on Saturday morning to help "Turn the Town Teal" for ovarian cancer awareness.

For the 18th year a team of volunteers will fan out through downtown Doylestown decorating lamp posts with teal ribbons to spread awareness of the deadly disease.

Volunteers, residents, and survivors are asked to gather in the parking lot in front of Starbucks. Sign-in begins at 9:15 a.m. Coffee, snacks, and water will be provided.

The event will officially begin with a kickoff ceremony honoring the memory of loved ones taken by the disease and recognizing survivors.

If you are a survivor and can join the group on Saturday or have lost a loved one to ovarian cancer that you would like acknowledged, please provide the name, year of diagnosis, date of passing, and age to the organizers by using the email below.

"We hope you can join us for that moving part of the ceremony. Many find it cathartic to continue to honor their loved one," said organizer and former Doylestown Borough Councilwoman Joan Doyle.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Joan lost her sister, Anita Stein, to ovarian cancer after an almost six-year battle after being diagnosed with stage 3. In memory of her sister, Joan brought the Turn the Town Teal campaign to Doylestown.

Joining Joan this year at the kickoff will be her niece, Dr. Debra Stein. Dr. Stein will be talking about her mother and Joan’s sister, Anita, and about being a legacy family.

They will be joined by Jane MacNeil, president of Turn The Towns Teal, a non-profit organization that was named by Jane MacNeil when she fought her own ovarian cancer battle for 10 years. Jane will be providing updates on advances that have been made.

Turn The Towns Teal coincides with National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September. The mission is to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and its subtle symptoms and risk factors. Women of all ages, 10 to 80, are at risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Knowing the symptoms and risk factors can literally save a woman’s life. If detected in the early stages, the success rate is 90 to 95 percent. As of today, there is no conclusive early detection test. Often, ovarian cancer is diagnosed in its later stages.

Doylestown Rotary is a longtime sponsor and annually pays for the materials: ribbons, symptom cards, lawn signs. They also provide a team of volunteers to help “teal” the town.

"Come out and volunteer on Saturday and show Doylestown’s community spirit for this lifesaving cause,” said Doyle. "If we can save even one woman’s life, we have succeeded."

For additional information, contact Joan Doyle, Doylestown Coordinator, Turn The Towns Teal, at joanddoyle@gmail.com or call 215-262-4242.