Rehoboth Beach turns teal to support ovarian cancer research
The Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation finished turning the Cape Region teal Aug. 28, when it brought Turn The Town Teal to Rehoboth Beach.
Led by Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation Vice President Sally Oberle, local elected officials and volunteers tied teal-colored bows to light posts in the city’s commercial district. The organization turned Milton teal Aug. 14 and Lewes teal Aug. 21.
Turn The Town Teal is an annual initiative that takes place in September during national Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Its purpose is to create awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms.
The Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, sponsors the campaign in its efforts to help save more women's lives through increasing awareness and education, raising funds for research and helping women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
There is no test for ovarian cancer, so knowledge of symptoms is crucial. Symptoms can include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms such as frequency or urgency. The symptoms are vague, and if they persist more than two weeks, a woman should discuss them with her physician. The symptoms mimic those of other conditions, so the disease is extremely difficult to diagnose.
All women are at risk; the disease affects 1 in 70 females of any age. Fewer than 20% of cases are diagnosed early. Due to late diagnosis and a recurrence rate of 70% to 90%, ovarian cancer is the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers.
Residents are encouraged to join the awareness campaign by tying a teal ribbon on their mailbox to show support. Other signs of support include wearing teal on Tuesdays, teal hair extensions, teal awareness bands, teal ribbon car magnets and using teal nail polish.
For more information on the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation, go to deovariancancer.org.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
