Community invited to Paint the Town Pink
Breast cancer awareness program kicks off Sunday

RED BANK - Red Bank is turning into "Pink Bank" for one week.

The name change is part of "Paint the Town Pink," a community-wide initiative to bring heightened awareness of the importance of breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

The event is being presented by Riverview Medical Center and Red Bank RiverCenter, with participation from numerous local businesses.

The weeklong program will kick off Sunday with a free community event, "Paint Everything Pink," which will take place in front of Riverview Medical Center on West Front Street from 1-4 p.m.

Radio stations 106.3 GRock and 107.1 The Breeze will be onsite for radio broadcasts, and live entertainment will include the Liberty Oak Chorus, jazz by Jamilah Joseph, the Red Bank Primary School chorus and the Red Bank Middle School band.

The day will be packed with "pink" activities, like painting cupcakes pink by covering tasty baked goods with pink icing and toppings, and pink lemonade beverages.

Kids can paint their faces pink with free face-painting. Local artist Pinky will share her talents, and there will be a contest for the best dressed Paint Your Kid Pink, to be judged at 2:30 p.m.

As a way to pay special tribute to women and the fight against breast cancer, everyone is invited to help Riverview's Trees of Life bloom by tying a pink ribbon to the branches. Special ribbons will be provided free, and can be inscribed with a personal message to a friend or loved one.

In addition to all the family fun, Riverview Medical Center will have informational tables that address breast cancer prevention and signups for mammograms, the latest tools in the diagnosis of breast cancer, and understanding the many treatment options. Tours of the medical center's Women's Center will also be available.

The excitement of the day goes beyond Riverview Medical Center. With over 70 local businesses participating in the Paint the Town Pink initiative, visitors are encouraged to walk through town and see for themselves how Red Bank has turned pink. The many "pink" partners, which include stores and restaurants, are offering specials to patrons and will have their storefronts decorated in pink themes. In fact, you'll even see live pink mannequins in some store windows.

Paint the Town Pink is being celebrated from April 29 to May 5 throughout "Pink Bank." For more information about Paint the Town Pink, visit www.RiverviewMedicalCenter.com/pink.