Around 200 Lewis County residents showed up on Saturday, Oct. 21, for the United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) Breast Cancer Awareness March in Centralia, according to UNFI human resources representative Tommy Seaman.
Seaman said originally UNFI had planned to host an event internally for its own employees as they were missing other breast cancer awareness events. The march took place on a 1-and-a-half-mile route starting at George Washington Park in downtown Centralia.
“We figured, if we’re missing it, other people must be missing it too,” Seaman said. “So we decided if we’re going to do it, let's open it up.”
Attendees were encouraged to wear pink to create a “pink-out” to show their support.
UNFI had a goal of raising $1,100 to go toward breast cancer research, and had raised more than $500 when The Chronicle talked to Seaman Saturday morning.
“We’ll be doing it next year, probably at the end of October again,” Seaman said.
According to UNFI Assistant General Manager John Ibarra, one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during their lifetimes, and though it’s a rarer occurrence, men can be diagnosed with it as well. One of Ibarra’s family members is currently fighting breast cancer.
“This is all to bring awareness to breast cancer … It's a great opportunity for UNFI to sponsor something like this to help bring awareness to it,” Ibarra said.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more and donate toward breast cancer research, visit the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s website at, https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month/.
A Rhode Island-based natural and organic food distribution company, UNFI is Centralia’s largest employer, operating a 1.3 million-square-foot wholesale grocery distribution center located on Galvin Road in the Port of Centralia. To learn more about UNFI, visit https://www.unfi.com/.
