JRMC’s Pink in the Park rescheduled for April 29

     Due to staffing shortages last fall in the Imaging Department at UnityPoint -- Jones Regional Medical Center (JRMC), their annual fundraiser had to be postponed.

   Saturday, April 29, will mark the 10-year anniversary of Pink in the Park, a 4K walk/run event that raises money to benefit local mammography patients.

   JRMC Community Development Director Amy Keltner shared how Pink in the Park got its start… Two staff members within the Imaging Department lost their sisters to breast cancer. This led to wanting to help other women battling the disease, or just to provide services to help prevent breast cancer.

   This year, the JRMC Foundation is taking over the reins to help further support the event.

   "We're taking over to help with some things behind the scenes," Keltner said.

   According to the hospital's website, "imaging technologies play a critical role in patient diagnosis and have expanded to include general radiology, fluoroscopy, CT (computed tomography), mammography, ultrasound, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), nuclear medicine, bone densitometry, and lung cancer screening."

   "It's our cancer services department," Keltner added.

   Pink in the Park is set for April 29 at Wapsipinicon State Park in Anamosa. The event will kick off at 9 a.m.

   The deadline to register is April 14 to guarantee a free long-sleeve t-shirt. Registration is $30. You can also register by 8 a.m. on the day of the event, but you will not be guaranteed a shirt.

   Those taking part in Pink in the Park will meet at the entrance to Wapsi Park. Keltner urges participants to carpool, as parking will be limited.

   "It is a 4K fun event," she said. "It is not a timed event."

   All ages can take part.

   Registration forms will be available at JRMC, on the hospital's social media sites, and on their website.

   If you cannot take part but still want to support the cause, you can sponsor a breast cancer survivor for $30.

   "We all know someone affected by cancer in general," noted Keltner. "This allows us to come together and support people."

   Keltner said in having the JRMC Foundation take over Pink in the Park, "We didn't just want to see it go by the wayside. We can still make it work (rescheduling it in April). It's important to recognize and support the cause of breast cancer awareness."

   Top event sponsors include: F&M Bank, Anamosa; ECIAC (East Central Iowa Acute Care); Charlie and Pat Becker family; Citizens Bank, Anamosa; and Jones County Family Dentistry.

   For more information about Pink in the Park, contact Keltner at 319-481-6118.