Breast Cancer Awareness Day was held at Nansemond River High School this year as the DECA public relations project.

About 266,120 women have invasive breast cancer, there are 63,960 new cases of carcinoma in situ, and 40,920 will die from breast cancer this year. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers.

Currently, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 1 in 8.

Tiecura Hill and Dylan Heyman served as co-chairmen of the public relations project. According to a press release, Tiecura Hill wanted to do this project this year because she has an aunt with breast cancer, and she wanted to reach as many young people in the building as possible at to understand the importance of breast examinations. The DECA members prepared fliers for the classrooms to display promoting the Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

Tables were set up in the cafeteria during all four lunch shifts, and faculty, staff, administrators and students had an opportunity to get information from Tara Asare, community development manager, Southeast Region American Cancer Society; Kimberly Robinson, breast cancer survivor, community navigator and health educator at American Cancer Society; and Inetha Rogers, breast cancer survivor.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Day was a great success at Nansemond River High School. The survivors were able to share their stories with the students and staff, and it brought greater awareness to all, according to the press release.