UPDATE: EVENT DATE HAS CHANGED! The 3rd Annual Pink Party, benefitting Komen Connecticut, will be held Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, from 5 to 8 p.m., in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square.

By Ronni Newton

The Pink Party will be held in Blue Back Square on Thursday, Oct. 2. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Thousands of people will gather in a sea of pink in Blue Back Square on Thursday evening, kicking off Breast Cancer Awareness Month at a “party with a purpose.”

Komen Connecticut is partnering with Blue Back Square, West Hartford Center Business Association, West Hartford Chamber of Commerce and the Town of West Hartford for an event that Komen Connecticut CEO Anne Morris says is “successful on so many levels.”

The Pink Party is free, and it’s fun. There are dozens of booths staffed by local businesses with great giveaways (most in shades of pink), there’s dancing in the streets to the fabulous and lively music of the Shaded Soul Band, and there’s great food from some of the area’s top restaurants. (Click here for a list of all the exhibitors.)

Swag bags (yes, they are pink, too), available for $20 each, have been a hot commodity at the past two Pink Parties. “They are hugely popular and they have sold out in 20 minutes,” Morris said. Last year there were 400 swag bags, but Morris said 500 will be available this year. One hundered percent of the proceeds from the sale of the bags, which include great items and offers from local businesses (valued at much more than $20) go to Komen Connecticut.

The highlight of the Pink Party is the survivor fashion show, which this year includes 31 models from throughout the greater Hartford area modeling the latest fashions from local retailers, as well as hair and make-up trends created by local stylists. “It’s a great way to showcase survivors – those who really want to come out and share their battle,” Morris said. Each model will be escorted down the runway by West Hartford firefighters. Click here for a list of participants. [Editor’s note: Full disclosure, I am one of the survivor models.]

Awareness of breast cancer has risen dramatically in recent years, with the “pink” events held by many amateur and professional sports teams highlighted by the media. However, from an educational standpoint, Morris said it’s still critically important to continue to educate the public and keep people talking, sharing, and getting diagnosed at an early stage.

“West Hartford has one of the highest incidences, and highest rates of late stage diagnosis,” Morris said. Nationally, Connecticut has the highest incidence of breast cancer, followed by Massachusetts, she said.

“We don’t know why yet,” Morris said. It’s all conjecture, she said, but some believe that the early industrialization of the area, dense population, and a large concentration of Ashkenazi Jews who have a high incidence of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genetic mutations (leading to a high incidence of genetically-based breast and ovarian cancer) are factors.

“We are getting better at personalizing the treatment for each case,” Morris said, and added that the 5-year survival rate for early stage diagnosis is 99 percent. “We’ve come so far,” said Morris.

“We’re so happy that West Hartford is such a tight-knit community, and that the town is so supportive [of the Pink Party],” said Morris. Many of the survivors modeling in the fashion show are from West Hartford, and Morris praised the town for its collaboration planning and sponsoring the event.

“There’s nothing like this anywhere else in the state. This community rallies, and I am really proud to be a part of it,” said Morris, who is a longtime West Hartford resident.

The Pink Party has attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 people each year, and last year raised $38,000 for Komen Connecticut through sponsorships, sale of swag bags, and a raffle. Seventy-five percent of that funds local programs, and the rest funds research, said Morris. Primary sponsors this year include the Hartford Courant, FOX CT, and Hartford Magazine.

Morris hopes the Pink Party will be bigger and better this year with expanded hours from 5 – 8 p.m. In case of rain, the event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 2. “There’s really so much for everyone, even young children.”

For more information, visit the Pink Party website www.pinkpartyct.com. The Pink Party also has a social media presence on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pinkpartyct), and hopes to share the buzz about the event with the hashtag #pinkpartyct.