Turn The Towns Teal® National Campaign

June 13, 2011 Contact: Liz Thomas

856-642-6226 x13

Turn The Towns Teal® Launches National Campaign to Raise Awareness of Ovarian Cancer

BROOKSIDE, NJ –Towns nationwide are turning teal to fight ovarian cancer, the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the U.S. There is no early detection test and the symptoms are subtle and often misdiagnosed. Turn The Towns Teal® is a national campaign to promote awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer during September, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Founded in 2007 by Gail MacNeil of Chatham, NJ, Turn the Towns Teal consists ofvolunteers tying ribbons in town centers across the country, accompanied by the distribution of symptom cards and literature about ovarian cancer. In its first year, 2007, 40 New Jersey communities “turned teal.” In 2010, over 300 communities in 29 states participated including states as far west as California and Hawaii , as far south as Florida and as far north as Vermont.

Gail was always fastidious about her health. After raising questions about her symptoms on three occasions with her gynecologist, Gail walked away with the same answer, that her symptoms were simply the onset of middle age. In December 1997, she was diagnosed with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer.

In 2008, Gail lost her decade-long fight with ovarian cancer, but she had already begun making a difference in increasing awareness of this deadly disease. Today, Turn The Towns Teal goes forward, saving lives in her name and in her honor.

This September, volunteers from across the country will once again bring attention to this need to educate people about the symptoms of ovarian cancer by “turning their towns teal.” Interested participants may visit www.turnthetownsteal.org to order ribbons and campaign materials.

“Had Gail known the symptoms of ovarian cancer, she would have immediately sought the advice of a gynecological oncologist,” said Jane MacNeil, President of Turn The Towns Teal. “What happened to Gail is not uncommon. Most women are not diagnosed until it’s too late. That’s why recognizing the symptoms of ovarian cancer is a critical element in fighting the disease. When detected early, the survival rate is 90 to 95 percent,” MacNeil added.

Visit www.turnthetownsteal.org to sign up. Find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TurnTheTownsTeal or follow us on Twitter @TurnTownsTeal.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!