St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness (SLOCA) is inviting St. Louisians to support the organization and its mission at the various events and activities planned during the St. Louis observance of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, which is the full month of September.
For the sixth consecutive year, St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness (SLOCA) will be partnering with area yoga instructors to host the annual “Rise ‘n Shine, Yoga for SLOCA” event.
The unique fund- and awareness-raising yoga-centric event will be held at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park on Sunday, September 28 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Guided by Brad Smith’s rhythmic Kirtan music and Patti Pellerito’s resonating Tibetan Bowls, 20 area yoga instructors will lead participants through 108 Sun Salutations; a 12-breath series of yoga poses linked in a row. Participants can do as many or as few of the sun salutation sequences as desired. Chair yoga will be available for those who want to participate on a more gentle level.
The event’s guest speaker is St. Louis fashion designer Amy Johnson of Kay Oss Designs, who will share her experience with ovarian cancer. Nancy Larson, an oncology nurse and member of SLOCA’s board of directors, will speak on the difficulties associated with diagnosis in the absence of a diagnostic test and the standards of care for ovarian cancer treatment.
This yoga event will also pay special tribute to the late Ina Sachar, a former SLOCA board member and yoga instructor who passed away in March of 2014 from ovarian, breast and colon cancer.
The cost to pre-register is $35 per person (through September 14th), or $40 after that date. To register online, visit the SLOCA website at www.sloca.org/yoga. For specific questions regarding the yoga aspects of the event, contact Michelle Abounader at mabounader@charter.net.
The “Rise ‘n Shine, Yoga for SLOCA” event is just one of the varied events and activities SLOCA plans to observe National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September each year. Past activities have included an annual “Turn it Teal” event at the Kiener Plaza fountain; the “Steps for Ovarian Cancer Survivorship” Course; “Teal Toes for SLOCA” pedicure fundraiser; and an annual Trivia Night hosted by the Mercy Hospital-St. Louis oncology nurses and technicians.
The St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness mission statement reflects a commitment to impact ovarian cancer survivorship by promoting awareness of early warning signs and standard of care, funding ovarian cancer research, and supporting survivors.
For more information about Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, as well as the St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness organization, visit SLOCA’s website at www.sloca.org.
