Frye Adds Sheri Lynch from 107.9 FM The Link to Celebration of Pink Line-up

Hickory, NC – Frye Regional Medical Center has added Sheri Lynch from 107.9 FM The Link to the line-up for the unifour area’s first Celebration of Pink. This special evening on October 1, 2005, is designed to educate our community on breast cancer awareness and prevention. The event will be held at the Hickory Metro Convention Center from 6 – 8pm.

Keynote speaker Dr. Jerri Nielsen will recount her inspiring story of survival as she battled breast cancer while stationed at the South Pole. Dr. Terry Sarantou, Medical Director of Frye’s Cancer Center, will discuss diagnosis and treatment. WBTV News Anchor Tonia Bendickson will emcee the event. Sheri Lynch from 107.9 FM The Link will facilitate the question and answer session.

Dr. Nielsen, an emergency room physician, discovered that she had a tumor in her breast while she was stationed in the South Pole. She could not be evacuated because of the weather, keeping her marooned for months. Dr. Nielsen performed her own breast biopsies and relied on her physician 11,600 miles away to diagnose her condition while they conversed via video-conferencing. They soon discovered the cells were cancerous. Dr. Nielsen began hormone therapy and chemotherapy sessions on her own until she was rescued by the U.S. National Guard.

Tickets for the event will be $25.00 per person, payable the day of the event; cash only please. RSVP is required as seating is limited. Participants will receive dinner, educational materials and a goody bag. Invitees are encouraged to wear pink to show their support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please RSVP to (828) 315-5850 or email celebrationofpink@fryeregional.com.

The general public can sponsor a centerpiece for Celebration of Pink in honor of or in memory of a loved one who has battled or is currently battling breast cancer by contacting Creations Florist and Gifts at (828) 294-9600. All sponsored centerpieces donated to the event will be available for purchase at the event on October 1, 2005. All proceeds from arrangements purchased that evening will be donated to either the American Cancer Society or The Susan G. Komen Foundation, donator’s choice.

Major sponsors of Celebration of Pink include: WBTV, 107.9 FM The Link, The Hickory Daily Record, The American Cancer Society, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Palliative Care Center and Hospice of Catawba Valley, Frye Volunteer Auxiliary, It’s My Party Rentals, Creations Florists and Gifts, A Sign Co, Piedmont Plastic Surgery Center.

Frye Regional Medical Center is a 355-bed acute care facility located at 420 North Center Street in Hickory, NC. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of Catawba County since 1911. The hospital’s main campus includes a comprehensive heart center and cardiopulmonary rehab, skilled nursing unit, orthopedics, bariatric surgery, inpatient rehabilitation unit, outpatient rehabilitation services, pediatrics, center for neurosciences, cancer center and women’s pavilion. Frye has several extended campuses to serve families throughout the area including: Frye Wellness and Education Center which houses the Center For Diabetes Self-Management Care, perinatal education and community wellness classes; South Campus for psychiatric services; Viewmont and Tate Surgery Centers; Vein and Wound Center/Infusion Care; Pain Center; Piedmont Therapy, offering sports and industrial rehabilitation; an urgent care facility; FryeCare, an outpatient diagnostic facility; Alexander Campus, which provides 24 hour emergency care along with diagnostic and laboratory services and infusion care; plus HealthPoint, which provides extensive industrial services and programs to employers.

Frye Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about the hospital, visit www.fryemedctr.com.