REACH offers gift certificates for mammograms

12:00AM / Tuesday, February 22, 2005Print Story | Email Story

North Adams - REACH for Breast Health is offering a $10 gift certificate to a local supermarket to every woman who completes breast screening who has never had a mammogram, or who has not had one in over two years. Breast screening is recommended every year for all women over 40 and for younger women at high risk. REACH provides free clinical breast exams, and will assist all women without health insurance in obtaining payment for a mammogram. In situations where further procedures are recommended following the mammogram REACH will also provide support in helping women. Annual screening is essential in detecting breast cancer early when it is usually successfully treated. Both a breast exam by a qualified doctor or nurse, and a mammogram are important. Some breast lumps are found only on a mammogram, but not detected in a breast exam. Other breast lumps are felt in a breast exam or by the woman herself, but cannot be seen on a mammogram. By doing both, women have a higher chance of having a potential problem detected. In the Northern Berkshire Area, it is estimated that only about 60% of the women who should get annual screening are actually getting the screening. Ninety percent of all breast cancer occurs in women who have no family history of the disease. However, women who have had it in their families are at higher risk, and should start their annual screening at an earlier age. A woman would be considered "high risk" if her mother, grandmother (on either side), or daughter had breast cancer or ovarian cancer before menopause. These women should begin screening when they are ten years younger than the family member was when diagnosed with breast cancer. "High risk" also includes women who have had pre-cancerous conditions identified in a breast biopsy, or have actually had breast cancer. REACH for Breast Health is a program of the REACH Community Health Foundation and Northern Berkshire Healthcare, and is located at North Adams Regional Hospital. This incentive is made available through a grant from the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund. The program is also supported by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Massachusetts Affiliate, the Eileen Barrett Foundation, and private donations. The effort to increase breast screenings through this program is a joint effort of REACH for Breast Health, the Mammography Department of North Adams Regional Hospital, and local physicians. For more information on how to receive the gift certificate, please call REACH for Breast Health at 664-5170 or 664-5404.

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Nearly 100 Compete in Lee's Main Street Mile

iBerkshires.com Sports01:23PM / Monday, September 21, 2026

LEE, Mass. -- Noah Hassmer and Michaela Grady were the top male female finishers at the Main Street Mile on Saturday.

Hassmer ran a time of 5 minutes, 2.5 seconds to pace the field at the event, part of the Founders Day celebration in town and a fund-raiser for the Lee Middle and High School cross country teams.

Hassmer finished 27 seconds ahead of runner-up Sam Harding.

Pittsfield's Grady placed sixth overall and first among the female runners, hitting the finish line in 5:55.69.

Ninety-six runners finished the event.

Full results are available on the Berkshire Running Center website.

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