Habberstad BMW in Huntington hosted St. Catherine of Siena’s Cocktails for a Colorectal Cause event on March 27. Dr. Tara Martinez, director of Colon and Rectal Surgery, took the opportunity to use the unique space to raise awareness about the importance of screenings during Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, celebrated nationally during March.
The special fundraising event was attended by St. Catherine’s senior and departmental leadership, medical staff and community members, many of whom were dressed in blue for the cause.
The two-hour cocktail party had a two-prong objective. The first was to raise awareness about the new American Cancer Society screening guidelines for colorectal cancer, which was moved from age 50 to 45 for both men and women in 2018. The second goal was to raise funds to support the hospital’s community service initiative to provide free colonoscopy screenings to underserved populations on Long Island.
“Colorectal screenings save lives and the earlier you are screened, the better your outcomes,” said Martinez. “Colorectal cancer affects men and women alike, so please be diligent about your health, and encourage your loved ones to get screened at the appropriate age.”
Martinez also took the opportunity to thank Habberstad BMW General Manager Jim McCarthy for supporting the medical center and joining such important dialogue
In addition to co-hosting the event in its showroom, the dealership sponsored the hors d’oeuvres and donated raffle prizes, including a BMW Genuine Cruise M-Bike. The event’s raffle sales yielded $2,120, and Habberstad BMW also donated a percentage of all sales during the month of March to support free colonoscopy screenings to be provided by St. Catherine of Siena throughout the year.
“The event was certainly fun, well attended and most importantly, it offered the unique opportunity for me to educate the community about updates in colorectal screenings. We look forward to doing it again next year,” said Martinez. For more information about colorectal screenings, please call 631-870-3444.
