On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, the Hispanic Dental Student Association and the Office of Research at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) participated in Crucial Catch Day: Intercept Cancer at the South End Community Health Center. Crucial Catch Day was a community event to raise awareness about cancer risk factors and to encourage people to participate in cancer screenings to help catch cancer early. There was a strong show of interest from the community, with over 150 guests attending.
GSDM community members set up a table on oral cancer, one of six stations with information about risk factors and prevention; other cancers discussed at the stations included skin cancer, cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer. GSDM also offered free dental screenings at this event.
Crucial Catch Day began with a reception opened by South End Community Health Center CEO, Bill Walczak. Other speakers included two cancer survivors sharing their experiences with symptoms, screening, diagnosis, treatment, life after cancer, and highlighting the life-saving importance of early cancer screenings.
The South End Community Health Center was awarded a $75,000 grant by the National Football League/New England Patriots and the American Cancer Society to launch an 18-month campaign to provide the local community with outreach and education for breast and colorectal cancer, striving to catch cancer earlier through screenings. The South End Community Health Center was the only organization in New England selected to participate in this program.