‘Hope Has A Face’

And that face is on a gallery of hope display that is making a circuit throughout Pennsylvania this month as a tribute to breast cancer awareness month.

The Gallery of Hope display was featured at the Life Center in the Lycoming Mall from October 5 to October 14.

Christy Haberstroh a Williamsport resident is Lycoming County’s honoree for the Gallery of Hope exhibit. The Gallery of Hope is a collection of posters featuring photographs and personal stories of breast cancer survivors. “This display is meant to raise awareness of breast cancer and help women and men too,” said Leigh Ann Wiedlich, community relations specialist with BlueCross of Northeastern Pennsylvania and sponsor of the exhibit. The display is held annually across the state to honor the courage of the featured individuals to remind us on how important preventive health actions can be.

“It is a great honor for me to be on this display,” said Christy Haberstroh, 53. “It was my yearly mammogram in May of 2004 that detected my cancer. I was getting ready for my daughter’s orchestra banquet when the notice came. I thought it was a death sentence, but then I became totally cured because I caught it in time.” Haberstroh stressed the importance for women to get yearly check ups and screenings. As a reminder she organized a pink ribbon ceremony in downtown Williamsport with pink lights, ribbons and balloons to honor breast cancer survivors. She works for the City of Williamsport in Mayor Campana’s office.

The Gallery of Hope is also partnering with Channel 16 to help choose the honorees. “If you know of someone, male or female, who would be a good candidate in the Gallery of Hope, send your nominations to www.bcnepa.com/hope or call 1-888-245-3104 .,” announced Wiedlich. Every year ten new honorees are selected. The exhibit will be in the Poconos Region after leaving the Lycoming Mall.