MONTEGO BAY, St. JAMES
In line with Breast Cancer awareness month, the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, through its Women’s and Health Ministries Departments, partnered with Yvonne Dunkley’s Feed the Fight Breast Cancer Foundation to host the Shades of Pink Gala on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Held at the Seventh-day Adventist Conference Centre in Mount Salem, St. James, the fundraising event was organized to support the hospital’s Renal and Oncology Departments, with proceeds intended to assist with the provision of needles, mammograms, Pap smears and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests.
Mrs. Annette Thompson, Women’s Ministries Director of the West Jamaica Conference, said the initiative was an opportunity for the Church to provide practical assistance to individuals facing serious health challenges. She explained that the departments have traditionally observed Breast Cancer Awareness Month through an annual Save Your Breast Symposium, featuring presentations by medical professionals, breast examinations and education on breast self-checks.
“This year Mrs. Yvonne Dunkley, who is a breast cancer survivor, approached us asking to collaborate with her to put on a Gala under the theme Shades of Pink,” Thompson said.
Guests seated at a table during the Shades of Pink Gala, held November 1, 2026, at the Seventh-day Adventist Conference Centre in Montego Bay. :: Photo credit: Eucynth Allen-Gayle
She also noted that the Conference welcomed the partnership as an opportunity to provide practical assistance to patients undergoing treatment.
“We were happy to be a part of this venture where we could help persons who need this assistance and in doing so would be able to bring a level of hope and love to them as they go through their difficult times,” she shared.
For Mrs. Yvonne Dunkley, founder of the Feed the Fight Breast Cancer Foundation, the initiative was inspired by her own experience battling breast cancer, which included 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation sessions. She recalled the emotional, physical and spiritual challenges she faced during treatment, including memory loss and difficulty walking.
“I’m a breast cancer survivor and through my ordeal I was mentally burned out. Not the disease itself but how one sees the word cancer, it defeats you before you can analyze it,” she said.
Despite these challenges, her faith helped her persevere. Her experience eventually motivated her to return to Jamaica in 2013 to increase breast cancer awareness and support others facing the disease.
“Don't try to see the whole picture, just take it one minute at a time,” she advised.
The Feed the Fight Breast Cancer Foundation has also extended its work internationally, with activities in Ghana, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Canada and the United States. Equipment purchased from the proceeds of the gala are expected to be presented to Cornwall Regional Hospital on February 4, 2027, in observance of World Cancer Day.