This past Friday, March 24th, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato hosted a free, mobile breast cancer screening clinic in honor of her late friend, Elaine Freeburg. The mobile clinic served 30 women with MRIs and critical breast exams by call-ahead appointment, after several weeks of outreach. “Mrs. Elaine,” as she was known, was a local dance instructor who died of sudden-onset breast cancer. The screening was held outside the location of Freeburg’s dance studio, which continues on as Mrs. Elaine’s School of Dance.

“By providing a means for women to detect breast cancer early, we can prevent as many tragedies as possible,” said Pheffer Amato. “This is a disease that can usually be detected early, and when it’s detected, the outcomes are better.

“It was so rewarding to see so many women call our office to sign up, and that we were able to help them get peace of mind and better information about their health,” she continued. “We are an area with unique health challenges, and I’m looking forward to organizing more events to help address those challenges. I want to thank the Italian American Cancer Foundation for this incredible service they provided to our community.”