MSU’s Women’s Resource Center is encouraging women to get a mammogram with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The center plans to kick off events with a presentation from 12:10-12:50 p.m. on Oct. 9 in the Ohio State Room of the Union.

Lori Brochu, a speaker from the American Cancer Society, will discuss the importance of mammograms and regular checkups, said Judy McQueen, educational program coordinator for the resource center.

The resource center also will present a video and announce plans for events throughout the month.

“It’s an overview of everything we have planned,” McQueen said.

The tell-a-friend program through the American Cancer Society also is supported through the resource center, McQueen said.

Students can turn in names of family members who will receive reminder cards from the American Cancer Society to get a mammogram.

“We want students to call their mom, or a woman they love and say, ‘Hey, have you had your yearly mammogram?’” she said.

A 3.5 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer awareness, treatment and the search for a cure will take place at the Capitol on Saturday, Oct. 12, McQueen said.

Women also can wear pink ribbons as a symbol of their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

But October isn’t the only time to encourage breast cancer prevention, said Elizabeth Woolfe, a spokeswoman for the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.

“We really try to keep the focus on breast cancer all year round,” she said.

Woolfe said Breast Cancer Awareness Month started as just a day, grew in to a week and finally developed into the month of October.

“It is such an important issue to so many people,” she said. “It’s not just women, even men are touched by breast cancer.”

Having a month set aside helps raise awareness for prevention and attempts to find cures, as well as resources for patients and survivors, Woolfe said.

“It really has an impact on people,” she said.