October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Cobb EMC’s annual Pink Power Flock the Yard (#PinkPowerFlock) campaign is a lighthearted way of reminding women to schedule their annual exams, as well as a way to celebrate the thousands of brave, resilient women who are impacted by breast cancer every year with a small army of flamingos. Why flamingos? Because they are pink, just like the symbolic pink ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness.

“The Pink Power initiative is a fun way to remind everyone about something serious and that they don’t often want to discuss,” said Kris Delaney, Vice President of Marketing at Cobb EMC. “We hope that when people see these flamingos, it will make them smile and remind them to pick up the phone and make that appointment. Most people don’t realize that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 85% of those women will not have any family history of breast cancer. We all know how easy it is to get busy and let time slip by, but this is too important. Early detection is the key.”

The #PinkPowerFlock in front of Cobb EMC’s corporate campus in Marietta, GA.

“Since early breast cancer often does not cause symptoms, regular screenings are incredibly important for early detection,” said Katherine Pearson, Director of Operations at Northside Cherokee Hospital. “We are thrilled to partner with Cobb EMC to remind our communities to get regular screening tests. As Georgia’s largest cancer network, Northside appreciates and supports Cobb EMC’s focus on prevention and early detection.”

Last year there were over 1,000 flamingos “flying” around Cobb and Cherokee counties throughout the month of October. Participants can send one of the flocks of flamingos to a friend or neighbor's yard or sponsor a flamingo in front of a participating Northside Hospital. Discretionary donations to “feed the flock” can also be made and all donations received will go to support Breast Cancer Survivor Programs and Cancer Support Community Atlanta.

You can sponsor a flamingo (or the flock) directly at cobbemc.com/pinkpower.

“If you make an appointment to get screened after seeing one of our flamingo flocks, then the campaign was a success,” said Kevan Espy, President, and CEO of Cobb EMC. “The #PinkPowerFlock is easy to spot around our community to encourage women to make the appointment and seek preventable treatment.”

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 316,950 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2025 and there are over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Breast cancer is sometimes found after symptoms appear but many women with breast cancer have no symptoms. Regular breast cancer screenings are an important way of early detection and prevention. Learn more at nationalbreastcancer.org.