Pop-Up Pink Pumpkin Patches at BRG Promote Breast Cancer Awareness

BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General (BRG) has kicked off its annual “Protect Your Pumpkins” movement as part of the hospital’s breast cancer awareness campaign promoting annual mammograms for women 40 and over. At the heart of the campaign is 7,500 pink pumpkins that popped up overnight between all three BRG campuses.

The public is invited to visit one of the pink pumpkin patches, sponsored by b1Bank, to take photos and to bring home a pumpkin for free to display in honor of breast cancer awareness. The hospital’s Bluebonnet location will be host to its signature patch, with over 5,000 pink pumpkins, various photo opps including a hay pyramid, and pink “Protect Your Pumpkins” t-shirts available for purchase, as supplies last. The Mid City and Ascension locations will feature smaller pink pumpkin patches.

“We are excited to bring back the pumpkin patches this year, as it is such an effective way to kick off our Protect Your Pumpkins campaign, engage with the community and have important conversations about breast cancer,” said BRG President and CEO Edgardo Tenreiro.

Women in the U.S. have a 1-in-8 lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. A mammogram can often find or detect breast cancer early, when it’s small, and even before a lump can be felt. Women over 40 should talk to their doctor about their risk for breast cancer and when they should schedule a mammogram. Early detection leads to a greater range of treatment options, including less-extensive surgery and fewer serious side effects.

“Breast cancer deaths have dropped dramatically in the past two decades, thanks to better treatment, greater awareness and more women getting mammograms,” said Dr. Everett Bonner, a surgical breast oncologist at Baton Rouge General. “But, we can’t get complacent. Most women 40 and over need a mammogram every year, and we want to make it as easy as possible.”

Women can schedule a mammogram by visiting protectyourpumpkins.com or calling (225) 769-1847. They are available at all three of BRG’s campuses, as well as its imaging location on O’Neal Lane. Saturday mammograms are available at BRG Ascension.

Last October, BRG put a pause to the pumpkin patch out of COVID safety concerns, but the increased breast cancer awareness continued. A new tradition of “Protect Your Pumpkins” yard signs began, popping up around town in the yards of breast cancer survivors and BRG employees. The signs will return this year, and a limited number will be available at the pumpkin patch.

The pink pumpkins are available for free until they are gone. The unique “Porcelain Doll” pumpkins were cultivated to aid in the fight against breast cancer. Only about 50 farms across the country grow the pink pumpkins, which are part of a national campaign launched in 2012 to encourage people to show unity in the fight to find a cure.

On the Bluebonnet campus, the pumpkin patch is located at the corner of Bluebonnet Blvd. and Picardy Ave. At Mid City, the patch is located on the Florida Blvd. side of the hospital and at Ascension, the patch is set up on the right side of the facility’s parking lot.

For more information, visit protectyourpumpkins.com. And follow the #ProtectYourPumpkins movement on social media.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.

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