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By LIZZIE BOWEN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – For the third year in a row, 24e Health Club will be looking to make a difference when it comes to breast cancer awareness.

The gym will host its third annual Pink Party on Monday, Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. thanks to the efforts of founder Libby Schropp, who is a breast cancer survivor herself.

This event is something dear to the heart of founder, Libby Schropp who is a breast cancer survivor.

“I have been a Zumba instructor for 11 years and every year I have done some sort of benefit for breast cancer,” Schropp said. “When I was in my early 40s, I had two negative mammograms and was told everything was fine. I knew my body. I knew I was sick. When I went back to the doctor, I was told I had breast cancer. It was invasive and it was spreading. Six surgeries later, I was all done. It was a very long process and it changed my life.”

Schropp said surviving cancer allowed her to see the value in life.

“It made me realize how precious life is,” Schropp said. “Every day is a gift. It was a very hard time.”

Schropp said that cancer is a disease that affects everyone.

“Even if you don’t have cancer, everybody knows somebody who has breast cancer,” Schropp said. “One-in-seven people will have breast cancer. That is why I love doing these charities, because eventually if we keep doing these, hopefully we will find a cure.”

Schropp said knowing your body is a great way to be proactive in screening for cancer.

“My main platform is knowing your body,” Schropp said. “If I hadn’t have gone back and known something was wrong with me, I would not be standing here today. Since I did survive, I want to do something to help others and be aware so that we can find a cure for this.”

Schropp said the community that this event builds is a powerful one.

“I think seeing everybody together and dressed in pink is emotional,” Schropp said. “It really should be a happy thing. We should put a brighter light on it because we are survivors. We survived it.”

24e holds many events throughout the year with a good cause.

“I will say 24e really is the cut above,” Schropp said. “We do Pink Party and we do a food drive every year. We bring Bama Against Bullying into our gym to teach kids about bullying. We do anything we can do be involved in the community are go above and beyond. We do not just want to be a gym. We want to be a home away from home.”

More information about the event can be found at Facebook.com/Pink-Party.