Baton Rouge church holds “Worship in Pink” for breast cancer awareness

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - St. Luke Baptist Church in Baton Rouge was covered in pink Sunday morning for their annual Worship in Pink.

For eight years now, member Tonya Robertson has organized the event, starting it in honor of her sister Tracy.

“She was battling for five years, so we started the program in 2010,” Robertson said. “She passed away in 2012, and I decided to continue the work.”

Each year, members come dressed almost entirely in pink. The pews are decorated for the occasion, and breast cancer survivors are invited to share their stories.

That includes Janice Scott, who was diagnosed fourteen years ago. “It’s very surprising to see how many cancer survivors you have, first of all,” Scott said. “And I think coming, and knowing I’m not the only one who is truly blessed at having a second chance at life.”

There were eight survivors honored. Each one was given a medal, flowers and gift bag.

Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and city councilwoman Donna Collins-Lewis also came to share their words of encouragement. “Each day is a gift from God,” Broome said. “And today we celebrate those women who are our gifts, who have fought the good fight of faith.”

Robertson said her ultimate mission is to spread her own message about breast cancer. “I want women to be aware of their bodies, and to make sure they get their mammograms because a hundred percent, almost a hundred percent of cancers that are detected early, there’s a five year survival rate,” Robertson said.

She also invited victims of domestic abuse and lupus to bring awareness to those issues as well.

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