Fred Hutchinson/CIS booth at Pride Festival draws crowd; organizers plan for next year

Brief
July 18, 2002

Organizers of a booth hosted by the center and the Cancer Information Service at the June 30 Gay Pride Festival on Capitol Hill plan to host a booth at next year's event, based on interest shown by thousands of passers-by.

"Despite intermittent showers and our inexperience with this event, the day was a big success in terms of outreach," said Anabel Cole, CIS telephone information specialist.

She noted that more than 700 CIS bookmarks and countless booklets, pamphlets and flyers were picked up at the festival, which drew an estimated 40,000 people.

Dr. Karen Peterson, the center's interdisciplinary scientific liaison and a member of the center's Diversity Council, noted that the center/CIS booth was "mobbed" for two hours.

Many people picked up CIS pencils or center key chains. antibacterial gel packs and mugs, Peterson said, and smoking cessation materials were popular with partners of smokers.

"It was a great way for the Hutch to show support for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community, who are often reluctant to seek regular health care," she said. "Many people had words of encouragement about the work we do at the Hutch and were very happy to see us there."

Others from the center helping with the booth were Paula Salewsky, Jack Kindred, and Drs. Julie Overbaugh and Nancy Hutchison. Pre-event help came from Kim Williams and Jared Roper in Human Resources.

Anyone interested in helping with the booth next year can contact Peterson at 206-667-5319 or kpeterso@fhcrc.org.

Center News Table of Contents