By having an October T-shirt fundraiser, Gilmer County Public Safety was able to raise enough money to fund future reduced-cost mammograms for 13 local residents.
The funds will be used to cover the imaging procedures for women who don’t have insurance and can’t afford the full cost of a mammogram, confirmed Piedmont Mountainside Director of Physician Relations Donna Reece.
Piedmont has agreed to lower the cost of mammograms covered by the fire department fundraiser, she added.
“The goal was to raise enough money to cover 10 mammograms. Enough was raised to cover 13,” Reece said.
The mammograms will be offered at the Piedmont Imaging Center in East Ellijay and at Piedmont Mountainside in Jasper. Only 2-D (standard) mammograms are available here, but both the 2-D and 3-D formats are offered in Jasper, noted Reece. They will be available to the first 13 women to call 706-301-5402 and schedule, she added.
“Piedmont Mountainside is very grateful for the generosity and efforts Chief Kauffman and the others with Gilmer Public Safety have extended,” said Reece.
Gilmer Fire Chief Daniel Kauffman said the pink and blue “Fighting For a Cure” T-shirts were designed in-house and purchased by employees of Gilmer Public Safety, other county departments and Piedmont.
Public safety employees were able to wear the T-shirts in place of their uniform dress shirts during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Kauffman noted.
The local public safety agency, which includes Gilmer Fire and Rescue and EMA, is already planning to partner with Piedmont again next year and, hopefully, fund even more of the procedures for local residents, Kauffman confirmed.