This week you’ll notice our front page shares a story of survival of one of Coupeville’s recognizable faces.

Coupeville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynda Eccles shares her experience battling breast cancer, not just once, but twice.

In her tale, she shares her struggles and how a positive attitude and the support of her family helped her through.

Thank you, Lynda, for sharing your story.

Also in this edition, you’ll notice an emphasis on pink and a special ad grouping on page 16.

It’s all in observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

From the NFL to individual social media pages and from sports jerseys to Band-Aids, the world turns pink during October in a unified effort to raise awareness about breast cancer and raise money in hopes of saving lives.

During October, the Whidbey Examiner is donating $5 for each one-year subscription, and $10 for each two-year subscription, to Soroptimists International of Coupeville’s mammogram program. You’ll find the form on page 6 of today’s newspaper.

Also, 10 percent of the net proceeds from “Pink” ads in this edition of the Examiner will be donated to the Soroptomists’ mammogram program.

The program helps to pay for mammograms for women who would otherwise be unable to afford one.

According to statistics, mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the United States by nearly one-third since 1990.

According to the National Cancer Institute, early detection of breast cancer with screening mammography means that treatment can be started earlier in the course of the disease, possibly before it has spread.

Results from randomized clinical trials and other studies show that screening mammography can help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 74, especially for those over age 50.

Getting a high-quality screening mammogram and having a clinical breast exam on a regular basis are the most effective ways to detect breast cancer early, according to the Institute.

Checking one’s own breasts for lumps or other unusual changes is called a breast self-exam, or BSE. This type of exam cannot replace regular screening mammograms or clinical breast exams. In clinical trials, BSE alone was not found to help reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer.

The following locations on Whidbey Island offer mammogram screening:

n Oak Harbor Naval Hospital, 3475 N. Saratoga St., Oak Harbor. Phone is 360-257-9630 and the website is www.med.navy.mil

n Whidbey General Hospital, 101 N. Main St., Coupeville 98239. Phone is 360-678-7656 and the website is www.whidbeygen.org

During the month of October, think pink — and think mammogram. If for no other reason, women should get one for peace of mind.