Paint Hamden Pink is made up of devoted volunteers to promote early detection of breast cancer. Members of the community were given the opportunity to purchase bricks with their family members’ name on them, with all proceeds going toward Painting Hamden Pink.

Sheila Molony, a nursing professor at Quinnipiac, was a key guest speaker at this year's Painting Hamden Pink event. Molony explains how eager she was to get involved and help spread awareness.

“As a breast cancer survivor myself, I was pleased to represent the Quinnipiac School of Nursing during this meaningful event,” she said.

Other influential speakers included Mayor Lauren Garrett, Erin Bailey, the Hamden Public Schools assistant superintendent of elementary education, Jeffrey Naples, the acting Fire Chief and Officer Jeremy Brewer, a member of the Hamden Police Department.

Four Quinnipiac nursing students attended to support this cause: Caroline Ettlinger ’24, Cara Hess ’23, Michael Cunningham ’23 and Mia Calore ’23. They welcomed event-goers and informed them about breast cancer prevention, screenings and other general information.

Cunningham’s mother is a breast cancer survivor and his inspiration to pursue nursing.

“Through her journey, I discovered the impact that nurses have on their patients and I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives,” said Cunningham. “I saw a community come together to educate the public about a topic that affects so many families.”

The event was centered around the Garden of Hope, a garden dedicated to the support of breast cancer victims.

Event-goers participated in the Garden of Hope reflection.

In addition to the Garden of Hope, throughout the month of October, the committee places pink bows around Hamden to show the town's support for breast cancer awareness month.

Learn more about community involvement