Left: From left are, Dr. Harold Freeman, Dr. John Kelly, Gurney Beckford and Dr. Trevor McCartney, at the Jamaica Cancer Society annual benefit dinner.   Right: Chairman of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Earl Jarrett, with the radiant and fabulous United States Ambassador, Brenda LaGrange Johnson, at the annual benefit dinner, held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, on Saturday, March 24. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

It was an orchid affair at the Jamaica Cancer Society's (JCS) benefit dinner on Saturday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

Oodles of the beautiful flowers adorned the ballroom, and together with the sweet music of Harold Butler and Maurice Gordon, this was indeed a classy way to raise money to fight cancer. Chairman of the JCS, Earl Jarrett, thanked the many volunteers and staff who continue to work tirelesslyto tackle the disease in all its forms. He warned, though, that the fight was not over.

"We still have a far way to go in sensitising persons about how to prevent and control the disease. This is why benefits such as this, and your support, are important to us," he said. This year, Dr. John Kelly, past chairman of the American Cancer Society, was honoured for his work. Dr. Kelly is renowned for excellence in the field of cancer awareness in North America and internationally. It was Dr. Kelly who brought the Relay For Life concept to Jamaica and, on a wider scale, established a meaningful relationship between the JCS and the Mid-West Division of the American Cancer Society. The JCS has benefited from grants and technical assistance as a result of the partnership.

Guest speaker

Another stalwart in cancer research, Dr. Harold Freeman, president and founder of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Cancer Care and Prevention, was guest speaker. Dr. Freeman is past chairman of the President's Cancer Panel, to which he was appointed for four consecutive three-year terms, first by President Bush (Sr.) in 1991, and then President Clinton in 1994, 1997 and 2000. Dr. Freeman pioneered the 'Patient Navigation Programme' which addresses disparities in accessing treatment, particularly among the poor and uninsured. He encouraged Jamaica to adopt the programme.

"The most important role of patient navigation is to ensure that anyone with a suspicious finding will receive timely diagnosis and treatment. The navigator accomplishes this most effectively through one-on-one contact with the patient at the point of a suspicious finding. The purpose of this process is to eliminate barriers to diagnosis and treatment," he explained. He stressed for the average man to be able to access the necessary help.

"It is uncivilised to have a person do a test and not have the financial resources to treat it," Dr. Freeman said.

Dr. John Kelly (left), former chairman of the American Cancer Society, makes a point to Dr. Harold Freeman, founder and president of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Cancer Care and Prevention. Both men were special guests at the Jamaica Cancer Society annual benefit dinner. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer