Alexandria, VA – Alexandria will be bathed in pink this October as the city comes together for a cause that touches countless families: the fight against breast cancer. From October 17 to 19, the National Breast Center Foundation (NBCFoundation) will host its annual Alexandria’s Pink Weekend, featuring community events designed not only to raise funds but also to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and equitable access to care.
Editor’s Note: The annual Walk to Bust Cancer, scheduled for October 19, is postponed due to the government shutdown. Organizers hope to announce a new date as soon as possible. Registration and fundraising is ongoing.
Martha Carucci, Executive Director of the NBCFoundation, emphasizes, “At the heart of this year’s campaign is a message that resonates across the region: breast cancer screening and treatment should be accessible to all women, regardless of income, language, or insurance status.”
The Inova Saville Mobile Screening Bus: A New Means of Access
While Pink Weekend raises funds and awareness, another development is reshaping how screening reaches underserved populations in Northern Virginia: Inova’s new mobile cancer screening clinic.
Launched in January 2025 by the Inova Saville Cancer Screening & Prevention Center, the mobile bus brings state-of-the-art breast cancer screening technology into local neighborhoods. Elizabeth Stark, Manager of Inova Saville’s Outreach and Education, says the bus is “outfitted with a 3D mammography machine, an exam room for Pap smears and skin checks, and a phlebotomy station. The bus is essentially a clinic on wheels.”
The bus first served Inova healthcare workers in January, and began community outreach the next month with its inaugural public event held in partnership with Neighborhood Health, a community-based nonprofit in Alexandria. Now the bus makes twice-monthly visits to Neighborhood Health clinics.
The unit was created to tackle barriers that patients at Neighborhood Health and other nonprofits such as Nueva Vida face. Lack of transportation? The bus parks in familiar community locations. Limited hours? It offers evening and weekend appointments. No insurance? Inova provides financial assistance and links eligible patients to its charity care program.
Community-based Nueva Vida in Alexandria was founded in 1999 to provide cancer treatment to the underserved Latino community in the greater Washington D.C. area. Nueva Vida offers services in Spanish, and its research primarily targets the high rates of breast cancer among Latina women.
“This program is about more than just screenings,” said Laura Logie, Director of Research at Nueva Vida. “If a mammogram suggests something concerning, we make sure patients are guided through diagnostic imaging, biopsies, and follow-up care. It’s not a one-time stop; it’s an entry point into the full continuum of cancer care.”
The Inova Saville Mobile Screening Bus will host multiple community events each week, and expects to perform about 15 mammograms per day. At each stop, it brings lifesaving technology closer to women who may otherwise be without it.
A Weekend with Purpose
Pink Weekend kicks off Friday, October 17, with the ALX Pink Gala at the ALX Atrium on S. Washington Street. Beginning at 7:00 p.m., the evening promises a vibrant celebration, with dinner, dancing, and stories of impact. The gala has quickly become a signature event in Alexandria, blending elegance with advocacy.
On Sunday, October 19, the weekend culminates with the 10th Annual Walk to Bust Cancer at Fort Hunt Park, starting at 8:30 a.m. The walk draws hundreds of participants each year—survivors, family members, friends, and supporters who lace up their sneakers to honor loved ones and advance the mission of NBCFoundation.
Editor’s Note: The annual Walk to Bust Cancer, scheduled for October 19, is postponed due to the government shutdown. Organizers hope to announce a new date as soon as possible. Registration and fundraising is ongoing.
“This is more than a walk or a gala,” said Carucci. “It’s about ensuring that no woman in our community is left behind. We want every woman to have access to mammograms, clinical breast exams, ultrasounds, biopsies, and the full spectrum of care. Pink Weekend helps us make that possible.”
All funds raised will support the foundation’s work, which extends far beyond the weekend. NBCFoundation partners with local organizations year-round to expand breast health education, fund screenings for uninsured women, and provide patient navigation for those diagnosed with breast cancer.
Barriers to Care
Despite advances in technology and treatment, too many women in Northern Virginia still face insurmountable barriers concerning breast health. Neighborhood Health sees this reality every day.
Neighborhood Health provides primary care to more than 42,700 patients annually across Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County. Most of these patients are low-income, uninsured, and often have difficulty navigating multiple challenges in getting timely cancer screening.
“Language barriers, lack of transportation, limited access to the internet, and low digital literacy—these are daily hurdles for many of our patients,” said a Neighborhood Health administrator. “Some have never had a mammogram simply because scheduling feels impossible, or because they don’t have insurance. Others don’t know where to begin.”
To close these gaps, Neighborhood Health employs Breast Health Navigators, specialists who walk patients through every step of the process. From scheduling a mammogram to coordinating follow-up imaging, biopsies, or referrals to breast surgeons, these navigators ensure no patient slips through the cracks. They can arrange free transportation to appointments, thanks to grant funding and community partnerships.
In addition to mammograms, navigators connect patients with services such as MRIs, genetic counseling, and surgical consultations when needed. The approach is holistic and persistent: navigators work with each patient until they are either declared cancer-free or formally connected to treatment after a diagnosis.
This fall, Neighborhood Health is ramping up its awareness campaigns across its clinics, emphasizing the importance of breast cancer screening during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
A Community Effort
The fight against breast cancer in Alexandria is a true community endeavor. NBCFoundation collaborates with the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, ACT for Alexandria, business associations, and countless other local groups to promote Pink Weekend and engage residents. Neighborhood Health leverages grants and state partnerships, including Virginia’s Every Woman’s Life program, to fund services for uninsured women. Inova invests in mobile innovations that bridge gaps in access.
Together, these organizations form a safety net that grows stronger every October—and every time a woman gets screened.
“Awareness is not enough if it doesn’t translate into access,” Carucci emphasized. “That’s why partnerships are so critical. When community organizations, healthcare providers, and local businesses join forces, the impact is exponential.”
Stories Behind the Statistics
Behind every fundraiser and every statistic is a story. A mother who discovered breast cancer early because she received a free mammogram through a navigator. A daughter who walked alongside her mother at Fort Hunt Park, celebrating remission. A woman who, after months of hesitation, finally boarded the Inova Saville Mobile Bus parked outside her neighborhood clinic—and walked away with peace of mind.
These stories underscore the urgency of Pink Weekend’s mission: breast cancer does not wait for convenient timing, financial security, or perfect circumstances. Access to timely screening and treatment saves lives.
Looking Ahead
The 10th Annual Walk to Bust Cancer will not only honor a decade of community solidarity but also look toward the future, where every woman in Northern Virginia can access the care she deserves.
As Alexandria prepares to don its pink ribbons and walking shoes, the message is clear: breast cancer awareness is only the first step. Actual progress requires action—funding, partnerships, innovation, and community support.
“Our vision is a community where no woman has to choose between putting food on the table and getting a mammogram,” Carucci said. “Where language, income, and circumstance no longer dictate health outcomes. Pink Weekend brings us closer to that vision every year.”
Funds raised at Pink Weekend events (see sidebars) will directly support breast cancer screening, education, diagnostics, and treatment access for women in the region.
For more information or to register, visit the NBCFoundation website, nationalbreastcenterfoundation.org.
