INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A national nonprofit is looking to drum up support ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

Wednesday morning’s “Let’s Beat (the Drum for) Breast Cancer Rally” at Victory Field featured professional and student drumlines. The Pacers’ and Colts’ drumlines rotated with the Franklin Central and Franklin Community High School drumlines to rally up momentum.

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington-based nonprofit, hosted the event to share a message of prevention. The committee hosted the first drumline event last year at the White House.

PCRM’s approach focuses on lifestyle changes that have been shown to reduce the risk of the disease.
Those include eating a diet of whole and plant-based foods, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Organizer of the Indianapolis rally, Dr. Carol Wroblewski, instructs classes for PCRM. She says holding the event at Victory Field was a simple choice.

“The athleticism that the athletes that perform here, exercise and move and take care of themselves, which is part of the message that we’re sending,” Wroblewski said. “The message is ‘let’s have victory over breast cancer.’ Prevention is, hopefully, the best way to go.”

Throughout September and October, the non-profit will sponsor other rallies across more than three dozen cities across the country. Including another one in Fort Wayne on Thursday.

About 42,000 women and 500 men die from breast cancer every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.