October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. San Juan County is ablaze in PINK! Pink is more than a color in October. Pink has become a verb, as in "Get Pinked!" San Juan County is Pinked, the Dallas Cowboys are Pinked along with the Pro Rodeo Cowboys wearing pink western shirts.
All that pink is a great thing in San Juan County because we have our own special Cathy Lincoln Memorial Cancer Fund administered by the San Juan Medical Foundation. In other parts of the country a lot of "pink" donations go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Not that that is bad, but the Cathy Lincoln Memorial Cancer Fund enables the money we raise locally to stay local, just like our "Local First" campaign keeps our shopping dollars in the county, where they can multiply exponentially. The Cathy Lincoln Fund was started ten years ago this month by her family with a generous donation. Since then fund raisers such as the annual Ladies Fashion Luncheon and golf tournaments have been held to continue the good work. The Fund has helped approximately 1,000 local women with screening, prevention and treatment. Women often put aside their own needs to care for their family, denying themselves medical attention if finances are tight. Fran Robinson is the local Cancer Navigator and she assists women by helping them find resources. Through the Cathy Lincoln Fund, Fran is able to help many women that otherwise might not seek the treatment they need. If you know of someone who needs assistance please have them call 609-6089. We all should be proud that our money is put to good use in our own neighborhood by improving access to care.
The pink events of October are just a small part of healthcare in this country and the rest of the world. Healthcare is big business and it is probably part of your diversified portfolio in one way or another. You may own individual stocks that specialize in hospital conglomerates, pharmaceuticals or technical medical devises. Or you may choose a sector fund that buys stocks in many healthcare companies and packages them into a mutual fund to give you a broad spectrum of stocks. There are many sector funds available with everything from Healthcare to Energy to Gold Mining. Sector funds are specific to a certain industry and therefore must be worked into your portfolio just as carefully as any individual stock to make sure that you do not have a concentration in one company or geographic area.
Also, as when buying any other sector fund, you must be aware of the many pitfalls as well as opportunities in the market place. Much of the cost of healthcare in the US today is attributable to development. Research and development often take years, if ever, to become profitable. So be aware that you are looking at the long term on these type investments. That is okay because your overall plan for any well-developed portfolio should be for the long term, not trying to gamble on overnight returns.
So, when you are driving around the rest of October and see all the Pink signs remember that healthcare is not only about you and your family’s health, it is also a part of your investment portfolio. That makes it a large part of your wellbeing, both financially and physically. Remember also that our community pulls together to make great things happen. The wonderful residents of San Juan County danced their way onto the internet with the Pink Glove Dance. Go to http://pinkglovedance.com/competition/entry-115 to vote for the San Juan Medical Foundation video. It depicts the spirit of San Juan County and if we are lucky enough to get enough votes to win it could mean an additional $10,000 into the coffers of the Cathy Lincoln Memorial Cancer Fund.
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