Annual tea party preview for breast cancer awareness

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) –For the past several years, one local woman has turned her personal battle with breast cancer into a heartfelt tradition aimed at raising awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Association. Lisa Banach, a resident of Palmetto Creek in Bolivia, has created an annual event every April focused on providing support for those affected by breast cancer.

Banach, who has faced breast cancer twice herself, transforms her community clubhouse into a charming English-style tea party. Doing much of the preparation herself, she handpicks each piece of china and bakes all the scones and sandwiches. The event has become a much-anticipated tradition in the community since its inception in 2016.

This year, Banach is excited to announce a new addition to the tea party: Novant Health’s mobile mammogram unit will be onsite, offering free mammograms to attendees. Banach is thrilled to showcase the importance of early screening and is eager to help others take the first step in taking care of their health.

“What they told me was it’s okay if only one woman attends and comes to the mammogram bus; they just want to get the word out. They want women to know that if you can’t make an appointment or are waiting a long time for a hospital appointment, this is an actual mammogram—it’s what you would do if you went to the hospital,” Banach explained.

The event will take place next Saturday, April 5th. While tickets for the tea party are sold out, Banach encourages residents of the Palmetto Creek community to take advantage of the mobile mammogram machine, which will be available to them even if they’re not attending the event.