Brookhaven’s Jennifer Jackson started the breast cancerawareness campaign Think Pink three years ago, not knowing shewould exemplify the event almost overnight.

“One of my breast cancer survivor friends was on our panel, andshe said, ‘Unfortunately, some of you in this room will bediagnosed with breast cancer before we meet again next year,'” shesaid in recalling that first event. “One of those people wasme.”

Jackson had put off her yearly mammogram. The warning broadcastat Think Pink sent her scurrying to King’s Daughters Medical Centerby the end of the month, where her cancer was found andtreated.

She survived, and now she’s paying it forward.

This year’s installment of Think Pink will be held Thursday at6:30 p.m. in the Ministry Center of First United Methodist Church.The free event is geared toward information and fellowship, andwill be staffed by a panel of physicians from KDMC and local breastcancer survivors who will field questions from the guests.

Refreshments will be served, door prizes will be given away andbreast cancer survivors will be honored.

“It’s just a time of education, because awareness is the firststep in the fight against breast cancer,” Jackson said. “Earlydetection is the key.”

Jackson will be the speaker at the event. She said the messageshe will stress is that breast cancer survivors don’t need to bejust survivors, but thrivers.

“I believe sometimes God gives you things to allow you to learnand help others,” she said. “I was very lucky to have caught mycancer very, very early, and it makes me more aware and morepassionate about spreading the word about how important earlydetection is.”