For many people Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of a disease that changed their lives forever.

For others October is a call to action to bring awareness to the cancer that affects more than 2.3 million women annually.

For Canton Downtown Development Manager Velinda Hardy October is both.

Hardy is a survivor who was diagnosed 27 years ago at the age of 36 with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She is also the founder of Think Pink Cherokee, an annual event she started in downtown Canton in 2021 to bring awareness about the disease to the community and to offer hope to others. This year’s event is set for Oct. 25 at Cannon Park.

“Being diagnosed at 36, with no family history and three young children, was a bit of a mind-blowing moment. My mindset was breast cancer is for o

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