Moon Palace Foundation expands cancer awareness efforts with staff wellness initiatives
Published:Friday | March 7, 2025 | 12:05 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
The Moon Palace Foundation reinforced its commitment to health and wellness with an impactful cancer awareness campaign throughout February, observed as Cancer Awareness Month.
In addition to its ongoing health initiatives, the foundation also marked Heart Month by granting Dream Weekends to three children, referred by the Heart Foundation, and their families.
A major focus of the campaign was encouraging staff members to prioritise their health through essential screenings. The foundation sponsored PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests for 26 male employees over age 40 and facilitated follow-up consultations and physical exams with a urologist.
Additionally, a special ‘Wellness Wednesday’ event was held for female staff members to undergo pap smears, with results discussed in a supportive setting.
On February 25, the foundation hosted its second Cancer Awareness Expo and Competition in celebration of its 10th year of operations. Staff members, divided into three teams – Red, Purple, and Green – were tasked with creating informative and engaging exhibits on different types of cancer. The competition was judged based on creativity, depth of information, and presentation quality.
Each team highlighted three specific cancer types:
• Red Team: Stomach, brain and neck, and breast cancer;
• Purple Team: Bone, lung, and pancreatic cancer;
• Green Team: Colon, bladder, and eye cancer.
After a rigorous evaluation by five judges, the Purple Team emerged victorious, with the Red and Green teams securing second and third place, respectively.
Hotel manager and Purple Team captain, Analene Shaw, praised the initiative for enhancing cancer awareness among employees.
“This event has significantly increased awareness among our team members. By presenting on different types of cancer, we’ve helped educate our colleagues, empowering them to share this knowledge with others,” Shaw told The Gleaner.
Natalie Boreland, general manager of the Moon Palace Foundation, emphasised the importance of vigilance in the fight against cancer.
“I am proud of the dedication and effort our teams have put into making this event a success,” she said.
“Many of us have been affected by cancer in some way, and we’ve even lost team members to this devastating disease. We cannot afford to be complacent. We must take charge of our health by getting tested early, maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, and avoiding cancer risk factors like excessive sugar, alcohol, and stress.”
The global fight against cancer continues beyond February, with March bringing awareness to colorectal, kidney, and multiple myeloma cancers.
Additionally, March 4 was marked as International HPV Awareness Day. In April, the focus will shift to oesophageal, head and neck, and testicular cancers.