C5

ANDREW MCGILLIGAN
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

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ROTHESAY - It's a heart-shaped device that Dawn Doody hopes gets into as many hands as possible over the next month.

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KâtÈ LeBlanc/Telegraph-Journal

Dawn Doody, manager of Curves in Rothesay, holds up a Liv Aid, a breast self-exam tool that enhances a woman's ability in detecting an abnormality.

The thin silicon device - called a Liv Aid - is a breast self-exam kit that enhances a woman's ability to detect an abnormality, which could lead to early detection of breast cancer.

The kit helps women perform breast self-exams correctly. Doody, the owner of Curves fitness franchises in Rothesay and Hampton, is helping get the message and the device out to the public.

Curves is running a promotion throughout October - also breast cancer awareness month - that enables new members to get the kit free when they join the club, while current members get it at a discount.

"Early detection is key and this device helps women in the fight against cancer," Doody said. "We're promoting it this month to women all over Canada and the United States ... our goal is to get it out to a million ladies."

New members who sign up for a Curves membership in Rothesay or Hampton this month will receive the Liv Aid kit free of charge. Current members will be able to purchase it for $10, a discount from the retail price of $24.99. Doody said Curves won't be the only place someone can get a Liv Aid.

"We'll be selling them elsewhere in the community," Doody said. "I plan on getting out there and talking to people who aren't Curves members."

While Doody will do her best to promote the device and breast cancer awareness at the local level, singer and actress Olivia Newton-John and Curves founder Diane Heavin will do the same at the national and international level.

John - who was diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and is now cancer free - has joined Curves on the Liv Aid promotion. John credits her own breast self-exam as the first step to her diagnosis.

"Being a breast cancer 'thriver,' I know that early detection is key to good breast health," John said in an August press release. "I hope that this campaign will be the beginning to have the Liv Aid available to every woman in the U.S. and will become a staple in every medicine cabinet in the next five years."

John and Curves have joined forces before as Heavin accompanied the Grease star on her 227-kilometre journey along the Great Wall of China. The trek raised $2 million for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre Appeal. Curves raised more than $1 million for the event.

John and Heavin will be video guests of honour in Rothesay and Hampton this month. The duo's message will be played as part of a Ladies Night In promotion happening at the two Curves locations.

"Those two events will be centred around breast cancer awareness and we're going to have some fun with games and prizes," Doody said.

The events are open to the public. The Rothesay event will take place from noon to 8 p.m. on Oct. 27 and 28 while the Hampton festivities take place Oct. 29 and 30 from noon to 8 p.m.