Erik Yabor/Times-EnterpriseEmployees at the commissioner's office wore pink to show support for breast cancer awareness.

CAIRO — County employees at the Grady County courthouse wore pink recently to show support for breast cancer awareness.

Commission chair LaFaye Copeland asked county employees to wear pink to bring awareness to breast cancer and to “knock out” cancer altogether.

“I don’t like the word ‘cancer,'” Copeland said.

A memo was sent to county department heads requesting them to remind employees to wear pink, the official color of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every October. At the courthouse, employees with the tax assessor’s office, commissioner’s office and clerk of court’s office wore pink to mark the occasion.

Copeland wished to remind the public of the importance of receiving mammograms to check for cancer. Individuals can also check for breast lumps at home.

There does not need to be a family history of cancer in order for it to develop. Breast cancer can also affect men as well as women.

This past month marks two years since Copeland has been cancer-free. She was previously diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2017.

Copeland went through extensive chemotherapy during her diagnosis, which came about during her tenure on the Board of Commissioners. As part of her treatment, Copeland lost all of her hair. At times she said she felt like giving up.

Despite her struggles, Copeland said she only missed one regular commission meeting during her treatment.

“I kept pushing to show my constituents and the board that I was 100 percent behind them,” she said.

Copeland said she hopes to continue a tradition of county employees wearing pink in October to mark breast cancer awareness.