Midsummer Night’s Garden Party to raise funds for mammogram technology

EDGAR – Midsummer Night’s Garden Party on Wednesday, July 30, is a midweek summer celebration central Wisconsin style that will feature fireworks, food, music and – yes – chicken poop bingo to raise funds for potentially life-saving breast cancer-detecting medical equipment.
The annual garden party, hosted by Bauman Nursery & Landscaping, supports the Wisconsin-based breast cancer fighters Team Hakuna Ma Tatas, who raise funds and awareness about breast cancer. This year the team is seeking support to upgrade the mammogram unit at Marshfield Medical Center with contrast enhanced mammography.
Similar to a regular mammogram, the patient first receives an IV injection of iodine-based dye. The dye highlights abnormal blood vessels and hyperactive tissues that can occur when cancers develop. This allows technicians to detect breast cancer earlier.
Contrast enhanced mammography can be used to evaluate suspicious findings after a conventional mammogram, to determine how much a cancer has spread, or in special circumstances such as when a patient can’t tolerate a breast MRI or has dense breast tissue.
“Screening mammography saves lives, and having advanced screening for patients who need this higher level of cancer detection is critical for starting treatment early,” said Dr. Anna Seydel, a Marshfield Clinic breast surgeon. “Cancer found at an early stage can lead to a better prognosis requiring treatment that is less complex, which can lead to better surgical outcomes.”

Christina Zaleski of Stratford worked as a genetic counselor for two decades and was involved with difficult diagnoses each day, but it could not prepare her for her own diagnosis in December 2021 — breast cancer, invasive lobular carcinoma. She had surgery shortly thereafter and, working closely with her team of doctors and medical staff, remains cancer free.
Today, Zaleski is more than a person who survived cancer. She’s a person on a mission to help others prevent and fight cancer. Both Zaleski and Seydel are part of Team Hakuna Ma Tatas.
“At first it was really hard for me to talk about my experience with cancer,” Zaleski said. “I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me. But then I realized if I wanted something good to come of this, I had to be willing to talk about it. It gives me purpose to find something positive to help other people.”
Highlights for the garden party include The Jerry Schmitt Band, food and refreshments for purchase, meat raffle, bucket raffles, silent auction, chicken poop bingo, cake/pie walk, fireworks and Hakuna Bra Tata decorating contest.
Luminaries are available for purchase to help light up the gardens in remembrance of those who have lost a cancer battle, support those who are fighting or to celebrate those who have won their battle.