SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The San Diego Padres and the Susan G. Komen Foundation are offering free mammograms for uninsured and underinsured women on Saturday at Petco Park.
The event on May 13 runs from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. at Park at the Park.
The foundation's annual free mammogram event used to be run through the San Diego Chargers. When they left town, it was a natural fit for the Padres to step up to the plate.
"Major League Baseball already does so much with the Komen Foundation surrounding Mother's Day weekend," said Tom Seidler, Padres Vice President of Community Affairs. "Adding this as part of it was an easy decision."
The Padres don't play a home game this weekend, but they'll use pink bats and uniform accessories on Monday night when they host the Brewers.
At that game, breast cancer survivor Wendy Shurelds will be an honorary bat girl.
"I hope I meet all the players," she said.
Shurelds found out about her breast cancer at one of the previous Komen free mammogram events. She had been laid off and didn't have insurance, and she said the free screening saved her life.
"I get emotional when I talk about this. I didn't know what to do. Do I pay rent or do I get a mammogram? I called them (Komen), and they gave me everything. All the resources, all the help. They became like a family," said Shurelds.
In San Diego, one woman dies every day from breast cancer, and six more women are diagnosed with the disease daily. The Komen Foundation says the most common type of breast cancer has a 99 percent survival rate, making screenings like Saturday's a vital way to save lives.
Anyone looking to register for one of the free mammograms can call 858-573-2760.
