Each year Trinity Health Foundation partners with the Minot Y’s Men and local radio stations to promote ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink.’ The proceeds from the sale of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink merchandise provide scholarships for cancer patients to go through the Trinity Health Cancer Exercise Rehabilitation Program located at the Minot Family YMCA.

Additionally, Marketplace Foods holds an annual Power of Pink Cake Auction to support patients enrolled in Trinity Health’s Cancer Exercise Rehabilitation Program. Last year, more than 40 teams representing businesses and organizations participated in the Cake Auction.

Launched in 2007, the Cancer Exercise Rehabilitation Program provides clinical exercise and conditioning for cancer patients and survivors to help them gain strength and resilience.

“The primary goals consist of helping individuals build muscle mass, muscle strength and endurance, cardio-respiratory capacity, flexibility, and improve functional ability,” said Russell Gust, MS, CSCS, manager of Trinity Health’s Exercise Physiology Department. “Secondary goals include reducing the severity of therapy side effects, preventing unwanted weight changes, and improving quality of sleep, energy levels, mood, body image, and self-esteem.”

To date more than more than 570 patients have benefitted from this program. Here is what Shannon Meyer, one of the participants had to say about the program:

“It’s made a world of difference. It has made a huge difference in my fatigue and I have gained back muscle that I had lost. It just feels good!”