Down the Pink Road

Pictures from the Cancer Awareness Walk

Cancer Awareness Walk - 27/2/11

In view of World Cancer Day, Cancer Survivors Day and International Childhood Cancer Day (Feb 2nd,4th,15th) Canstop is organising an cancer awareness Walk amongst the loca community inl Semmancherry. Registration is free, and all are welcome.

We plan to assemble at the Semmancherry Primary Health Centre at 830 am and walk through the Tamil Nadu Housing Board locality apart from conducting street theatre in aid of raising anti tobacco awareness.

Please do join in!

One Walk One Hope 24th Oct 2010

Once again its time for Canstop's 'One Walk One Hope'. Following the success of our Breast Cancer Awareness Walk last year with over 3000 attendees at the Marina, Canstop has decided to hold the walk again this year as well.

As many of you might know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This years walk will take place from the Lady Willingdon College Grounds.

Date : 24th October
Time : 3pm Onwards (Registration)
4pm - Flag off
Venue: Lady Willingdon College Grounds, Kamraj Salai, Triplicane.

I hope that amongst those of you who read about this and are in Chennai make it a point to come, and if you can't or are someplace else, please do spread the word to as many people as possible!

World No Tobacco Day 2010

Our programs for World No Tobacco Day this year will cover screening camps for Oral Cancers, Awareness Talks - including special sessions with all MTC drivers and conductors, Sticker Campaigns to enlighten motorists about Tobacco and cancer.

World No Tobacco Day 2010 fast approaches. This years WHO theme for WNTD is - Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women.

Here is some information from the WHO website:

Controlling the epidemic of tobacco among women is an important part of any comprehensive tobacco control strategy. World No Tobacco Day 2010 will be designed to draw particular attention to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing towards women and girls. It will also highlight the need for the nearly 170 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to ban all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship in accordance with their constitutions or constitutional principles.

Women comprise about 20% of the world's more than 1 billion smokers. However, the epidemic of tobacco use among women is increasing in some countries. Women are a major target of opportunity for the tobacco industry, which needs to recruit new users to replace the nearly half of current users who will die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.

Especially troubling is the rising prevalence of tobacco use among girls. The new WHO report, Women and health: today's evidence, tomorrow's agenda, points to evidence that tobacco advertising increasingly targets girls. Data from 151 countries show that about 7% of adolescent girls smoke cigarettes as opposed to 12% of adolescent boys. In some countries, almost as many girls smoke as boys.

World No Tobacco Day 2010 will give overdue recognition to the importance of controlling the epidemic of tobacco among women. As WHO Director-General Margaret Chan wrote in the aforementioned report, "protecting and promoting the health of women is crucial to health and development – not only for the citizens of today but also for those of future generations".

Canstop will keep you posted for further updates!

Canstop's Annual Event - Anita Ratnam's 'MA3KA'

Hello Everyone, Canstop's 12th birthday is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate it than one of Anita Ratnam's own productions - her latest offering - 'MA3KA'. As Ms.Ratnam commented at the press meet, one of Canstop's first fundraisers was conducted by her, and now after 12 years she returns for MA3KA.

MA3KA is a tribute to all the women around us, grandmothers, mothers and daughters – and is a testament to the qualities and values that they bring to us in those capacities in every facet of our lives.It promises to be a refreshingly original production of a one of a kind nature.

From The Hindu:



Art buffs in the city will soon have a chance to witness ‘Ma3ka', a production featuring dancer Anita Ratnam that promises to be an off-beat and rather interesting tribute to women.

The programme, to be held on March 24, at the Chinmaya Heritage Centre, Chetpet, at 7 p.m., will mark the 12th anniversary of Can-Stop, a charitable organisation working in the area of cancer care for the underprivileged.

Addressing a press conference in this connection here on Tuesday, Ms. Ratnam said collaborating with an organisation working for such a cause meant a lot to her, for she herself had lost very close and dear relatives to cancer.

Though the artist has worked on the production keeping in mind three special women in her life — her grandmother, mother and daughter — it would be something every individual can relate to, she said.

“All of us are surrounded by women with names of goddesses like Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Devi, and so on, but we somehow never seem to stop and think how different women enrich our lives,” she said.

Noting that the production would be very urban, contemporary, glamorous, and fun, she said television personality Revathy Sankaran would be the story-teller.

“She lends a very everyday, folksy colour to the narrative that will instantly make the audience feel at ease,” Ms. Ratnam said.

Anil Srinivasan and Vedanth Bharadwaj have scored the music for the production. Ms. Ratnam said the visual aesthetics would be a real departure from the conventional designs.
Children camp

Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, founder, Can-Stop, outlined the various activities of the organisation, including home visits, referrals and nutritional supplement schemes.

“We also organised a camp for children, called ‘He…Ho…Ha…' where ‘he' stands for health, ‘ho', for hope and ‘ha', for happiness,” she said.

‘Ma3Ka' was an event that would bring together everyone committed to the cause of cancer care and awareness, she added.

Nalini Radhakrishnan, CEO, Media Mix, said she was happy to be associated with organising the event. For details on passes, call: 26284256, 26144560 or 99410 07688, or write to canstop@smfhospital.org.

For more information on MA3KA please visit - http://www.ma3ka.com/

Funds raised from this event will go towards Canstop's Drug Bank which provides for the treatment and medical costs of needy cancer patients.

Please do spread the word ! Hope to see you all on the 24th :)

One Walk One Hope is Today!

Today is the Day!

One Walk One Hope - Hope everyone makes it down to the Marina Beach. 4 PM at the Labour Statue.

See you all there!


Todays article in the Times of India.

Also, if you haven't already, do check out our new WAP site. There is a downloadable 'Early Detection Guide' that is linked to the site.

One Walk One Hope - Poster

Please feel free to download, print, distribute and hand out this poster!

One Walk One Hope - SMS US!

You can now reach CANSTOP by SMS. To come and participate in One Walk One HOpe, we invite you to SMS CANSTOP to 54999. By doing so you can win a chance to walk with members of the Chennai Super Kings and with former India Captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth!

Remember One Walk One Hope is on October 4th and starts at 4pm from the Triumph of Labour Statue on Marina Beach.
SMS CANSTOP to 54999 and recieve One Walk One Hope Updates.

Check out our cool new mobile Website as well!

All thanks to our friends at Tunespray.

T-shirt Design For One Walk One Hope by Thota Tharini

Dear One and all,

We now have a design for our T-shirt which was done for us by eminent artist Mr.Thota Tharini. For those of you who took the trouble to send in your entries for the t-shirt design contest our sincere thanks. You will be recieving complimentary t-shirts and participation gifts shortly!

I am pleased to report that preparations for CACI's "One Walk One Hope" are going full steam ahead. Canstop is the organising NGO and is thus responsible for co-ordinating the event and we look forward to everyone's support and participation.

We are looking to involve as many groups as possible.We would love for you to come and join in and even have your own banners with your organisation/company/school/college's name in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.


We also have our poster done, so pleas feel free to download, print and circulate it! More updates to follow :)

One Walk One Hope Gathering Steam

Cancer Care India's 'One Walk One Hope'. Contest Details appeared in The Hindu's NXG.

Here's some news of Breast Cancer Awareness Walks that are currently being planned around the world.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

The Breast Cancer Site.

The CPAA Site with useful information on Breast Cancer. (Cancer Patients Aid Association,Mumbai).

One Walk One Hope

Dear one and all,

Anouncing our mega event for the month of October and for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Cancer Care India (CACI) is an apex body of cancer support organizations in the country. As a part of its Cancer Awareness Programmes (CAP), the South Indian Region of cancer Care India is planning to observe Pink Ribbon Day i.e., Breast Cancer Awareness Day.Pink Ribbon Day” is to encourage women to be breast aware and highlight the importance of breast cancer research, which falls on 26th October of this year 2009.

In association with Can Stop (in Chennai) and other NGO’s we would like to conduct an awareness walk on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on October 4th, titled ‘One Walk – One Hope’, at 4 p.m between War Memorial to Gandhi Statue along Kamarajar Salai. This walk would have participants from amongst the general public, students, and cancer care NGO’s, supporters as well as cancer survivors.

Recent data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) indicates that the incidence of Breast Cancer is on the rise in the country and is rapidly becoming the primary cancer afflicting women. The objective of holding ‘One Walk – One Hope’ is to celebrate survivorship with community support and show that early detection and awareness is the key to the first line of treatment against cancer.


Thus we would like to invite all members of the public, well-wishers,students and anyone interested to join us for this walk.

For Students in particular we are also running a 'T-shirt Design Contest', to be judged by eminent artists. The winning design will be featured on all the t-shirts that will be printed and distributed on the occasion of 'One Walk- One Hope'.


The theme - Breast Cancer Awareness.

Guidelines - The design must incorporate the colours of pink and purple in some way.The design must be on a white or black background. Electronic format preferred.

Entries can be emailed to canstop@smfhospital.org or submitted in person or mailed to “Canstop c/o

Sundaram Medical Foundation, 9C Shanti Colony,4th Avenue, Anna Nagar.Entries can also be sent into NXG.

Last Date - September 5th


Send in your entries!

World No Tobacco Day 2009 - Tobacco Health Warnings

It is once again May 31st, otherwise (hopefully) better known as World No Tobacco Day.
This years theme as spelt out by the WHO is Tobacco Health Warnings. In a move earlier publicised,the Health ministry has also issued notifications to the effect of all tobacco products being required to have pictoral warnings on all packaging over and above the existing written warnings.

This year at Canstop we have made the following attemps to mark and observe World No Tobacco Day:

Oral Screening Camps

Can-Stop with the support of Sundaram Medical Foundation and in co-ordination with Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation will conduct Oral cancer Screening camps on 23 and 30th of May and 6th of June at Various Bus terminals in Chennai,specifically targeting bus conuctors and drivers. The team will comprise dentists, social workers and volunteers.

All those attending the camp will be asked a rigorous tobacco related history and will be guided accordingly. Any dental problems identified at the time will be treated to the extent possible. Any patients requiring biopsy or follow up treatment will be counselled on how to go about doing so. Emphasis will be placed on creating a deeper understanding of the links between cancer and tobacco related addictions.

This will also be achieved by the display of posters, banners and the distribution of pamphlets and brochures to the general public during the conduct of the camp.

City Wide Sticker and Bus Display Campaign

Stickers espousing anti-tobacco slogans will be distributed to motorists, buses, and autos around the city. On 31st May (World No Tobacco day WNTD). Information on Tobacco cessation counseling is will be provided and can be availed of free of cost at Can-Stop, Sundaram Medical Foundation Hospital.

Information about the ill effects of tobacco and right of clean air will be put on few city buses for a period of one month. Buses travel extensively throughout the city and provide great visibility to the message. In previous years we’ve received many calls from people with regards to tobacco cessation after seeing our bus back posters.

Short Film on Smoking – Sharad Haksar

Can Stop will also be displaying a short film produced by internationally renowned and award winning ad film maker, Sharad Haksar. This 45 second clip will be screened in the prominent movie theatre complex, Sathyam Cinemas. The display of the short film in theatres will provide the anti tobacco message immense reach.

In Ergo

In the NXG

And todays lead article in The Hindu Magazine.

Stree Spandan Roundup

Hello everyone..so here's a small round up of the post event coverage that we recieved after our 10th anniversary fundraiser - 'Stree Spandan'.

Excerpt from article that appeared in The New Indian Express -

The three dancers will perfectly blend the three classical styles of dance, giving a performance that will linger in minds.
“This is the first time I am performing with other dance exponents,” says Gopika Varma, a master in Mohiniyattam and Abhinaya.
....Can-Stop is an outreach programme of Sundaram Medical Foundation, a voluntary organisation working for Cancer awareness. The proceeds of the event will go to the ‘Drug Bank’ to purchase and distribute free medicines to children on a daily basis. Can-Stop has completed 10 years of service to patients of lower socio-economic background. It organises free screening camps for the lower strata of society on a regular basis, since they are on a mission to detect cancer early, which is then curable in most cases.

Full text here.

Excerpts from the Dance Review that appeared in The Hindu's Friday Review

Can-Stop, an outreach programme of the Sundaram Medical Foundation-Dr.Rangarajan Memorial Hospital, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with ‘Stree Spandan,’ a fund raising programme by well-known dancers Shovana Narayan, Gopika Varm a and Sharon Lowen.

Stree Spandan’ was a tale of three strong women from the Mahabharata — Kunti, Draupadi and Gandhari — whose compelling stories never fail to provide a dramatic high on stage. The dancers representing the classical styles of Kathak, Mohiniattom and Odissi, knew this well. Their solos were based on contemporary texts that threw new light on the characters and their emotional upheavals. S. Janaki’s spirited oratory complimented the dance in this regard.

Full text here.


and in other news : Our partnership with Zara's (The Tapas Bar) to help make the use of the smoking lounge at their premises a more informative sojourn :)

In the smoking lounge, visitors get to look at photos shot by Sharad Haksar and Sunder. Can-Stop, which has completed 10 years of service, is instrumental in getting these photos, which carry anti-smoking messages.

Photos by Sunder show an athletic middle-aged dancer springing above tobacco fumes. A picture of health and happiness, this dancer symbolises the benefits of quitting tobacco.

With cigarette butts, Sharad Haskar shows statistics that prove how much more deadly smoking is than other unnatural causes of death.

While unveiling the ‘photo campaign’, former cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth admitted that he is a smoker. So, he was the right person to talk about its evils.

“It is difficult to get rid of smoking. It started as fun in college, but stayed. I was off tobacco for seven years but relapsed. I badly want to quit smoking.”

Full text.

Stree Spandan in the news

From the pages of The Hindu's Metro Plus :

Dance for a cause

Can-Stop’s fund-raiser, “Stree Spandan”, features well-known classical dancers

Can-Stop presents a classical dance recital titled “Stree Spandan” by well-known artists Gopika Varma, Sharon Lowen and Shovana Narayan at Narada Gana Sabha on March 28, 6 p.m.

The performance will be a blend of classical styles — Mohiniyattam, Odissi and Kathak The proceeds will go towards Can-Stop’s ‘Drug Bank’ for the purchase of medicines for the on-going treatment of children.

Can-Stop is currently into its 10th year of service to patients from the lower socio-economic strata and endeavours to continue to provide improved services to the public as well as cancer patients and their families.

Donor passes, priced at Rs.1,000, Rs. 700, Rs. 500, Rs.300 and Rs. 100 for balcony seating, are available. Contact Can-Stop for donor passes and further information at 26284256.

Can-Stop is a voluntary organisation involved with promoting cancer awareness, early detection through screening camps and counselling for patients and families. It is an outreach programme of Sundaram Medical Foundation.

Article from Alpha Times

The listing from Explocity.com

T-minus just a couple of hours :)

Canstop Presents - "Stree Spandan" March 28th @ 6pm Narada Gana Sabha

Greetings All :)

On the occasion of our 10th anniversary year, Can-Stop presents “Stree Spandan” a classical dance performance featuring renowned artists Smt.Shovana Narayan, Smt.Sharon Lowen and Smt. Gopika Varma.
On stage together for the first time in Chennai, the performance will be a graceful synthesis of Mohiniattam, Kathak and Odissi.


The proceeds of the show will go into the Corpus Fund for our “Drug Bank” – meant for the purchase of the drugs which for the continued treatment of children afflicted with cancer.

Date: 28th March
Time: 6 pm onwards
Venue: Narada Gana Sabha

Donor Passes are available at Rs.1000, 700,500,300 and Rs.100 for the balcony. Please contact us at 2628-4256 for donor passes or more information.

Working together for a common cause CAN make a difference. We hope you can make it for the performance and help support the Drug Bank and the kids who rely on it.

Change in Programme

Dear Everyone,

We regret to inform you that our programme for February 8th ('One walk - One hope') has been changed due to unavoidable circumstances. As schools and colleges will remain closed up until the 9th, we have not been able to contact the authorities concerned with regards to their participation in the walk.

Hence, in conjunction with the TTDC we have decided to set up stalls at the Tourism and Trade Fair (currently underway at the Island Grounds) in order to spread awareness and mark National Cancer Awareness Day.

The installation at the stall will also have representations from other cancer support groups in the city and will offer information on various types of cancer and their treatment, as well as information for cancer patients,survivors and their families encompassing counseling, physical therapy, alternative therapies and dietary advice.

On display will also be a photo exhibit on the ills of smoking and advice on tobacco cessation. Pamphlets will be handed out by Canstop volunteers to the general public covering all the aspects listed above.

The TTDC expects approximately 35,00 people to attend the trade fair over the course of the day and we look forward to being able to reach a large number of people on the occasion of National Cancer Awareness Day

We hope you find it convenient to attend the Tourism and Trade Fair and can visit Canstop's stall at the fair.For any further enquiries please contact us on 2628-4256 (helpline) or on 98410-61578.

Venue: Island Grounds, Anna Salai
Time: 5:30 to 9:00 pm
Date: 8th February 2009


Click here to see the coverage of Camp He Ho Ha.

One Walk One Hope!

Can-Stop is organizing National Cancer Awareness Day.

“CAN – STOP” is a cancer support group & community based NGO. We believe in providing timely detection and greater awareness of cancer and supporting all those touched by the disease.

“CAN-STOP” is committed to making measurable improvements in the quality of life – physical, psychological, social and spiritual for all cancer survivors, from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.

Can-Stop brings together survivors, supporters, members of the community and all NGO’s working in Cancer Care together for

“National Cancer Awareness Day”

on : 8th February 2009
at : “Rajarathnam Stadium
time : 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm.


Alongside the walk we have organized a fun-fair mela which will include the following attractions:

Information kiosks on various cancers
Counseling booth
Live folk art performances
Live music
Fun games – face painting, balloon decoration, portrait painting


If your company/organization/school/college would like to be a part of “ One Walk One Hope ” by walking in the event as a team and there by helping to create greater awareness ; please contact us at 044-2628-4256.

"Kick The Butt" - Short Film by Sharad Haksar

As part of our World No Tobacco Day campaign for 2008,renowned photographer Sharad Haksar prepared this visual short to accompany our Photo Exhibition. For those of you in Chennai catch it at Sathyam Cinema's shortly as well as at other theatre venues.

The pictures speak for themselves.

Smoke Signals - Ergo

The evening of May 30 was truly an inspirational one for smokers and non-smokers alike. CanStop organised a play reading, ‘Smoke Signals’ by Madras Players and a photo exhibition headed by Sharad Haksar to commemorate World No-Tobacco Day (May 31).

“There are 184 million tobacco consumers in India,” said Vijaya Bharati, Chairperson of CanStop. “And tobacco kills 50 per cent of its users.” “It is shocking to see children as young as 10 and 12 smoking up to 20 cigarettes a day,” Hemalini Mehta, a volunteer for CanStop, said.

“Nicotine is the most addictive substance,” Mithran Devanesan, an ex-smoker himself, explained. “There are different patterns of smoking that need to be identified and monitored. Support groups are essential if you want to quit.”

As a matter of fact, the Quitters Club does just that. Working along the same lines as the Alcoholics Anonymous Groups, the Club gets together once or twice a week to counsel and help its members.

According to Hemalini Mehta, if a person wants to quit and wants the help of a counsellor to do so, all they had to do was to fill in the Quit Line Entry Form distributed to the audience at the Heritage Centre. “We will contact that person and help them out.”

Directed by Mithran Devanesan, ‘Smoke Signals’ consisted of a series of rib-tickling quotes, songs, and extracts from novels read by P.C. Ramaswamy, Vishalam Ekambaram, Freddy Koikaran, Mithran Devanesan and Sharanya Nair.

Among the most memorable were the Caterpillar and the hookah scene in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Gum,” a short story about a piece of bubblegum that began chewing its chewer.

Though the pieces were light, the gravity of the underlining message was pretty clear by the end of the evening. After all, as Hemmingway once said, “Cigarette smell is awful if you have a nose that can truly smell.”