LEWISTON – Breast cancer survivor Eva Labonte will be the keynote speaker at a special presentation, “Breast Cancer Journey,” on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Sponsored by Central Maine Medical Center’s Sam and Jennie Bennett Breast Care Center, the event has become an annual fall feature in the greater Lewiston-Auburn area.

Labonte was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in December 2005. Although she underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy treatments, she succeeded in maintaining her sense of humor and love of life, likening her journey with breast cancer to “a tree bent in the winds of a hurricane – the ground may be littered with leaves, twigs and even branches, but the tree survives the storm and lives on.”

After sharing some of her story at last spring’s Buddy-to-Buddy Fashion Show in Auburn, Labonte received many requests to speak in greater detail at the annual October event.

The event will also feature a panel discussion exploring the family’s role in coping with a cancer diagnosis. The panel will include a daughter, mother, husband and long-term breast cancer survivor.

The Pretty In Pink Breast Cancer Survivors Group will be on hand to sell its cookbooks. Door prizes will be awarded. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with coffee and dessert.

Admission is free, but space is limited, so those interested in attending should make reservations by calling the CMMC Sam and Jennie Bennett Breast Care Center at 795-2104.