October 7 Event: Livonia Police and Trinity Health Team Up for "Faith and Blue with a Splash of Pink"

This Q&A originally published in Friday Musings on October 2, 2023

On October 7, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Livonia Police Department and Trinity Health Livonia will come together to host "Faith and Blue with a Splash of Pink.” This family-friendly event will take place at Nehasil Memorial Park, located at 33000 Civic Center Dr. in Livonia. Together, these leading civic institutions will emphasize the strong ties between Livonia’s police force and the community. In particular, Faith and Blue, a national movement, understands that faith-based organizations are key to building community bonds because they are not only the largest community resource in America but because they are as diverse as our country. The goal of this October event is also to promote the importance of breast health during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Police Chief Thomas Goralski from the Livonia Police Department and Cody Husemann, MSN, RN, the director of Oncology at the Trinity Health Livonia Cancer Center, recently sat down with Friday Musings to highlight the event and to encourage the community’s participation.

Q: Why is it important for the hospital and the police department to collaborate on this event?

Chief Goralski: Our two organizations share similar goals, which is to provide for the health, safety and wellbeing of the community we serve. As major institutions in Livonia, we see it as our responsibility to help strengthen the social bonds between community members and to help forge supportive relationships between neighbors.

Husemann: I echo Chief Goralski’s comments. From the hospital’s perspective I would add that we hope to increase awareness for breast health services during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We hope to encourage people who qualify to sign up for preventative breast screenings. We also hope that this event will help serve as an educational resource for the public. If someone reading this has questions regarding their breast health, come on out to this event. Hospital staff will be on hand and would love to speak with you.

Q: For the police department in particular, why is community engagement so important?

Chief Goralski: For us in the police department, we know that protecting and serving our community is best accomplished by having our community’s support. We work hard every day, with every contact, to foster that bond. This event, in particular, is a wonderful opportunity to do exactly that. We continue to strengthen that bond; one in which our residents know us, trust us, and feel supported by our efforts to protect the community.

Q: What family-friendly activities will be available at the event?

Chief Goralski: The event will include food, music, bounce houses, pumpkin painting, face painting and more. We are also excited to reveal a pink patrol car in honor of Breast cancer Awareness Month.

Q: Who should get screened for breast cancer and why is it important?


Husemann: Women 40 and older should be screened annually for breast cancer and those with a family history of breast cancer may want to be screened as early as 30. It’s important to consult your primary care physician to better understand your risk factors and so that they may help offer screening recommendations. Risk factors to consider for breast cancer include being female, age, personal or family history of the disease, and gene mutations you may have inherited.

Q: For women reading this, how can they sign up for a breast screening?


Husemann: Anyone interested can contact our scheduling team at 855-559-7179 to register. While patients are able to self-refer for a screening mammogram, they will need to have a primary care physician or OB/GYN where results from the screening can be sent. If a patient needs diagnostic imaging beyond a screening mammogram, this would require a physician’s order. Trinity Health Breast Imaging and Huron Valley Radiology are offering low-cost 3D screening mammograms for $50 on October 20. Our scheduling team will be at the event to register and schedule patients for this offering. Limited appointments available.