NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation invites all volunteers -- past, present, and future -- to their 3nd annual Cocoa & Cookies Social. The event will take place on Saturday, February 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the foundation's new storefront offices at 1612 2nd Avenue in downtown Rock Island.

The Cocoa & Cookies Social is free to attend and is open to both men and women. "We encourage everyone to bring a friend and help us celebrate our grass roots efforts and learn how we are moving forward with our mission to rise up against ovarian cancer," said Jodie Shagrin Kavensky, the Executive Director of the foundation.

Ovarian cancer has long been considered a silent killer because the symptoms are vague; it is hard to detect, difficult to treat, and there is no reliable screening test. The mission of NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation, headquartered in Rock Island, is to create public awareness, promote early detection, and support research for ovarian cancer.

All women are at risk for ovarian cancer and approximately 1 in 70 women will develop the disease during her lifetime. In 2013 more than 22,000 American women were diagnosed with the disease and about 13,500 women died from it. The foundation honors the memory of Mrs. Kavensky's mother, Norma Yecies Shagrin and her aunt, Leah Yecies Hantman, whose lives were cut short by the deadly disease. "Sisters share a lot of things but ovarian cancer should not be one of them," Kavensky said.

For more information or to get involved call the NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation at 309.794.0009, visit our website at www.normaleahfoundation.org or email us at normaleahfoundation@gmail.com