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Karliss Francois, store manager for Landlord’s Daiquiri Den, said the Port Arthur hotspot is hosting an inaugural breast cancer awareness event Saturday.

“We have a lot of employees who have dealt with the death of family to breast cancer or known someone who had it,” Francois said.

From noon until 6 p.m., the parking lot in front of the business, located at 1645 Jefferson Drive, is transforming into an event with food trucks, jewelry vendors, cotton candy, ice cream and more.

At 4 p.m., there will be a balloon release.

Proceeds from the event are being donated to Gift of Life, which, among many things, provides free breast exams and mammograms to medically underserved women in Southeast Texas.

Early detection is credited for saving the lives of those diagnosed. Francois said she was able to avoid chemotherapy but underwent radiation treatment.

“The medical part of it — it grew me from a little girl inside to me finding my power as a real woman,” she said. “I was 20 when we lost our mom right after Hurricane Rita. Still, to this day, I feel like a baby because we all need our mom.”

According to information from Gift of Life, in 2021 the nonprofit provided more than 1,360 clinical breast exams and screening mammograms. Five women were subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer. More than 41,000 women have received mammograms since the program was created. In addition, 77 men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. All screenings are paid for by Gift of Life, which serves seven counties including Jefferson and Orange.