Pink sparkled in the morning sun at Firestone Country Club Sunday as breast cancer survivors came to strut their stuff on the world-famous golf course and honor those no longer with them.For many, part of the celebration sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure was to acknowledge that cancer is a subject they can talk about openly.Julie Keller is a two-year cancer survivor and said it was helpful to have so many examples of success as she engaged in the struggle.“I think a lot of people have cancer,” she said. “I think that really helped. It was just kind of normal.”Donna Kovacs of Akron has seen cancer touch seven people in her life. That’s why she is tested every year and encourages her daughter to get routine tests, too – a conversation that might not have happened in the past.“I just think people are more open to talking about issues that are important today than they were before,” Kovacs said shortly before a Pink on the Links ceremony.Dr. Andrew Fenton volunteered to be a Pink Tie Guy to symbolize men’s roles in fighting breast cancer.“This symbolizes everything Komen is doing to fight cancer,” he said.Part of the Pink Tie message is to remind people that, although rare at about 1 percent, men can get breast cancer, too.“For men, if you do feel a lump, you need to get it checked right away,” he said.Fenton also said men usually are an important source of support for women fighting breast cancer and usually do a great job.Sisters Mary Beth Rittenhour and Janet Young spent some time before the ceremony looking at tiny flags with the names of breast cancer patients. One flag with Rittenhour’s name was pink, indicating she is a survivor. A white one is for their late mother, Kelly Reed.“I lost my mother to breast cancer, so this was something that it wasn’t so much ‘if.’ I always thought ‘when,’ ” Rittenhour said. “My mother was 45 when she was diagnosed. I was 50. So being diagnosed concerned the doctors.”Despite yearly mammograms starting at age 30, she was in stage 3 breast cancer when it was discovered a year ago. “Unfortunately, it was a type of cancer that the mammogram did not pick up. It was picked up by ultrasound,” she said.After six months of chemotherapy followed by surgery, she considers herself cancer free.Worries remainBut she worries about her sister. Young does monthly self-examinations because she is at the same risk as her sister, but she hasn’t had an ultrasound test.“My insurance doesn’t cover it unless it is recommended and it is unlikely to be covered,” she said.So she lives in fear.“We’ve all been through a lot over the last six months,” she said. “I just hope this doesn’t happen to me because [Beth] was diagnosed in late August [2010]. My husband passed away in January. So, we been kind of through it.” Dave Scott can be reached at 330-996-3577 or davescott@thebeaconjournal.com.