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Cigna, Cardinals making a play on breast health

BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Glendale Star Staff Writer

Cigna and the Arizona Cardinals hope that women across Arizona take their breast health seriously all year long, not just for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For the 12th consecutive year, the Arizona Cardinals presented the “Crucial Catch Intercept Cancer” game sponsored by Cigna on Oct. 10. The two organizations work together to educate the community about breast health and the importance of preventive screenings.

Cigna employees and guests, along with 125 other cancer survivors and previvors, were honored and performed in the halftime show on Oct. 10 with the Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders. Previvors are individuals who have tested positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation and therefore have a signifi cantly higher risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer than the average population. These individuals make an extra effort to manage their elevated risk through a combination of healthy lifestyle choices, increased surveillance and preventive medical procedures.

One of the Cigna employees who participated in this year’s event was Heather Jaeger, senior clinical program manager at Cigna and a pharmacist by trade.

“Cigna gave some of its employees the opportunity to participate in the halftime show,” said Jaeger, who was also able to bring her daughter Kate to the event. “I believe it was the 12th year that Cigna sponsored the ‘Crucial Catch’ game. It was like a lottery to give people the chance to participate, and so I was lucky enough to get picked.”

The halftime show consisted of a health and wellness drill instructed by celebrity trainer Chris Powell.

“It was super fun, and I got to participate with some of my co-workers and the Cardinals cheerleaders,” Jaeger said. “It was a little nerve-racking because I didn’t want to mess up the moves, but it was really fun. The cheerleaders were right next to us cheering us on, too, so it made it quite a fun activity.”

Jaeger fi rst participated in the halftime experience in 2013.

“(The Cardinals stadium is) such a huge venue that I think it really brings to light early detection of breast cancer and how important that is,” Jaeger said about the annual Crucial Catch game. “I can tell you that this was the fourth time that I’ve been able to participate in the halftime show, but the very fi rst show I participated with someone who was at the game the year before, which prompted her to do her self-exam when she got home, and she found a lump.

“That really brought that truth to light that people pay attention (during these events), and it gets people to either do their mammograms or do their self-exams, whatever it is to catch breast cancer early. I think that is why it’s so important for all of us to participate.”

Jaeger herself was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. She had a lumpectomy and received chemotherapy and radiation and is currently still on medication to prevent a recurrence.

“I know October is breast cancer pink ribbon month, but it is really important for women to not put off screenings until October,” Jaeger said. “I think it is a good time to remind people about screenings and self-exams, but staying on top of scheduled appointments, mammograms all year long is really important.”

While several health care facilities are starting to get back into a normal schedule with routine checkups following the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaeger hopes that COVID-19 is still not a deterrent for women to get their annual exams.

“My fear is that COVID may be scaring people out of the health care facilities, and so I am afraid that there are people out there now that put off their screenings that maybe would have been diagnosed earlier,” Jaeger said.

“While we have a lot of attention toward breast cancer in October, it’s important every month of the year to just make sure that those screenings are getting done.”

Cigna is a sponsor for the organization Check for a Lump, a breast health education and support organization for people with breast cancer in Arizona. Check for a Lump has four major programs, including its education program to teach women around Arizona more about breast health; a program that helps women undergoing chemotherapy obtain a free wig; a program that provides free mammograms; and the super survivors program that hosts gatherings for breast cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers. For more information, go to checkforalump.org.

“Cigna has a lot of resources for patients and employees as well,” Jaeger said.

“Lots of great resources that are available to people who want to learn more about it, and Arizona Cardinals (has some) as well. They have some great resources that I have seen on their website just to increase awareness and to just make sure that women are being screened.”

The “Crucial Catch Intercept Cancer” game halftime show included 125 Cigna employees and guests, along with cancer survivors and previvors, performing a wellness drill instructed by celebrity trainer Chris Powell. (Photo by Peter Vander Stoep)

Cerealphoria milks the trend of over-the-top shakes

BY SCIANNA GARCIA Glendale Star Contributing Writer

Ernesto Peralta says everybody loves ice cream and cereal. So, in 2019, he and his wife, Amy, blended the two and opened the food truck Cerealphoria.

Recently, the couple moved the store into Westgate Entertainment District, serving cereal milkshakes and other creative desserts.

“What we’ve done is created a simple concept that is very easy and moves fast,” he said.

Cerealphoria boasts four milkshakes ($7). The M:1 — the most popular menu item — has Fruity Pebbles, Trix and Froot Loops, topped with strawberry drizzle. The M:2 has a chocolate tinge to it with Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Oreo O’s and chocolate drizzle.

The M:3 blends chocolate and peanut butter with Cocoa Puffs, Reese’s Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios and peanut butter drizzle. Finally, the M:4 has a little Southwestern flavor to it with Apple Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and churros, with caramel drizzle.

Not enough sugar? The ultimate cereal milkshakes ($12) top the M:1 and M:2 each with a variety of sweets at the shop, formerly known as B: Fast Cereal Bar.

Guests do not need to stick with the menu. They are free to experiment with the more than 25 cereal choices.

Along with milkshakes, Cerealphoria offers fresh fruit parfaits ($7), sundaes ($6), cheesecake in a cup ($6), cereal and milk in a cup ($5) with any toppings.

Peralta spent 25 years in the restaurant business, owning burger joints in Kansas City. The couple moved to Arizona to start Cerealphoria.

Peralta said Cerealphoria wasn’t affected by COVID-19, because it opened during it.

“The relaxation of the rules and people starting to go out more often is helping us,” he said. “We’re starting to see all this foot traffic coming back, so it’s only going to get better for us.”

The company’s biggest challenge has been finding the right employees. Cerealphoria has five employees, all of whom it took some time to find.

Isabelle Crisp is one of these employees. She said the family-friendly environment makes Cerealphoria stand out from the competition.

“It’s a really fun and energetic energy, especially because we’re at Westgate,” Crisp said. “I get a lot of different types of people, kids and adults, and honestly the adults are more excited than the kids when they walk in here, which is

SEE CEREALPHORIA PAGE 20

The M:2 has a chocolate tinge to it with Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Oreo O’s and chocolate drizzle. (Submitted photo)

November 11, 2021

Thirsty Lion set to open largest location at Westgate

BY MIA ANDREA Glendale Star Staff Writer

Thirsty Lion Gastropub is expanding its footprint to the Westgate Entertainment District in the building that formerly housed Saddle Ranch Chop House. The restaurant is set to debut its largest location in Glendale in December 2022.

The Westgate installment of Thirsty Lion — located on the corner of West Coyotes and Sunset boulevards — will be the fifth Arizona location. The 9,800-square-foot, two-story design will boast a rooftop patio, indoor and outdoor bars, an open kitchen concept, and flat-screen TVs for sports spectators. Large groups will be able to rent the rooftop space to for parties.

The downstairs patio will be 5,251 square feet, while the upstairs will sit at 1,378 square feet.

CEO John Plew said the company secured the Westgate location, which will seat 400 guests, thanks to efforts by the city and community.

“The city of Glendale has been wonderful to work with,” he said.

Since opening its first location in Arizona in fall of 2011, Thirsty Lion has quickly become one of Concept Entertainment Group’s most successful restaurants, which include nine existing locations across Oregon, Arizona, Colorado and Texas.

Thirsty Lion and CEG experienced substantial growth in the last few years, opening two new units in Arizona — Desert Ridge Marketplace in 2019 and Chandler Viridian in 2020 — and moving its headquarters to Scottsdale.

During the pandemic CEG launched Central Kitchen, an online virtual food hall operating out of Thirsty Lion locations, to provide guests with diverse cuisine options from one central kitchen. Four virtual brands were developed for Central Kitchen, each featuring distinctive culinary directions and scratchmade food available for takeout and delivery from the one website.

Plew is excited to contribute his fresh dining experience to the community that Bob Parsons, who bought the entertainment district, has worked on revitalizing since 2018. He said the West Valley wanted to include an elevated dining experience that would stand out from the mass-appeal options at Westgate. In an area blossoming in employment, business and residency, a high-quality dining in Glendale will build strong community ties, according to Plew.

“We felt that there was an underserved market for the type of cuisine and level of food offerings,” he said.

Above everything else, Plew values a balance of maturity and approachability at the Thirsty Lion establishments.

“It’s one thing to have elevated food, but you still have to have to be approachable to the people,” he said.

He takes pride in Thirsty Lion’s diverse menu that features fresh, bold and local flavors. The gastropub places an emphasis on providing options ranging from traditional American fare to Mediterranean meals or craft brunch cocktails for customers.

“When you’re out with a group of friends, you don’t have to all want the same type of food when you come to Thirsty Lion because there’s enough variety,” Plew said.

The Westgate installment of Thirsty Lion — located on the corner of West Coyotes and Sunset boulevards — will be the fifth Arizona location. (Rendering courtesy of Evolve)

CEREALPHORIA FROM PAGE 19 awesome to see.”

Most customers aren’t sure what to expect upon entering Cerealphoria but certainly are interested in the concept. First-time customer Lyndsay Zappone was pleased with her initial experience and hopes to return soon again.

“The cup is Instagram-worthy with its towering whipped cream and variety of cereal and cookie toppings,” she said.

“At first, I was glad my husband brought back two straws, but after a minute I started to wish there was one, for me only. I didn’t want to share, it was so good.”

Cerealphoria

9402 W. Westgate Boulevard, Glendale; adjacent to the splash pad 602-413-6629, cerealphoriausa.com

(Left) The M:1 — the most popular menu item — has Fruity Pebbles, Trix and Froot Loops, topped with strawberry drizzle. (Right) The U:1 is a fruity cereal mix topped with a variety of sweets. (Submitted photos)