But the most important accessory in that shade is the ribbon-shaped button she wears pinned to her chest. Smirni is a breast cancer survivor, and though she's coming up on five years of being cancer-free, the disease is still at the forefront of her mind.

It's for that reason that Smirni teamed with the city of Sunnyvale to form New Frontiers in the Prevention of Breast Cancer, a group that aims to educate women and men on the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, New Frontiers is staging a number of seminars on the topic, and Smirni says she hopes her partnership with the city will bring the disease into the consciousness of her fellow Sunnyvale residents.

"It's time that our private voices go public," Smirni says. "The city taking a stand is a first step, and we're looking to the community to own the stand."

Smirni, 55, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in August 1999. After three surgeries, she was cleared of cancer in December of that year. But she says that the effects--both physical and mental--last much longer. She considered the recent completion of a full class of aerobics was a victory.

Smirni's professional background is in marketing and communications, but when it came to promoting services in the interest of breast cancer, Smirni didn't quite know where to begin. On a followup visit to one of her surgeons in early 2003, Smirni asked him where he would focus his efforts on a breast cancer awareness campaign. "He said 'Prevention.' That's how it started," she says.

She went before the Sunnyvale City Council at its meeting on Nov. 11, 2003. "I stood there and cried," Smirni says. After listening to the New Frontiers concept, the council took action.

"They expressed concern and directed staff to see what efforts the city could do to help," says Steve Sloan with the Sunnyvale Library. "The library has always been an information resource, so [Director of Libraries] Victoria Johnson worked on the proposal, and she herself is a breast cancer survivor."

These efforts have amazed Smirni. "The city could have said no," she says. "We didn't have a direction until Vicki came along." The two put together an event on preventing and detecting breast cancer, conducted by Smirni's oncologist at the Sunnyvale Library on Oct. 9.

The library has also put together a reading list on breast cancer research, and Smirni returned to the city council chambers on Oct. 5 to receive a proclamation from Sunnyvale commemorating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Smirni's plans expand beyond this as well. This month, various speakers on coping with breast cancer and the latest research will appear through a series of classes offered by Sunnyvale­Cupertino Adult Community Education.

Another seminar on Oct. 6, held at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, addressed support for elderly breast cancer patients and was sponsored by the Mid-Peninsula AARP.

Smirni speaks passionately about breast cancer, but says that she couldn't have put together this extensive program without the help of the city, her husband, Allan, and volunteers. But Sloan says that Smirni was the driving force.

For now, activities will cease at the end of October, but Smirni hopes to make New Frontiers a year-round organization. Her plans now include more adult education classes starting in February.

She's already getting encouraged with the proliferation of pink she's seeing this October. "I went shopping for an outfit to wear at the city council meeting, and I was shocked to see a pink watch at Macy's," Smirni says. "People are beginning to catch on. Now we just need to wear pink year-round."

For more information on the breast cancer classes with Sunnyvale­ Cupertino Adult Community Education, call 408.522.2700. To volunteer, call Smirni at 408.735.1819.