DALLAS, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation today announced that its Connecticut Affiliate will not host a Komen Race for the Cure(R) event next year due to a reorganization within the Affiliate’s Race Committee, which organizes the event on behalf of the Affiliate. The annual five-kilometer walk/run to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer was originally scheduled for May 8, 2004.
Since 1993, the Komen Connecticut Affiliate has dedicated itself to meeting the breast health and breast cancer needs of the state. To ensure continued progress in the fight against breast cancer, the Komen Foundation will support its Connecticut Affiliate executing programs and services while working toward the goal of resuming the Race in 2005.
“Organizing a Komen Race for the Cure(R) is an enormous undertaking, especially for Affiliate volunteers who are also juggling other personal and professional responsibilities,” said Susan Braun, president and chief executive officer of the Komen Foundation. “By not hosting a Race in 2004, our Connecticut Affiliate will have the time it needs to focus on volunteer development and ongoing mission-related commitments, while building a strong foundation for future success.”
Through the Komen Connecticut Affiliate, local volunteers work together to achieve the Foundation’s mission of eradicating breast cancer as a life- threatening disease. In addition to research, Komen Affiliates across the country fund non-duplicative breast cancer outreach projects for the medically underserved in their local communities. In order to ensure they are funding programs that address the specific unmet breast health needs of their communities, Komen Affiliates work with local medical experts and community leaders to conduct comprehensive community needs assessments. These community profiles are then used to establish local grant application and review processes consistent with the Foundation’s national standards and its mission.
Some examples of breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs that are funded by the Komen Connecticut Affiliate are:
-- The Pink Rose Program, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington -- Breast Cancer Outreach, Awareness, Education & Screening, Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective, Hartford -- Breast Cancer Education and Awareness for Latinas, Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury, Danbury -- Looking Forward Breast Cancer Complementary Support Program, Hospital of St. Raphael, New Haven -- Breast Health Education for Women with Developmental Disabilities, Oak Hill, Hartford -- The Navigator Program, The Witness Project of Connecticut, Inc., Bridgeport
For the most up-to-date information about the Komen Connecticut Affiliate and to learn how to join the fight against breast cancer, please visit http://www.komen.org/ct .
“We are proud of the contribution that the Komen Connecticut Affiliate has made in its decade of service to the breast cancer cause,” Braun said. “It is the continued hard work, passion and knowledge of our Affiliate volunteers that enables us to make a significant impact in the fight against breast cancer. These dedicated women and men are the backbone of the Komen Foundation in Connecticut and in more than 100 communities nationwide.”
The Komen Connecticut Affiliate has several significant fundraising events planned for 2004. These include:
-- Volley for the Cure(R) volleyball events in the spring and summer -- Golf for the Cure(R) golf tournaments in the summer -- Bikers for the Cure(R) motorcycle event in Wolcott in August -- Ride for the Cure(R) equestrian event in Pomfret in October -- Pink Tie Ball(R) in October
In addition, the Affiliate will host a volunteer recruitment event in the spring in order to showcase the many opportunities that are available to support the fight against breast cancer statewide.
About the Komen Foundation
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through local Affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure(R) to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. A global leader in the fight against breast cancer, the Foundation fulfills its mission through support of innovative breast cancer research grants, meritorious awards and educational, scientific and community outreach programs around the world. For more information, visit http://www.komen.org/ .
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
CONTACT: Kristin Kelly, +1-972-855-1607, or Judi Cyr, +1-860-729-4207,both of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
