PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT:    Vicky Cooke, Executive Director

                        (302) 778-1102

 

 

DELAWARE BREAST CANCER COALITION, INC.

NAMED 2004-2006 GRANT RECIPIENT

BY THE PHILADELPHIA AFFILIATE OF THE

SUSAN G. KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION

 

January 7, 2005, Wilmington, DE – The Philadelphia Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has awarded a $60,000 grant to the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. (DBCC) for projects to advance breast health and breast cancer awareness in the Delaware Valley.

 

Each year, the Susan. G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Philadelphia Affiliate endeavors to give the gift of life to every woman in the Delaware Valley community.  This year, the Philadelphia Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation will distribute approximately $1.9 million in grants to support the breast health education, screening and treatment outreach initiatives.  Surpassing last year’s grant funds by over $600,000, the 2004-2006 contribution total represents the highest ever awarded by the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate.  DBCC is one of 34 Delaware Valley organizations which will proudly advance the Komen mission. 

 

“This impressive grant total is really a testimony to the tremendous dedication of the entire Delaware Valley community in the fight against breast cancer, as the majority of the funds come from the money raised through the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure®,” said Elaine Grobman, Executive Director of the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate.  “We are thrilled to be able to support the tremendous work of DBCC for their Mujeres pro Salud Promotoras program with the proceeds of the 2004 Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure®.”

DBCC’s project was selected by a specialized Grant Review Board based on its stated objective for its initiative in relation to the specific breast health needs of the Delaware Valley.  The Komen Philadelphia Affiliate worked with local medical experts and community leaders to conduct a comprehensive community needs assessment. This community profile was then used to establish grant application requirements and review process criteria in order to ensure selected initiatives address the specific unmet breast health needs of the Delaware Valley community.

Mujeres pro Salud Promotoras (Women for Health Peer Health Educators) is a program of the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. that provides breast health information and resources to Spanish-speaking communities in Delaware and the tri-state area. The goal of the program is to increase breast health screenings among Latinas, and to change attitudes about mammograms, clinical breast exams, and breast self-exams. By providing educational sessions at churches, women’s organizations, community centers, or in the comfort of a home with a few friends, the Promotora breaks down barriers and myths that keep women from making and keeping their breast health screening appointments and obtaining their results. Mujeres pro Salud Promotoras will serve as a model program to reach other medically underserved populations in Delaware.

 

“There is a tremendous need to provide Latina women with breast health information and resources, as we do with the Mujeres pro Salud Promotoras program,” says Vicky Cooke, Executive Director of DBCC. “We are very grateful that the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate recognizes this need and supports our program.”

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® 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. Together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, the Komen Foundation has raised nearly $750 million for the fight against breast cancer.

More information on the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate and the Grant Program is available online at www.phillyraceforthecure.org or by calling 215-238-8900.

Established in 1991, the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc. empowers our community by raising awareness of breast health issues through outreach, education and support services, in order to facilitate early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Mujeres pro Salud Promotoras (Women for Health Peer Health Educators) is just one of DBCC’s programs that provide culturally appropriate breast health information and resources in Delaware and the tri-state area. DBCC supports the National Breast Cancer Coalition and their efforts to research the causes of breast cancer and pursue optimal treatments and cures. For more information, contact DBCC at (302) 778-1102 or (866) 312-DBCC, or visit our website at www.debreastcancer.org.

 

 

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