
Message from Nancy G. Brinker, Founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen:
This weekend, some 40,000 men, women and children will take their places at the starting line near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to run or walk the 3.1 miles of the 22nd running of the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure®. And make no mistake; this is no ordinary jog in the park.
While this particular race takes place in Washington, it is emblematic of the courage and passion that will be displayed at the more than 140 Susan G. Komen races that will be held around the world this year, and a potent symbol of what is possible when people come together to take action because they are no longer willing to stand by and watch loved ones die of this terrible disease.
I founded Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of my sister Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer in 1980. Lovely and vibrant, Suzy wasn’t just my sister — she was my best friend and role model. She was only 36, with two young children and everything to live for when she received the worst news of her life. For three years she fought courageously, but ultimately lost her battle. Since then, I have made it my life’s work to fulfill the promise I made to Suzy to find a cure for this disease.
Over the past 30 years, significant progress has been made. With early detection, five-year survival rates for cancers caught early, before they leave the breast, are 98 percent in the U.S. The money raised in Komen races, corporate partnerships and individual donations has enabled us to invest nearly $2 billion in research and community health programs. This past year alone, we funded 600,000 breast screenings and diagnostic tests for low-income or underinsured women and we’ve invested in promising research that, among other discoveries, could yield the first breast cancer vaccine. Today there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors, comprising the largest group of cancer survivors in the nation.
In Kingman Park there are many breast cancer survivors. As a community we need to do more to support our neighbors. I have made a donation to Susan G. Komen on behalf of all the cancer surviors in Kingman Park.
Best,
Lisa White ANC Commissioner SMD 7D01 Kingman Park