Article Contributed by
American Cancer Society, Inc.
Nearly 900 residents joined together at the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer® 5K walk on October 20 to help the Society do the most for people with breast cancer today to end the disease tomorrow. This noncompetitive event united the entire community to honor breast cancer survivors, educate people about how to reduce their breast cancer risk or find the disease early and raise funds to end breast cancer. The event and the dollars raised from it help the Society turn awareness into action and provide free resources and support to the one in two women newly diagnosed with breast cancer who turn to the Society for help and support. Dollars raised also fund groundbreaking research to find, prevent, treat and cure breast cancer, as well as help the Society ensure access to mammograms for women who need them.
“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer unites us all to walk together as the most powerful force to end breast cancer,” said Mike Porpiglia, Senior Director. “Making Strides walkers and supporters can be proud that their efforts are helping more than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S. celebrate another birthday this year.”
“I benefited from the Look Good, Fell Better® program,” states Esther Conrad a breast cancer survivor. “More importantly, the American Cancer Society was behind the development of Tamoxifen which will continue to save my life for years to come. I am grateful to those who gave before me so that this drug was able to be developed.”
The Look Good, Fell Better® program is just one way that the American Cancer Society saves lives and creates more birthdays in Western New York. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, uniting nearly 300 communities to finish the fight. This event also supports the American Cancer Society’s unique mission to end breast cancer and save lives by helping people stay well by reducing breast cancer risk or finding it early; helping people get well by providing information and support during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking breast cancer research and by fighting back by encouraging lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.
Sponsors of this year’s Jamestown Making Strides event include: NYSUT, BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF WESTERN NEW YORK, THE BUFFALO BILLS, CATHOLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, GM/UAW, NEW ERA, ROSWELL PARK, 106.9 KISS FM, 95.3 THE LAKE, WKBW CHANNEL 7, KIX COUNTRY AND WDOE 1410 AM & 94.9 FM AND PEPSI.
It is not too late to make a donation to the American Cancer Society through Jamestown’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. Visit http://MakingStridesWalk.org/Jamestown [1] to help the Society continue saving lives. For more information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we mark our 100th birthday in 2013, we’re determined to finish the fight against cancer. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
