Actress Joins Thousands of Participants in Inspirational Closing Ceremony;
Millions in New Grants Awarded to Local Breast Cancer Organizations
WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning actress and Honorary
Chair of the Avon Foundation Reese Witherspoon was a special guest at the
sixth annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Washington, D.C. this weekend,
cheering on and joining walkers on their second day and participating in
the celebratory and inspirational Closing Ceremony. At the Ceremony, Reese
joined the family, friends and supporters of 3,500 participants in
celebrating $8.1 million raised for local, regional and national breast
cancer organizations. The women and men in the weekend-long Avon Walk
Washington, D.C. hailed from 40 states and included nearly 300 breast
cancer survivors.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080504/LASU001-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080504/LASU001-b)
"I am very excited to be partnering with the Avon Foundation and to
help them continue to affect real change," stated Reese. "I feel a great
responsibility in my own life to give back to society. As the Honorary
Chairman of the Avon Foundation, one of my first experiences last year was
to meet Avon Walk walkers at a training walk in Los Angeles. Now I am proud
to support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer here in Washington, D.C. and
hope my presence can in some measure express my deep appreciation for all
the women and men who participate in the Avon Walks, and for all of the
people who dedicate their lives to breast cancer research and care."
Prior to taking part in the Closing Ceremony Sunday afternoon, Reese
stopped at the lunch stop at the 10-mile mark of the day's 13-mile route,
where she helped keep the walkers' energy high by serving lunch to the
excited walkers. She then made a special visit at the final rest stop of
the day, joining walkers for the final stretch of the route.
During the Closing Ceremony, which took place at City Center Events
Plaza, Reese and Carol Kurzig, Executive Director of the Avon Foundation,
announced a total of $5,005,000 in initial grants awarded to organizations
in the greater metro area, ensuring the funds raised immediately benefit
the community. More grants are slated to be awarded throughout the year to
breast cancer programs nationwide.
In addition to Reese and Carol, three walkers who are breast cancer
survivors also took part in the Closing Ceremony: Debby Stewart, Deneise
Little and Gerie Voss, all from Washington, D.C. All three shared their
moving stories of triumph over breast cancer and provided inspiration to
the thousands of people present. Gerie drew both tears and laughter when
she noted that she had cheered herself up the day she was diagnosed with
breast cancer by watching Reese in Legally Blonde.
"We are delighted with the success of the Avon Walk D.C. and with the
funds we are able to return to the community, and we are especially
thrilled that Reese joined us to make the event so memorable," said Carol
Kurzig. "During the past year, Reese has been a champion for the Avon
Foundation's commitment to women, and now she has lent her support to our
Avon Walk participants in DC. We are excited that Reese has been able to
meet in person the dedicated women and men who are raising funds, and the
researchers and organizations that are using those funds to save lives."
The initial grants awarded at the Closing Ceremony include:
* The Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (Baltimore, MD)
received continued funding in the amount of $1,490,000 to support
the network of 14 universities and hospitals that can collectively
conduct clinical trials more rapidly than a single institution.
Currently, three Phase II clinical trials are investigating new
targets and treatments for triple negative breast cancer, a form of
breast cancer that does not respond well to current therapies. Dr.
Nancy Davidson, Director of Breast Cancer Services, Johns Hopkins
Medical Center, accepted the grant.
* Johns Hopkins Medical Center (Baltimore, MD) received a grant of
$1,250,000 to support two areas: cutting-edge breast cancer research
at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a
NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center recognized worldwide for excellence;
and outreach to the medically underserved through the Avon
Foundation Breast Center at Johns Hopkins, a comprehensive, multi
disciplinary breast care center offering a full spectrum of clinical
and support services. Patient navigator nurse and breast cancer
survivor Deb Stewart accepted the grant.
* Capital Breast Care Center (Washington, D.C.), which is run in
partnership by Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown
University, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, and
Medstar Health, received a grant for $800,000 to support critical
safety net services to medically underserved women in the Washington
DC metropolitan area. The grant continues the Avon Foundation
commitment to reverse striking disparities in breast health care in
the DC area. Capital Breast Care Center Executive Director Amari
Sokoya Pearson-Fields accepted the grant.
* Adventist Health Care (Rockville, MD), a non-profit corporation and
parent company of a diversified healthcare system of hospitals, home
health agencies and other health care services, received a grant of
$500,000 to support the purchase of digital mammography equipment,
outreach, breast health education and patient navigation services at
both the Washington Adventist and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals.
Debra Pollak, Executive Director, Cancer Care Services accepted the
grant.
* George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) received a grant of
$500,000 to support and expand services offered through their mobile
mammography program, which provides screening to both insured and
uninsured, underserved women through a "mammography van" equipped
with state-of-the-art digital equipment that travels to community
and corporate sites in the Washington, D.C. area. The new funding
will expand services to areas such as Anacostia, which has been
identified as the most medically underserved area in the District
and has no functional mammography facilities. Dr. John Williams,
Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs, George Washington
Medical Center, accepted the grant.
* University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation (Baltimore, MD) received
a grant of $420,000 to expand the Baltimore City Cancer Program's
(BCCP) patient navigation program to increase the number of women
screened and shorten the time between screening and treatment. The
BCCP is an initiative of the University of Maryland Marlene and
Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center in partnership with the State of
Maryland, with a focus on eliminating cancer death through early
detection, diagnosis, treatment and education for Baltimore's
medically underserved. Dr. Stacy Garrett-Ray, Medical Director of
the Baltimore City Cancer Program, accepted the grant.
* Friends of Cancer Research (Arlington, VA) received a grant of
$45,000 to support a Breast Cancer Educational Symposium co-hosted
by Friends of Cancer Research and Howard University, targeting the
public and media to increase awareness and understanding of breast
cancer research. The symposium will focus on clinical research and
ongoing clinical trials in breast cancer and will help the public
and media to learn to translate scientific findings into useful
information and calls to action. Dr. Ellen Sigal, Chair, accepted
the award.
About the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
During the Avon Walk D.C., which is a noncompetitive event, women and
men had a choice of walking a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a
half (39.3 miles) over Saturday and Sunday. The event kicked off Saturday,
May 3, with an early morning Opening Ceremony at City Center Events Plaza.
Following the Ceremony, walkers began their journey, traveling through the
greater Washington, D.C. areas and concluding at the Avon Walk "Wellness
Village" at Norwood Park, a "tent city" complete with two-person tents, hot
showers, prepared meals, entertainment, and recreational activities such as
the Reebok sneaker personalization station and the Fiji water pink carpet
photo program. On Sunday, May 4, walkers completed their journey together
with another 13.1 miles, ending back at City Center Events Plaza where they
were greeted by thousands of family and friends who shared in the
celebratory and moving Closing Ceremony.
To participate in the Avon Walk Washington, D.C., each walker raised a
minimum of $1,800 in donations. Funds raised are managed and disbursed by
the Avon Foundation [a 501(c)(3) public charity] and awarded to local,
regional and national breast cancer organizations to support five areas of
the breast cancer cause, including awareness and education, screening and
diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research,
all with a focus on the medically underserved. Donations are still being
accepted for the Avon Walk Washington, D.C., and registration is still open
for women and men to take part in the remaining Walks of 2008: Boston, MA
(May 17-18); Chicago, IL (May 31-June 1); Rocky Mountains, CO (June 28-29);
San Francisco, CA (July 12-13); Los Angeles, CA (September 13-14); New
York, NY (October 4-5); and Charlotte, NC (October 25-26). Already
completed is the Avon Walk Houston (April 12-13).
To register, donate or for additional information, please visit
http://www.avonwalk.org or call 800-541-WALK.
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer thanks National Sponsor: Reebok;
Official Sponsors: Genentech BioOncology, Novartis Oncology and Prevention
Magazine; and Official Water: FIJI
Remember: early detection can help save lives. Schedule your mammogram
or clinical breast exam today. For more breast cancer information and
resources, visit http://www.cancer.org (keyword breast cancer) or
http://www.avonfoundation.org, where you can access free printable breast
cancer informational literature.
Event information: http://www.avonwalk.org or call 888-541-WALK
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SOURCE Avon Foundation
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Related links:
http://www.avonwalk.org
http://www.avonfoundation.org http://www.cancer.org/
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080504/LASU001-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080504/LASU001-b
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org AP PhotoExpress
Network: PRN5, PRN6 PRN Photo Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Randi Friedman of BNC, cell, +1-646-662-2162,
office, +1-212-253-4650, rfriedman@bncpr.com, for Avon
Foundation; or Susan Arnot Heaney of Avon Foundation, cell,
+1-917-209-9518, office, +1-212-282-5668,
susan.heaney@avonfoundation.org; Media Hotline: +1-310-854-4721
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