Jun
23
The Pretty in Pink Ladies conquered their third annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer the weekend of June 5th and 6th in Chicago. The Ladies included DuPage Medical Group (DMG) employees from Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery. Not only did they walk the length of the marathon on Saturday, June 5th, but they continued to walk 13.1 miles further on Sunday. The walk began in a crowded Soldier Field and finished in Warren Park on day one of the two-day walk. The Ladies walked through Chicago landmarks such as the lake shore, Lincoln Wood, Lincoln Park, Sauganash, and the Village of Skokie. This adventure was experienced in the presence of friends and families that came together for a common goal. The prevention and cure of breast cancer grew a little closer to discovery this weekend when the Pretty in Pink Ladies raised aver $14,000! The dedication and teamwork of these ladies was exemplified by their team total.
The fundraising hurdle was easily overcome with the help of these corporate sponsors. Special thanks to DMG, The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery, The Northstar Group, Inc., The Suburban Woman, ReSound and Leonblu. The Ladies also held specific fundraisers within the DMG community. The Bake Sales in Glen Ellyn were a complete success! Other fundraisers that contributed to our success were “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, a raffle of White Sox and Cubs tickets hosted at Highland Oaks Administrative Offices, a Silent Auction, and Jeans Days. Each individual member also made an extraordinary effort to reach the $14,000 mark. The personal and joint fundraising of the team shows how determined the Pretty in Pink Ladies, and their corporate sponsors, are to finding a cure!
The money and advancements that resulted from the Avon Walk will save many lives in the near future, and the effort of the Pretty in Pink Ladies helped to make this possible. Although, this was only the third walk for the Pretty in Pink Ladies, Chicago has hosted eighth walks total! The eighth annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer raised more than $7.7 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Avon Walk Chicago, the fourth of nine Avon Walks this year, attracted more than 3,400 participants from 45 states, Washington, D.C., and Denmark, including 307 breast cancer survivors, who joined together to raise lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer.
During the Closing Ceremony, Carol Kurzig, president of the Avon Foundation for Women, announced a total of more than $2.35 million in grants to eight local organizations, ensuring the funds raised immediately benefit the community. More grants are slated to be awarded throughout the year to breast cancer programs nationwide.
The new Chicago-area grants include:
Stroger Hospital received $150,000 to support the Breast Cancer High Risk Screening Program, which will provide more than 400 underserved women access to genetic counseling services. Genetic Counselor Christina Seelaus accepted the award.
Mercy Hospital received $150,000 to continue support of a patient navigation program and the purchase of new ultra sound equipment. Connie Murphy accepted the award.
Sinai Health System received $250,000 to support Patient Navigation services reaching underserved populations in Chicago’s west side neighborhoods of North Lawndale and South Lawndale. Epidemiologist Kristi Allgood accepted the grant
Northwestern University received $150,000 to support research to determine if two biomarkers accurately predict which women are at high risk to develop breast cancer. Dr. Seema Kahn, professor of surgery, accepted the award.
Washington University Siteman Comprehensive Cancer Center received $300,000 for research to determine if hereditary changes to DNA increase the risk of developing early onset breast cancer in young women. Postdoctoral Fellow Missy Fish accepted the award.
University of Illinois-Chicago received $300,000 to support research to determine if breast cancer risk can be predicted based on a new series of biomarkers they have identified. Postdoctoral Fellow Szilard Asztalos accepted the award.
Rush University Medical Center received $300,000 to support research to study a new protein named Runx2, to determine if it promotes cancer-related changes in healthy breast tissue. Assistant professor Jitesh Pratap accepted the award.
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, the Avon Walk medical sponsor this weekend and the home of the Avon Foundation Breast Care Center of Excellence and the Avon Breast Cancer Research Laboratories, received $750,000. The new grant will support access to breast care for low income women at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Erie Family Health Center, as well as support new research to better understand the effect that naturally occurring pregnancy-related changes have on the development of breast cancer. Kara Kennedy, clinical coordinator, accepted the grant.