From now until Mother’s Day, the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF), in conjunction with the Celebrating Life Foundation, has launched a campaign to help raise funds to provide 5,000 mammograms for those in need but who cannot financially afford it.
“The campaign (which began about a month ago) is formed in collaboration with the Celebrating Life Foundation, a nonprofit that educates women in need on breast cancer and works to end discrepancies in breast cancer care,” explains Beth Anne Holl, Director of Social Media & Educational Outreach. “5,000 Mammograms by Mother’s Day will raise vital funding for ABCF’s Breast Cancer Assistance Program. The goal is to raise enough money to cover the cost of 5,000 mammograms for clients in need. To date, ABCF has issued over 47,000 grants to help those in need of early detection services. This targeted campaign will allow us to serve thousands more.”
Sylvia Dunnavant Hines, founder of Celebrating Life Foundation, added, “After dealing with breast cancer awareness targeting minority and medically underserved women for over two decades, I am still surprised by the mortality rate from women in these groups. Many women wait much too long to get screened because they can’t afford it. This campaign is essential to help us make a difference in the lives of these women.”
While 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and over 40,000 pass away each year, when caught in its earliest stages, is almost 100% curable, Holl states.
“This campaign shows, in a way, how little it takes to help save a life,” says Katherine Mele, Director of Development at ABCF. “Every donation helps fund a mammogram that could mark the beginning of a woman’s breast cancer battle.”
Holl provided us with the following quick stats on the disease:
*Each year, it is estimated that over 246,660 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
*It is the most common cancer in women among all ethnicities.
*Although rare, men can get breast cancer as well, and about 2,600 will be diagnosed each year.
*Research has proven that women who have regular mammograms are more likely to have breast cancer found early, are less likely to need aggressive treatment, and are more likely to be cured.
*Getting regular screening tests, such as mammograms, is the most reliable way to find breast cancer so it can be treated early.
“Every woman we know knows a woman who has faced this disease, so we felt that Mother’s Day was the perfect holiday to garner some attention for this program,” explained Holl.
Those wanting to donate to the campaign can do so at www.abcf.org/donate.
Did you know? Road Scholar Transport’s Breast Cancer Awareness Truck kicked off our awareness campaign back in 2007. Read about how it all got started here.
Don’t forget to check out all of Road Scholar’s awareness trucks at https://roadscholar.com/awareness-campaign.
