There are many ways you can help the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. From our Home Run Derby, to volunteering at any number of events, there is something you can do.
The PBCC presented Allan Lipton, M.D. of the Penn State College of Medicine with a $50,000 grant at a kick-off event for the 2012 Refunds for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Campaign at the Capitol Building. Michael Wolf , Executive Deputy Secretary at the PA Department of Health, and Debbie Freer, a breast cancer survivor and PBCC Board Member joined PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy in speaking at the event.
Dr. Lipton was one of three Pennsylvania researchers chosen to receive a research grant this year through the PBCC’s Refunds for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research program. His research centers on metastases and whether a biomarker can be found in blood to help doctors determine which of two FDA-approved therapies would be more effective in treating the patient. The two other researchers – Andy Minn, M.D., Ph.D. and Takemi Tanaka, Ph.D. – were presented with their grants at an event held at Philadelphia City Hall in February.
With only days left to file your taxes, be sure to check yes on line 35 of your PA state income tax form to donate all or part of your refund to the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program.
Since the launch of the PBCC’s online course on Pennsylvania’s FREE Treatment for Breast and Cervical Cancer program on March 7, more than 110 people have learned how to help uninsured and underinsured women get the treatment and care they need to fight a breast cancer diagnosis. You too can take the course and learn how this program saves lives! The free online course is open to all and the continuing education credits for nurses and social workers are free.
Here is some of the feedback the PBCC has received from those who took the online course:
“This was exceptional!! Thanks so much for providing this valuable info – I hope many people take advantage of the learning opportunity.”
“Thank you so much for offering this course. I am currently enrolled in the program and quite honestly it has been a true lifesaver. I would hate to think where I would be if this program did not exist. I wanted to learn more about the program so I could educate others.”
“I found this course to be very helpful. I work as an ER social worker and occasionally have women – especially young women with families – who would qualify for this program.”
By now, if you’re on our mailing list, you should have received the latest edition of FrontLine. The PBCC sends out this print newsletter every quarter to let you know what we’re up to across the state and how YOU can get involved!
Take a read through our online edition and share it with your friends!
I don’t need to tell you that the PA Breast Cancer Coalition is the only statewide nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer now. I don’t need to tell you that we hear from countless women daily about the effects of breast cancer. But I do need to tell you about our wonderful volunteers that make our work possible.
With such a large state to work in, we are tasked with what seems impossible with eight full-time employees. Volunteers make the mission of the PBCC achievable. In 2011, we had 302 individuals from all over PA give up their time for a greater good. Jobs included reviewing Refunds for Breast Cancer Research grant applications, presenting or moderating a workshop at our conference, staffing an information table at a health fair, speaking at a fundraiser, shagging baseballs at a Home Run Derby, assembling and customizing Friends Like Me Care Packages, and many more.
The only thing we can say (and we say it every day): thank you. Thank YOU for donating your valuable time to the mission of the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. In total, we had 1738.5 hours logged by volunteers across the state. That is OUTSTANDING! Volunteers saved the PBCC $37,134.36 in 2011! I don’t need to tell you that this is incredible!
Thanks to people like you, we are able to keep our doors open and serve the women and families of this great state! Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved at various events across Pennsylvania. If you don’t already receive our monthly e-newsletter Pink Link, sign up! And if you’re interested in volunteering, complete our interest survey and we’ll be in touch!
The PBCC visited Dr. Craig Meyers’ lab at the Penn State College of Medicine to get a first hand glimpse at the promising research happening there. Thanks in part to an initial grant through the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program, Dr. Meyers’ team was able to discover a virus that effectively kills breast cancer cells. Refunds for Research is made possible through the generosity of Pennsylvania taxpayers who contribute their refunds for breast cancer research.
When more funding was needed to continue the study, the PBCC was able to provide Dr. Meyers with an additional research grant of $100,000. Many researchers have applied for grants for the 2012 program cycle, and those who have been selected to receive grants will be announced in the coming months. You can help fund research like Dr. Meyers’ groundbreaking study by donating all or part of your state income tax refund to the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program. Every penny contributed through the state income tax refund goes directly to fund breast and cervical cancer research happening right here in Pennsylvania.
The PA Breast Cancer Coalition is pleased to have joined with Curves of Ephrata for a fundraiser throughout October, breast cancer awareness month. Marsha Lausch (left) of Curves of Ephrata presented a donation of $2,062 to Heather Hibshman (right), executive director of the PA Breast Cancer Coalition.
Curves held a silent auction made up of items donated by members throughout the month of October. Thanks for your support right in our backyard!
HARRISBURG, Pa. – “Pink Ribbon Stories: A Celebration of Life” (ISBN 978-0-9701379-7-5) by 10-year breast cancer survivor Tammy Miller offers hope and laughter from personal stories of battling breast cancer. Miller compiled over 120 entries from women and men whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.
Throughout her own diagnosis, Miller used her sense of humor on her journey. She went through her first breast cancer surgery wearing a clown nose and shoes while carrying a kazoo. For her second, she wore a pink feather boa. Miller’s sense of humor and optimism made her journey a memorable one for those around her.
Referencing “Pink Ribbon Stories,” Miller says “there are stories that will warm your heart; make you laugh; cause you to pause for reflection; and others that simply tell a story of a courageous journey through life. There are words and stories to encourage, inspire and make you smile. This book is one way I can show those who are battling breast cancer that they are not alone.”
“Pink Ribbon Stories: A Celebration of Life” is available online at http://pbcc.me/PinkRibbonStories or through your favorite e-reader’s store. Proceeds benefit the PA Breast Cancer Coalition.
About the Author:
Tammy Miller is an international speaker, author and speech coach. Her speaking topics include humor and healing, presentation and communication skills, brain aerobics, motivation and achieving goals. She is the owner of Tammy Speaks, LLC of Port Matilda, PA, and she enjoys helping others build their communication skills and achieve their goals in life. As an author, Tammy has written, “The Lighter Side of Breast Cancer Recovery,” about her personal journey of using humor to deal with her cancer diagnosis. And, “My Life is Just Speech Material… And, So is Yours,” is a valuable guide to discovering what to say and how to say it with your next presentation. She can be reached at www.tammyspeaks.com.
The PBCC represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. The PBCC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to. For more information, please call 800-377-8828 or visit www.PABreastCancer.org.
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Media Contact: Kevin Smith
717-721-2580 x109
Kevin@PABreastCancer.org
On Thursday, November 3rd, I had the pleasure of meeting with Lauren Egenrieder, a senior at Bermudian Springs High School. She held a 5K race on October 8th at Lake Meade to benefit the PBCC.
As her senior class project, Lauren worked with her advisor Mr. Jared Nace (pictured right) to develop the event. Thanks to sponsorships, registrations, and donations, Lauren raised $4,400 for the PBCC!
Thanks Lauren for your hard work and congratulations on your success!
Those who were expecting a day of educational and motivational workshops, exciting speakers and inspirational stories, got that and more at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference this year! The PBCC awarded an additional $100,000 grant to researcher Dr. Craig Meyers in order to further his breakthrough research that may ultimately hold the key to a cure.
Dr. Meyers, a researcher at Penn State College of Medicine, and his team were among those surprised by the grant award. His initial discovery of a virus that kills breast cancer cells in a laboratory setting was funded by a grant from the PBCC’s Refunds for Research program. PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy described the discovery as “what the world has been waiting for.” The PBCC’s $100,000 contribution will enable the research to continue while additional funding is sought to continue the study.
In addition to the surprise grant award presentation, the conference provided the hundreds of attendees with the opportunity to take part in educational workshops, listen to knowledgeable speakers, recognize outstanding awardees, enjoy a delicious luncheon, and browse vendor tables. Thank you to PBCC Conference Honorary Chair First Lady Susan Corbett, our 2011 award recipients, and all the sponsors, exhibitors and attendees for joining us in making history at this year’s conference!
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) gave an additional $100,000 research grant to Dr. Craig Meyers and his team at Penn State College of Medicine today. The announcement came at the 2011 PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference held at the Hilton Harrisburg attended by over 1,000 people. This grant marks the single-largest research contribution made by the PBCC in its 18-year history and it follows a 2007 PBCC Pennsylvania Income Tax Refund for Research grant of $35,000 to Dr. Meyers.
Through this PBCC funded research, Dr. Meyers discovered that adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) kills breast cancer cells in every stage in the laboratory in tissue culture dishes. AAV2 is a nondisease-causing virus that kills human breast cancer cells and often infects humans. Preliminary research using AAV2 to treat breast cancer cells in a mouse model has also yielded promising results but needs further study.
“I’ve been working with this significant nondisease-causing virus that kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory because we know that breast cancer has a complex structure and differing types,” said Dr. Craig Meyers, professor of microbiology and immunology at Penn State College of Medicine.
Referring to these exciting new findings as, “what, for decades, the medical community has worked towards and the rest of the world has been waiting for,” Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the PBCC said that her pioneering organization is thrilled to be part of Dr. Meyers’discovery of a virus that kills all stages and all types of breast cancer cells in the laboratory.
“Breast cancer survivors, their families, and all girls and women and those that care for them look forward to the final phase of this research–clinical trials with humans. While that final step may still be years away, it gives us hope that we will discover a cure so our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to. Dr. Meyers’ break-through is a real-world example that research is our best weapon in battling breast cancer,” added Halpin-Murphy.
Halpin-Murphy went on to say that “each day, 32 women in Pennsylvania are diagnosed with breast cancer and over 2,000 die every year from the devastating disease.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Coalition for their generous support of Dr. Meyers’ research,” said Richard J. Courtney, Ph.D., chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Penn State College of Medicine. “The recent findings of his research group are very exciting; however, much additional research remains to be done. This grant will be instrumental in helping Dr. Meyers and his colleagues to further advance this highly promising breast cancer research ongoing within his laboratory.”
The PBCC established and oversees the Refunds for Breast Cancer Research program, which uses donations from Pennsylvanians to fund vital research grants across the state. State residents may contribute all or part of their state income tax refund to the Refunds for Research program to help find a cure. To date, Pennsylvanians have donated over $2.8 million with the average donation from taxpayers being $8. Thanks to the PBCC’s program, nearly 70 research grants have been awarded to outstanding Pennsylvania scientists.
The PBCC represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. The PBCC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure now…so our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to. For more information, visit www.PABreastCancer.org or call 800-377-8828.
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The PBCC presented Allan Lipton, M.D. of the Penn State College of Medicine with a $50,000 grant at a kick-off event for the 2012 Refunds for Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Campaign at the Capitol Building. Michael Wolf , Executive Deputy Secretary at the PA Department of Health, and Debbie Freer, a breast cancer survivor and PBCC Board Member joined PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy in speaking at the event.
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