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.
Newlyweds Jennifer Telesco & Matthew Loftus, Jr. who are both dedicated teachers in the Scranton area, felt their wedding day was made even more special because of their choice to make a donation to the PBCC in lieu of favors. “Matthew and I have had many family members, friends, and colleagues fight a courageous fight against breast cancer. We were honored to do something to join them in such an important fight,” said Jennifer.
Their gift helps the PBCC continue its work on behalf of women and their families with breast cancer. Thanks to Jennifer and Matthew for their generosity and best wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness! If you would like to make a donation to the PBCC in lieu of wedding, bridal shower or baby shower favors – or to celebrate or commemorate any other occasion such as an anniversary, birthday, or reunion – contact us for details. We will gladly provide you with information about our organization and may be able to provide you with giveaways for your guests.
October is breast cancer awareness month, which is evident when you spot the Capitol Fountain in Harrisburg in its pink glory! First Lady Susan Corbett, who produced a video for the PBCC, was joined by Sheri Phillips, the Secretary of the Department of General Services, PBCC President and Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy, and PBCC Board Member and breast cancer survivor Debbie Freer for a kick-off event unveiling the pink fountain at the rear of the State Capitol Building.
Turning the Capitol fountain pink for breast cancer awareness month has become an annual event. The month-long pink fountain is sure to serve as a vibrant reminder of the importance and significance of breast cancer awareness to all who see it.
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!
When we started the PBCC in 1993, breast cancer was talked about in hushed tones. Breast cancer survivors didn’t have organizations or support groups to help them through their experience. Fortunately, things have since changed. Eighteen years later, the PBCC and many other organizations remain devoted to the fight against breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month has grown into an internationally recognized phenomenon, where companies make nearly anything you can think of in pink to promote breast cancer awareness.
At the PBCC, we are pleased to partner with companies like Martin’s Potato Chips, who have made an annual tradition of producing special pink ribbon packaging for Breast Cancer Awareness Month each year and donating a portion of the proceeds to the PBCC.
We are honored that hundreds of individuals have given of their time and talent to think about ways to raise money for the work of the PBCC just by doing what they love.
We are inspired by the hardworking researchers here in Pennsylvania who look to unlock the mysteries of breast cancer in order to develop better methods of detection, improved treatments, and ultimately a cure for this disease.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight the fight against breast cancer and turn awareness into action. We at the PBCC believe it is ultimately a means to an end. The goal of the PBCC is and always has been to find a cure for breast cancer so our daughters won’t have to. Until that happens, we remain committed to supporting research that will help lead us to a cure and working tirelessly on behalf of those diagnosed with breast cancer and their families. Join the PBCC in turning awareness into action.
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.
Cooler temperatures, autumn leaves and Friday football games can only mean one thing at the PBCC…it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month once again! I continue to be amazed at people’s creativity and commitment when it comes to fundraising or special event ideas. I firmly believe that anything you enjoy can become a benefit for the PBCC. Do you golf…ride horses…snow tube…play softball…walk…have a motorcycle…make jewelry? Are you getting the idea?
Don’t let your talents go to waste. I challenge you to come up with something that’s never been done before. Every day our phone rings and someone is on the other end with an incredible idea for raising awareness about this disease.
Last week I attended a high school ice hockey game. It was Warwick vs. Hempfield…two powerhouse schools in Lancaster County. Marc Wizckowski, a senior for Warwick, turned the game into a fundraiser for the PBCC. He got special jerseys made, got raffle prizes donated, reserved the ice, and contacted local media. He did it all. And in the end, he raised $1,410 for the PBCC in one night. But more importantly, he got an arena full of fans to notice how powerful pink can be. The striking pink ribbons on the black jerseys, the pink grip tape on the hockey sticks, the girl working the door whose hair was pink for that night…it all led to an incredible sense of community and coming together for a cause.
That’s what Breast Cancer Awareness month is all about. I look forward to hearing the phone ring again today. Maybe the next amazing idea will be yours.
Posted By Kevin on September 28th, 2011 at 3:17 pm | 0 comments.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – A bright pink fountain will flow throughout October at the Pennsylvania State Capitol to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month. The East Wing Fountain at the State Capitol in Harrisburg turned PINK on Wednesday, September 28th thanks to the First Lady Susan Corbett and PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC).
The PA Breast Cancer Coalition was proud to join First Lady Susan Corbett, Sheri Phillips, Secretary of the PA Department of General Services, and Debbie Freer, PBCC Board Member and breast cancer survivor, in celebrating the start of this important month. The pink fountain serves as a breathtaking visual that underlines and signifies the critical importance of education, early detection and treatment of breast cancer.
“Almost all of us know someone whose life has been touched in some way by this disease,” said First Lady Susan Corbett. “My mother fought and won two rounds with breast cancer. She’s 92 now and still ready to fight. I’m proud to be her daughter. With new treatments, research and a simple will to survive; we can all take on the challenge of reducing breast cancer deaths and someday put an end to this disease.”
“As a staple at the State Capitol, this fountain is a reminder to all who pass by about the magnitude of breast cancer education. It serves as a tribute to the brave women throughout Pennsylvania who have fought or are fighting this dreadful disease,” said Pat Halpin-Murphy, PBCC President and Founder. “As October approaches, we are reminded that there are more than 140,000breast cancer survivors alive today across Pennsylvania, and we must continue to promote our mission of finding a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to.”
Breast cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity. Nearly all breast cancers can be treated successfully if found early. When breast cancer is found in its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent.
The PA Breast Cancer Coalition 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
CancerCare is a national nonprofit organization that provides free professional support services to cancer patients, caregivers, and family members. They offer counseling, support groups, educational workshops, community programs, and publications that may be of use to anyone affected by cancer. They also provide financial assistance as it relates to certain treatment-related costs for eligible individuals.
CancerCare has a comprehensive user-friendly website that may help answer many questions you may be facing as a patient, caregiver, or family member coping with cancer. Among the website’s resources are a list of inspirational stories and a Q&A section that focuses on a particular cancer related topic each month.
By: Barbara C. Good, Ph.D. It is not only private citizens who are undergoing belt tightening in these difficult economic times. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), which has for years funded clinical trials carried out by the 10 adult cancer cooperative trials groups, recently determined that there be only four such groups from this point forward into the foreseeable future. At this time, the previous groups are coming to agreements among themselves about which groups will merge together to meet this mandate.
Government-funded clinical trials will continue, but the manner in which they are carried out, how exactly the different groups’ methods of operation will be melded, and issues such as the particulars of data analysis and sample storage are as of now under consideration by the group chairs.
Under the new system, it is critical that NCI-sponsored trials continue to attract patient participants. The federal government, unlike private industry, can for the most part conduct these studies without the burden, real or perceived, of financial interest being a driving factor. Government-sponsored clinical trials have led to many of the advances in cancer treatment made over the past 40 years, including, in breast cancer trials, the option of lumpectomy and radiation instead of mastectomy, the common use of chemotherapy for treatment, and the use of tamoxifen as a preventive agent for women at high risk. Click here for more information about the current state of the clinical trials cooperative groups. Or, for more information on clinical trials in general, click here.
Is Tuesday, October 11 circled on your calendar? If not, there’s still time to join hundreds of breast cancer survivors and advocates at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference in Harrisburg for an unforgettable day full of educational workshops, engaging speakers, a delicious luncheon, and many new friends. Register now using coupon code PINK to save $10 off your $85 registration fee.
Help us honor the achievements of our 2011 Conference Award Recipients, who have each made significant contributions in the fight against breast cancer in their own way – whether it be through research or treatment of the disease, or through advocacy and fundraising. Choose from 13 workshops with topics varying from cutting edge research to advocacy. Browse our exhibitor tables and get a head start on holiday shopping.
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Newlyweds Jennifer Telesco & Matthew Loftus, Jr. who are both dedicated teachers in the Scranton area, felt their wedding day was made even more special because of their choice to make a donation to the PBCC in lieu of favors. “Matthew and I have had many family members, friends, and colleagues fight a courageous fight against breast cancer. We were honored to do something to join them in such an important fight,” said Jennifer.
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