For Immediate Release

For PA Breast Cancer Coalition:
Heather Hibshman, 717-721-2580
For The Martel Group:
Rob Ziemba, 717-480-8610

Harrisburg, Pa. – The summer heat of August may be three months away — but a new fundraising partnership is already burning up the pavement for a statewide non-profit organization. The PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) recently teamed up with Lebanon-based Bill Martel Racing to promote breast cancer awareness and education at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pocono Mountain 125 and The Pennsylvania ARCA 125 – Presented by Menard’s. These events will take place during the first weekend of August at The Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA.

Go Pink at Pocono benefits the PA Breast Cancer Coalition and event organizers are searching for supporting sponsors to join them in victory lane. Multiple sponsorship levels are available and include race car and race truck logos, event tickets, pit tours, driver meet-and-greets and more! Inaugural Go Pink at Pocono race t-shirts will also be for sale and are sure to be a hit. Race veteran Kyle Martel of Lebanon will drive one-of-a-kind pink vehicles during two events at the Pocono Raceway.

“This unique event will take the message of breast cancer awareness and early detection to thousands of Pennsylvania families,” said Pat Halpin-Murphy, president and founder of the PBCC. “We are extremely grateful to Bill Martel Racing for joining forces with the PBCC.”

“We are both honored and excited to promote the PBCC at one of the most visible races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – and for one of the best causes in Pennsylvania,” said Rob Ziemba, V.P. Sales and Marketing for Bill Martel Racing and The Martel Group. “The winner will be the PBCC because the money stays in Pennsylvania.”

Ziemba concluded by saying “we are racing for a reputable Pennsylvania organization and have the right race team and driver in place to help raise as much money and awareness as we can. We want to cross the finish line with the PBCC and do our part to help find a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to.” 

To sponsor Go Pink at Pocono, and to request additional information, please contact Rob Ziemba at rziemba@hanovercoldstorage.net. For more information about Bill Martel Racing, visit www.kylemartel.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 information call 800-377-8828 or visit www.PABreastCancer.org.

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Jim expects to log over 5,000 miles for the 2012 race starting in South Bend, Indiana then off to Plymouth, Indiana, Joliet, Illinois, all on the first day. By the next day, they are due in Council Bluffs, Iowa by 8 a.m. and then off to tracks in Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and back to South Bend. By the end of that circuit we will have traveled over 3300 miles plus the miles on each of the tracks, all from Saturday to Saturday.

Jim and his transit driver Steve Barrett have several sponsors and have once again added a fundraising component to the race. For a donation of $10 or more and they will put a Pink Ribbon sticker on the car with your name or a loved one’s name so you can “ride along” on their One Lap of America!

If you would like to donate please send your donation to Jim Roberts at 14 W. Main St., Mount Joy, PA 17552. Please make any checks payable to PA Breast Cancer Coalition. And be sure to follow Jim and Steve as they travel around America over the next couple of weeks on Jim’s blog!

Take a read through our online edition and share it with your friends!

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.

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.

We want to share them with other breast cancer survivors, advocates and family members. We are holding a contest for survivors to submit their stories, which we may feature in an upcoming Survivor Spotlight in either our Pink Link or FrontLine newsletters. One grand prize winner will receive two FREE registrations for our 2011 PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference, and everyone will receive a free gift for submitting their story. Entry details can be found here.

KAMMCares

The complete application process can be found at the KAMMCares website. KAMMCares also requires a letter from your doctor outlining information about the type of treatment you are receiving and the length of time you have been in treatment. The organization requires that this information be provided on your doctor’s letterhead and signed by hand in ink by the doctor. KAMMCares will not accept photocopies or faxes.

More information about KAMMCares and the application process is here.

It was a hockey night in Harrisburg when the Hanson Brothers returned to take the ice. The Hansons joined with teams of local hockey talent in a night of hard-hitting fun for the whole family. Rob Ziemba and Jon Jehrio of Play It Again for Charity brought the Slap Shot stars back to Central PA once again to Paint the Rink Pink for the PBCC.

The event featured players wearing pink laces in their skates and playing with pink pucks in a pink themed arena before a crowd of 350 hockey fans. Proceeds from the event are still being tallied. Play it Again for Charity has donated over $50,000 to the PBCC since 2006. Our thanks to all those who came out to help Paint the Rink Pink this year!

To date, 57 teams are registered for the PBCC and PA Association of Community Bankers’ Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer Home Run Derby, but we have plenty of room to add many more to the lineup! Register now to take advantage of May’s special offer and you can give your clients, friends, or family the experience of a lifetime. Individual batter registrations are available for purchase.

Did you take the court with the survivors for the WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State Lady Lions game? Plan another visit to State College and step up to the plate at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on July 30! Is a trip to the Little League Museum in Williamsport in your future? Take your baseball enthusiasm a step further by getting in the batter’s box with us on July 26.

With eleven ballparks across Pennsylvania participating, there’s bound to be a location near you!

Want to give Dad the experience of a lifetime? Sign him up to take a swing, and bring out the whole family to cheer him on when he steps up to the plate. Who says Father’s Day can’t be repeated in July?