Celebrate the Red, White & Blue..wearing PINK!

Please join Susan G. Komen Orange County this Fourth of July at the Huntington Beach Parade, the largest parade of its kind west of the Mississippi.

We’d like to invite all survivors, co-survivors, family and friends to march alongside our pink golf cart and help celebrate life! If you’re interested in joining us, please email volunteer [at] komenoc.org or call 714-957-9157.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and 8th Street and will continue along Main Street, ending past Yorktown Ave.

If you choose to watch from the sidelines instead, keep an eye out for our crowd of pink and give us a wave and a cheer!

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day.

Congratulations to our 2012 Community Grantees

Today Komen OC announced it will award more than $1.5 million in grants to 15 local nonprofit organizations at the Grants Award Breakfast on Friday, Dec. 2. The grants make a substantial impact in the fight to end breast cancer forever and reinforce Komen Orange County’s support for its surrounding community partners.

The 2012 Komen Fund for Breast Health Care and community grants recipients and their breast health programs are:

• AltaMed Health Services Corporation / Breast Cancer Early Detection and Care Program
• Asian American Senior Citizens Service Center / Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention Program (BCAPP) to the Uninsured Chinese American Women
• Breast Cancer Solutions / Enabling Access: Medical and Financial Aid Program; Latina Breast Health Support Program Specialist
• Hurrt Family Health Clinic / Access to Care and Treatment (ACT) Now Project
• Laguna Beach Community Clinic / LBCC’s Breast Care Commitment Program
• Latino Health Access / Salud de Seno (Breast Health Program)
• Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Clinic / Breast Care for Low-Income and Uninsured Young People
• Pacific Islander Health Partnership / Pacific Islander Navigator Breast Health Project
• Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties / Breast Health Program
• Serve the People Community Health Center / Women’s Wellness Clinic
• Share Our Selves (SOS) / Women’s Health Initiative
• The G.R.E.E.N. Foundation / ActNOW: Be Self Empowered  (BSE) Breast Health
• Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation / Breast Health Navigation and Education Program
• YWCA of North Orange County / Early Breast Cancer Screening and Education
• University of California, Irvine / Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Our 2011 Grant Recipients

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Michelle Buessing

Komen volunteer Michelle Buessing is definitely a “glass half full” type of woman. She has enthusiasm, optimism and determination despite her personal challenge with breast cancer. Michelle was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer at the age of 32 while she was breast feeding her daughter Maya. There was no family history of breast cancer.

 

Michelle went through four months of chemotherapy, had an 8-hour surgery, three more months of chemo and then 33 radiation treatments, but none of this knocked down the spirit of this Mission Viejo mother. Michelle is now a volunteer for the Komen for the Cure Speakers Bureau.

Here is what Michelle had to say at a recent speaking engagement:

“At the age of 32 I heard the words, ‘you have cancer.’ A day that will always stand out as the most life changing moment of my life, not because it brought me to my knees (which it did) but because it was the day I was given the gift of hope…hope that I would have a long future with my then 11-month- old and 2-year-old little girls because I got to hear the words treatable and curable. [These] two words to a recently diagnosed young mother and wife that make all the difference.

“I have told people since the day I was diagnosed that I owe my life to Susan G. Komen for the Cure because no other organization has done more or had a greater impact on the survival rate. I received cutting edge chemo, surgery and radiation thanks to the advancements in medicine that have been made over the past 20 years.

“I feel in the very fiber of my being that I will get to stand with my daughters at the glorious celebration the day we announce we have found a cure for breast cancer. Will you join me in finding a cure?”

Michelle is an inspiration. She and her family deserve our help. Let’s live by her motto: “Life is sweet… enjoy it!  Faith, love and hope REALLY do make all the difference.”

 

Circle of Promise

On Sunday, Komen OC teamed up with the Komen Los Angeles Affiliate and launched the Circle of Promise campaign in Long Beach to create the largest Second Line. A Second Line is a “lively dancing procession that celebrates life at the conclusion of a funeral” and is traditionally a celebratory component of Mardi Gras festivals. The Long Beach event allowed Komen OC, along with participants, to Bury the Silence and Raise Our Voice as we end breast cancer in African American community.

The Komen Los Angeles County and Orange County Affiliates, in partnership with the Komen African American Community Partnership, a collaboration of local agencies and key stakeholders, launched the local Circle of Promise campaign to reach at risk women in Greater Long Beach, CA. The goals are to engage the local community in the breast cancer movement, increase knowledge of breast health and local resources, reduce stigma related to breast cancer and motivate the use of annual mammography screening. These efforts align with Komen National’s Circle of Promise and Queens of Keeping it Real Campaign.

Based upon statistical analyses of the regional Cancer Registry, the Affiliates found that African-American women in its service area are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage and are at significantly increased risk of dying from the disease than Caucasian women. (Komen/ UCI Data Project; 2009) An individual who is diagnosed early has a 98% survival rate while those detected at an advanced stage have a 20% survival rate. For more information about this data, click here.

The Circle of Promise campaign is designed to engage African American women to help end breast cancer forever by increasing awareness, support, empowerment and action.  The program works by mobilizing the community to ensure that women everywhere have access to the care they need. For more information, please call our office at 714-957-9157.

Kruisin for Komen

Steve Churm, Publisher of OC Metro is “Kruisin for Komen” this month to celebrate breast cancer awareness. He has teamed up with Spa Gregories for a promotion benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Spa Gregories will be selling raffle tickets through Nov. 7, with all proceeds going donated to Komen OC.

If Spa Gregories reaches its goal of $15,000 in ticket sales, Steve has promised to go pink from head to toe when he broadcasts the OC Metro Minute on Nov. 8. So please tell everyone know to buy a ticket!

But that’s not all….

Steve will be riding all over Orange County over the next few weeks on a fabulous pink scooter that you could win in the hottest charity raffle this year. The first person to guess correctly where he is each time Spa Gregories makes a post will win one $20 entry ticket into the raffle, which is packed with amazing prizes such as:

A 2-night stay at Ritz Carlton

A 3-day, 2-night stay for two at Oaks at Ojai

A 3-day, 2 night stay for two at Red Mountain

Spa Gregories/Hilton Del Mark Escape to Del Mark Package

Cortright Cruises Duffy Christmas Boat Parade (Newport Beach)

Much, much more!

Raffle tickets are one for $20, two for $30 and seven for $100 and can be purchased at any Spa Gregories location or online at SpaGregories.com.

OC legislators support the Race for the Cure

Members of Congress Loretta Sanchez and Ed Royce and Steve Spernak, and policy advisor representing the office of Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson, presented plaques acknowledging the work the Affiliate has done over the last 20 years. The plaques were presented in acknowledgement of the work done to provide outreach and education on breast health/cancer, as well as to help Orange County women find access to screening, diagnostics and support.

State Senator Lou Correa provided a resolution signed by all state senators and assembly members representing Orange County.  We are truly thankful to have such strong supporters of our breast health initiatives at the local, state and national level, especially during these challenging economic times.

 

Advocacy Alliance computer bag winners

Congratulations to Nadine Doran who won the Mobile Edge computer bag and Lynn Stansberry and Rafael Gonzalez who won the BMW computer bags!  Thank you to all who signed the petition to help save the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and to all of you who generously donated at our booth at the registration suite and the Race.  Together we raised $1,330 from the advocacy alliance drawing to help provide mammograms to the most vulnerable women in our community.

Mobile Edge supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Mobile Edge is a corporate sponsor for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and works closely with Komen OC. Mobile Edge donated 2,000 Cancer Survivor Bags and Komen Laptop Bags to help Komen OC reach our fundraising goal.

Mobile Edge booth

During the Race, Mobile Edge’s booth gave away three different laptop cases to participants who stopped by. Mobile Edge created the Caring Case Collection, which is comprised of pink-themed laptop bags all toting the symbolic pink breast cancer ribbon. Mobile Edge donates 10 percent of the retail selling price of each case in the Caring Case Collection directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

More than 300 individuals signed up to win. The winners of the drawing will be announced in the next blog post.

Race for the Cure kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Are you looking for a way to get involved with Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October? There is something happening everyday in October: click here to find out what you can do to create a world without breast cancer.

Komen OC’s 20th Annual Race for the Cure was a great way for us to start Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Check out some of the great media coverage at the links below and help us create “less talk, more action” throughout October as we continue to fundraise for a cure:

ABC7

Alysse Brunner and Carlee Casey with Dr. Oz

 

CBS Los Angeles

Orange County Register

Speaker Lisa Dittmer and family

Garden Grove Channel 3

Daily Pilot photo gallery

Let us know what you thought about the Race and how you are going to help for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

20 Years of Saving Lives Celebrated at 2011 Orange County Race for the Cure

A virtual river of pink rushed through Fashion Island today as more than 30,000 attendees joined forces for the 20th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

We expect to break the $3.1 million goal, topping last year’s record $3 million while continuing to fundraise through Oct. 31, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

Of the registered participants, approximately 1,700 were breast cancer survivors and the rest enthusiastic supporters, many of whom were racing for a loved one affected by breast cancer.

Our Survivors walking to the Survivor Pavillion

There were 790 teams, the largest being Bank of America Merrill Lynch US Trust with 590 team members. An incredible 2,000 volunteers helped at the Wellness Expo booths, water stations and on the course.

Wellness Expo

In honor of the milestone year, Mehmet Oz, M.D. (Dr. Oz), best-selling author and two-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning host of The Dr. Oz Show (ABC7 weekdays at 3 p.m.), addressed the thousands of Race attendees during the breast cancer Survivor Tribute.

Dr. Oz with a Survivor

Our first 5K Race of the day winner was Stephen Tippett of Mission Viejo who crossed the finish line at 17:12; Patrick Boivin of Lake Forest won the 9:45 5K with a time of 15:44. Top finishers of the breast cancer survivors were Brenda Edgell of Lake Forest for the 7:30 5K with a time of 24:29; and Michelle Lewis of Newport Beach for the 9:45 5K with a time of 29:25.

 

A hallmark of each Race is the Survivor Tribute, where breast cancer survivors are recognized for their fight against and triumph over the disease at a special ceremony in their honor. The Komen Orange County Affiliate’s 2011 Most Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor, Cindy Thomsen was acknowledged during this year’s tribute.

Be sure to join us again next year to help us in our fight against breast cancer! Visit www.komenoc.org/race to find out how you can still donate and help us meet this year’s goal.