Joshua Morgan, Arrelious Benn, NFLPA Kickoff Susan G Komen Global Race For the Cure

Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, announced $1.5 million in new D.C.-area community health grants at an event today that also marked the kickoff of a new partnership with the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA).

This year, Komen’s Global Race is moving to Mother’s Day weekend, appropriately themed “Make Mom Proud.” The race, ordinarily held in June, will be held on Saturday, May 11th.

Washington Redskins’ wide receiver Josh Morgan and Arrelious Benn, a District native now with the Philadelphia Eagles, were on hand at today’s event to announce their support of the May 11 Komen Global Race through the NFLPA’s “One Team for the Cure” initiative. ABC7/WJLA-TV’s Brittt McHenry, whose mom is a breast cancer survivor, was also in attendance. McHenry’s mother was diagnosed when she was a junior in high school.

“My godmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009,” said Redskins’ Walter Payton Man of the year Joshua Morgan. “Watching her courageously fight this disease every day since then has opened my eyes and made me want to help raise awareness. Life is precious, and there are a lot of strong, beautiful women fighting for their lives every day. By serving as a Global Race Local Ambassador, I am supporting breast cancer survivors—those still fighting – and the mission to find a cure.”

Komen’s Global Race supports programs for low-income, uninsured and vulnerable women in the District, Northern Virginia and Maryland. This year’s new grants bring to $33 million the amount that the organization has invested in community health programs in the region since starting the D.C. Global Race for the Cure in 1990.

D.C. has one of the highest breast cancer death rates in the nation, making it imperative that Komen continues to fund programs that reach low-income, uninsured and under-insured women in the region.

The organization currently has 18 active grants to community education and treatment centers totaling $7.3M. These grants are targeted to women in the District, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

“We can substantially improve breast cancer outcomes when we ensure that women, particularly those who are low-income, uninsured, or under-insured, get access to high-quality care,” said Dorothy Jones, Komen vice president of Marketing, in welcoming NFLPA to the team. “Komen has made it possible to reach more than 115,000 women, and to screen another 40,000, through community outreach programs here in the National Capital area.”

One of the organization’s grantees is the George Washington University Cancer Institute, whose Cancer Survivorship Initiative seeks to improve treatment outcomes by ensuring that women have access to medical care before, during and after their treatment. The GWCI Patient Navigation Network has helped 4,000 women through medical treatment. Its Survivorship Initiative has reached almost 1,000 low-income and uninsured women throughout the area, with screenings and support through breast cancer treatment, according to Mandi Pratt-Chapman, associate director of Community Programs for GWCI. “Our commitment to the women of this region is making a real difference,” she said.

“I am tremendously grateful for the patient navigation services I received while being treated at the GW Cancer Institute,” said Mary Pascale, a local survivor of aggressive, Stage 3 triple negative breast cancer. “The Citywide Survivorship Initiative helped me so much during a time that I truly needed the support so I could focus on beating breast cancer. Their compassionate staff helped me with everything from scheduling and insurance challenges to assisting in communication with my treatment team — it made all the difference in my care. Funds raised through the Global Race will allow the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® organization, to sustain funding for these lifesaving initiatives.”

For the full list of 2013 National Capital Area Community Grants, refer here