Warriors in Pink to Lead Komen Survivors at 2010 Race

S. Fla. Warriors Named; Represent Spirit, Courage in Cancer Battle

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., (January 5, 2009) – The South Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® named eight Warriors in Pink, who represent the courage and spirit of breast cancer survivors in the battle to eradicate the disease. The Warriors in Pink will lead thousands of survivors who approach the stage to be recognized during the Survivor Ceremony at the 19^th annual 2010 Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure®.

The Race, set for January 30, is the largest fundraiser for the Komen South Florida Affiliate and has the distinction of being the first race of the year among all Affiliates. The Komen South Florida Race for the Cure is now accepting Sponsorship Applications and Race Registration for participants. The Affiliate serves Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

The Warriors in Pink are:

Nancy Brinker of Palm Beach founded Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 1982 after promising her dying sister she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer for ever. Ambassador Brinker is considered the leader of the global breast cancer movement for her role in Komen, now the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists

fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science

to find the cures.  

F. Bud Gardner, 59, is a male breast cancer survivor, whose doctor found a breast lump while checking a suspicious mole. After his diagnosis in 2005, Gardner began arranging golf tournaments to raise awareness that men aren’t immune to the disease. The managing partner and founder of Franklin Associates, Gardner has donated tournament proceeds to Komen and the American Cancer Society. Gardner lives with his wife, Linda, in Port St. Lucie.

Susan Kristoff, 47, who was diagnosed in 2003, has worked with Komen for several years and is on the Speakers Bureau and Advocacy Alliance. “I hope to make the path easier for those who have to follow in my footsteps,” she said. “So much needs to be done and with the power of Komen, things are changing. I like thinking I’m a small part of that.” Komen has been an important organization for her and other survivors, Kristoff said, explaining it has helped her to justify what she’s gone through. Kristoff, who lives in West Palm Beach, has a college-aged son.

Margaret Oathout, 74, is a 12-year survivor who lives in Boynton Beach. Oathout, who retired from the New York state Office of Developmental Disabilities after 22 years of service, has volunteered with Komen for a decade, joining the Race for the first time in 2000 and designing the team contact system in 2001. She has served in various capacities, including as Team Chair, Boynton Beach Mall Race Registration Site Chair, and Individual Registration Chair. “It’s important to stress my incident was post menopausal.” With growing emphasis on detection and treatment for younger women, “It creates an impression among older women that they are somehow exempt,” she said.

Marie Seide, 48, of Boca Raton had a bilateral mastectomy in 2006 at the same time her mother was dying with cancer. She has since spent her time bringing awareness of breast cancer to women in the Haitian community. Seide, who is a real estate broker and the mother of three grown daughters, is helping her community to get free mammograms and to get grants through Komen for surgery and treatment once they are diagnosed. “Some of them have not had a chance to get a mammogram until they’re 50 or 60 years old. Now they know they have to get it done every year,” Seide said.

Stephanie Siegel of Boca Raton is Honorary Chairwoman of the 2010 Race and a member of the Komen Advocacy Alliance Board in Washington, D.C. Siegel represents the global expansion of the organization’s reach. It was Siegel’s and husband Ned’s vision that brought Komen to The Bahamas. The couple worked side-by-side in The Bahamas during Ned’s tenure as U.S. Ambassador as Stephanie Siegel shared her own battle with the country where nearly 50 percent of women under 50 are diagnosed with the disease. The Siegels have three children.

Liz Yavinsky, 39, of West Palm Beach was diagnosed with stage 3 bilateral breast cancer in August 2008. She walked the last Race after forming a race team for survivors under 40, called Palm Beach County Young Survivors. She’s participated in about four Races and plans to run the 2010 Race. Yavinsky, who has worked as a nurse practitioner, and husband Marc have four young children.

Shari Zipp, a 43-year-old resident of Wellington, is marking five years as a breast cancer survivor this year. She is the fourth generation of her family who has had breast cancer – and her mother is a 41-year survivor. Zipp, who has participated in Races for 15 years has been very active as a cancer survivor and has coached many people along the way. Her advice: “Never give up, hold your head up and think positive.” She and husband, Dr. Jeffrey Zipp, have one son.

Fan the Facebook Fan Page for Susan G. Komen for the Cure South Florida on Facebook and follow the Race on Twitter by following @KomenSouthFla. 

Media Contact:   Britt Monroe

                                                                                                Tilson Communications

                                                bmonroe@tilsonpr.com

(561) 998-1995

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Passes Race Baton

Five Inspiring Women Take Charge of January 2010 S. Fla. Event

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., (January 5, 2009) – The South Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® (www.komensouthflorida.org) has announced the 2010 Race Committee Leadership, a team of women personally inspired to lead the 19^th Annual Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure® in January. They are: Patricia Abramson, chairwoman; Stephanie Moak Siegel, honorary chairwoman; and Adrianne Weissman, consulting chairwoman. Karen List and Sandy Spender are co-chairs who will assist Abramson this year and gear up to chair the 2011 Komen South Florida Race for the Cure.  All five women will dedicate countless hours, working together to make this one of the best races to date.

Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, set for January 30, is the largest fundraiser for the South Florida Affiliate and has the distinction of being the first race of the year among all affiliates. The Race is now accepting Sponsorship Applications and Race Registration for participants will begin October 1. The Affiliate serves Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

Patricia Abramson: Race Chair Abramson’s goal for this year’s event: increase participation to at least 23,000 participants, up from 22,000, and boost fundraising. “I would like to see everybody raise just $10 more than their participation fee. Everyone can make this a success,” she said. Abramson, diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, has been involved with the Race for a decade – starting as a volunteer cheering on Race participants and stepping up her role after a close friend’s diagnosis. She credits involvement with Komen for saving her own life, and for instilling the importance of early detection and yearly mammograms. “My story was so much simpler because of early detection,” Abramson said. Her mission is to spread the message to groups including women under 40 who are being touched more frequently by the disease. Abramson, a buyer for Evelyn & Arthur, and husband Larry have three children. In June, the entire family participated in the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure® in Washington D.C.

Stephanie Moak Siegel: Honorary Chair Siegel is a member of the Komen Advocacy Alliance Board in Washington, D.C. The Komen Advocacy Alliance mission is to translate the promise to end breast cancer into action at all levels of government to discover and deliver the cures. Siegel represents the global expansion of the organization’s reach. “We are advocating for lasting change and giving a voice to cancer survivors around the world,” Siegel said. It was the vision of Siegel and her husband Ned that brought Komen to The Bahamas. A businesswoman and philanthropist, Siegel lived in The Bahamas, working side-by-side with Ned during his tenure as U.S. Ambassador. She shared her own battle with breast cancer – ultimately undergoing a double mastectomy – in the country where nearly 50 percent of women under 50 are diagnosed with the disease. Upon arrival in 2007, Siegel served as the inspiration for The Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative and the BBCI Foundation, where she actively spoke out for education, early detection and care for all women of The Bahamas. Siegel, a former designer and couture buyer who later became involved in business and real estate investment ventures, lives in Boca Raton with her husband. They have three children.

Adrianne Weissman: Consulting Chair Weissman, who led the 2009 Race in South Florida, is Sponsorship Chair as well as advisor. She became involved with Komen 12 years ago after a friend asked her to walk and has since served as a volunteer and sponsor and chaired numerous committees. The president of Evelyn & Arthur clothing stores, Weissman believes she has a responsibility to get involved, because many of her customers have had breast cancer. The Race is a significant event for the Affiliate as 75 percent of the money raised stays in South Florida and is used for free mammograms, education and grants for patient navigators among other things, Weissman said, adding, “We are a huge provider of funds.” Twenty-five percent of funds raised goes to the national organization for breast cancer research. Weissman and husband Fred have two daughters.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Wellington, FL (January 4, 2010) — ArtStart would like to thank Barnes &Nobles and its patrons for their generosity this holiday season.  ArtStart, whose mission is to provide educational opportunities in the arts, was selected as one of the non-profit organizations to work the Barnes and Noble gift wrapping table in December.   The gift wrapping service is provided at no charge, however customers are free to give tips to the organization whose volunteers are wrapping their gifts. “As a result of our selection by Barnes & Noble,” said ArtStart founder and president Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi, “we collected enough in tips to fund one of our 2010 Youth Art Scholarships.  We can’t thank Barnes & Noble, and their customers, enough for their generosity.”

Parssi said she was also pleased that among the ArtStart volunteers were a seven high school students* who were able to log community service hours by participating.  “We want to thank all of our volunteers, without whose help we could never have managed,” she said. Volunteering for ArtStart were: Larry Adkinson; *Kaci Bennett; Suzanne Bennett; Marilyn Berns; Anne Boodheshwar; Bobbie Brubaker; Jenny Dixon; *Mary Dixon; *Brianna Erickson; Mary Inglis; *Allison Parssi; *Isabella Valdescruz; *Crystal Yan and *Felicia Yan.

ABOUT THE ARTSTART YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP

The ArtStart Youth Art Scholarship is available to 5^th grade students who are applying for acceptance as visual arts majors at Bak Middle School of the Arts.  The $250 scholarship is intended to help defray the cost of attending a portfolio development course, and may also pay for items such as art supplies and other materials needed to create a winning portfolio and increase the chances for a successful audition. 

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2010 ArtStart Youth Art Scholarship is Friday, October 15, 2010.  Applications may be downloaded by visiting www.ArtStartInc.org or obtained via e-mail at info@artstartinc.org.  For more information, contact ArtStart at (561) 635-2037.

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