Letter from Executive Director Alison J. Levin

March Madness??? Absolutely!! The Ozark Affiliate is in full swing putting the final touches on our upcoming 14th annual Komen Ozark Race for the Cure. Our teams are forming so please go online and register and come out to celebrate the many wonderful stories of survivorship.
 
This year our survivors have shared many special memories of “What they would have missed” if they had not had a mammogram and been treated for breast cancer. Check out our video on our website http://www.komenozark.org/get-involved/social-media/ . We are also highlighting the Global Mission of Komen as well as how this translates into services and lifesaving research currently being offered in our local community.

On March 15th we will announce our 2012 Grantees and the investment of another $750,000 to 13 local agencies that will continue to provide services for education, screening and treatment. We lead by our mission and our mission is to save lives!

Your dollars save lives and help people in our service area……such as Aimee who was 19 years old when she was diagnosed and uninsured. Aimee had no family history and was helped by a Komen grant.  Aimee was able to obtain valuable information through genetic screening which assisted the doctors in putting together a successful treatment plan.

I encourage you to join us on April 28th at the Pinnacle Hills Mall and run, walk, bark, or sleep in to help us find the cures for breast cancer!! Why is it called Race for the Cure?  It is because a race has a finish and we are all looking to cross that finish line together and find the cures!!!

Calling all TEAMS!!

It’s not too late to get your team formed for this year’s Race for the Cure!   Just visit our website at http://www.komenozark.org/komen-race-for-the-cure/teams/ and click on the “Start a Race Team” icon.   All you have to do is register as a Team Captain and then get out and recruit your friends, family members, co-workers and anyone else you can think of to join your Team.  The website is packed with lots of helpful information for you as Team Captain and for your Team members, so please take a minute and check us out on www.komenozark.org.

This year’s Race is on April 28th at Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall in Rogers.  We have brought back all of the favorite events – the 5K and 1 mile fun run for non-competitive runners and walkers and the competitive 5K and 10K for those who wish a little bit more of a challenge.  And don’t forget the kiddos and dogs!  We have special events for them too – Bark for the Cure and Kids for the Cure!  We even have Sleep-in for the Cure for those folks who can’t quite make it out of bed for Race time.  But we hope you will so you can check out all the great sponsor booths that will be set up around the Mall!

Here are some important dates for you to remember:
 March 29th and 30th are Team paper drop off at our Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall Office (located in Suite 3155 in the Interior of the Mall next to Hot Topic and Tradehome and across from Hollister).
 If you are submitting paper registration forms, these are the dates you need to know.  You can still add to your Team after these dates, but you will need those Team members to sign up online rather than by paper registration forms for you to have the convenience of having all Team members’ Race materials packed together.
 April 11th – Grand Opening of the Promenade Mall office at 10:00 AM.
 April 15th – last day for Teams to register online so that you have all of your Team members’ Race materials packed together for your convenience.
 April 20th – Team pick up begins.  Just drop by the Race’s Promenade Mall office and you can pick up all of your Team’s Race materials.
 April 28th – RACE DAY at Promenade Mall!!!!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact the Komen office at 479-750-PINK or by e-mail at info@komenozark.org.

As always we appreciate your support of Komen for the Cure!  The more Race participation we have, the more lives we can save!  We look forward to seeing you at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall on Saturday, April 28th!

2012 Pasta Party Friday April 27th

Washington Regional is once again proud to sponsor the Annual Susan G. Komen Pasta Party.  This year’s event is not only moving to a new venue, but is also boasting its new menu, our first-ever “Taste of Italy” event.

Come take a tour of Italy and “sample the tastes” of what Fayetteville has to offer.  Our very own Noodles Italian Kitchen and Mermaids along with Olive Garden of Fayetteville will provide “samplings” of local favorites.  Appetizers, salad, bread and desserts will be served to ensure you get the full “taste” of your local Italian cuisine.

Pratt Place Inn & Barn in Fayetteville is where this year’s event will be held on Friday, April 27th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm.  The Pratt Barn will provide the perfect backdrop for a nice cool night for food, fun and fellowship.

There will be plenty to quench your thirst with beverages provided by PepsiCo, McBride Distributing and Liquor World.

This year’s entertainment will be an acoustical performance by TJ Scarlett on the Flooring America by CarpetSmart stage.

Event pricing is $25.00 per person or children 6 and under eat free.  You can purchase tickets online at www.komenozark.org or at the door the night of the event.

Come celebrate with us this year as we take a tour of Italy through our “Taste of Italy” event and help put an end to breast cancer. 

2012 Breast Health Providers Conference

On Friday, March 9th the Ozark Affiliate hosted the 2012 Breast Health Providers Conference at the Jones Center and had over 100 providers of breast health services in attendance.  The theme of the conference was “Global Mission, Local Impact.”The Danzantes Aztecas dance troupe started off the morning dancing the participants into the conference room followed by opening remarks by the Executive Director of the Ozark Affiliate, Alison Levin.  Levin introduced a young breast cancer survivor, Aimee Johnson who told her story about being diagnosed at the age of 21 and utilizing Komen funds for services like genetic testing.  The morning sessions included the sessions, “Navigation in Different Communities,” “Breast Care in Romania: An Opportunity to Make a Difference,” and “Tears for Life.”

Following lunch, the sessions included an “Update on BreastCare” and “Komen Research, Evaluation and Scientific Programs: Energizing the Science to Find the Cure.”  The Ozark Affiliate was fortunate enough to get Dr. Sarah Robertson to present on Komen research.  Dr. Robertson joined Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in September 2010 as part of the new Research Programs team.  As Manager of Scientific Grants, she leads the post-award management and grantee relationship building aspects of Komen’s research program.

After the session on Komen research, six different options of breakout sessions were offered to attendees.  Those six sessions included; “Nutrition and Breast Cancer,” “Public Policy and How You Can Have a Voice,” “Breast Cancer Screening: Closing in on the Confusion,” “Palliative Care,” “Lifetime Risk of Lymphedema,” and “Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy.”

In addition to sessions, vendor and exhibitor booths were open to participants.  The vendors included current grantees of the Ozark Affiliate along with Esperanza y Vida and Arkansas BreastCare.

The Providers Conference would not have been possible without the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, and many volunteers and sponsors!

Carroll Electric Lineman shave heads for the cause!

Last Friday, a Carrol Electric lineman asked a couple of coworkers who have shaved heads to be in a picture with him to show support for his wife's 35 year old cousin who is currently undergoing chemo for breast cancer and recently shaved her head. Over the next few days, he received texts and pictures of more linemen who were shaving their heads to be in the picture. Four people had theirs done in his garage. Two were being buzzed as I set up for the photo and unfortunately some were called away for an outage.
I watched a group of "rough & tough" guys climb a pole, bunch up, hand out pink signs and then get silent, completely still, and asked if they were all holding their signs the right way and standing where they needed to be for a girl that only one of them knows.

My g-ma and my aunt are survivors. My cousin was diagnosed in Jan. with stage 3 br. cancer and started chemo a few weeks later. My husband and these guys have proven to me that people are still wonderful and have great big hearts. L A Harmon 

Local Queens for the Cure Pageant Donates Proceeds to Support Local Women 

February is the month for love and beauty.  It’s also the month for compassion and giving as local beauty pageant contestants and attendees demonstrated.  Harrison resident Tamsyn Simon has formed a local chapter of Queens for the Cure.  Queens for the Cure is a pageant benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Ozarks affiliate which means the money raised here, stays here.  The first pageant was in Oct 2011 and a second pageant, Royal Sweethearts, was held at Forest Heights Elementary School on Feb 10, 2012.  Twenty three girls and boys participated in the event.  Contestant supporters voted for their crowd favorite with dollars to support the breast cancer cause here in our area.  Local sponsors also helped support the event.  Many of the pageant contestants plan to participate in the Race for the Cure on April 28th in Rogers, AR.  The 2012 Queens for the Cure Pageant is already scheduled for October 20, 2012 at the North Arkansas College Center Campus Durand Center.

The local affiliate of Susan G Komen for the Cure is the Ozark Affiliate in Springdale, AR.  The Ozark Affiliate has granted our local Community Health Resource Center over $410,000 in the past five years to fund mammograms, breast ultra sounds and breast biopsies for uninsured and underinsured women and men in our area.  Through these efforts, sixteen breast cancers were detected in women who might not have had a mammogram otherwise. 

Breakfast for state legislators

The Arkansas Cancer Coalition hosted a breakfast for state legislators to inform them of the need to continue with the Breast Care program and the progress to date on how the system was operating. There was a brief recap of the history of the program given by State Senator Mary Ann Salmon who has been the “Legislative Champion” since its’ beginning. Representing the Ozark Affiliate was the Chair of the Breast Health Initiative – Public Policy Dr. Merlin Leach.

Left to Right: Jason Brady, American Cancer Society; Dr. Merlin Leach, Susan G. Komen - Ozark Affiliate; State Senator Mary Anne Salmon; Dr. Ronda S. Henry-Tillman, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Sherrye McBryde, Susan G. Komen - Arkansas Affiliate, State Representative Linda Tyler; Cornelya Dorbin, Arkansas Cancer Coalition; and Tyler Clark - representing Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc.

Wacoal – Fit for the Cure

Wacoal invites women around the country to “step into the ring” (or even better, the dressing room!) and join the fight against breast cancer. Attend a Fit for the Cure event* in your area and let a Wacoal fit specialist help you determine your true bra size. For every woman who participates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to help fund breast cancer research and community outreach projects. (No purchase necessary). 

Dillards
2101 Promenade Blvd.
Rogers, AR 72758
phone: 479-936-7984

March 21st
12 PM to 5 PM

Dillards
4201 N Shiloh Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72703
phone: 479-521-7171

March 22
11 AM to 3 PM

River Valley Events

Komen Ozark River Valley – Educational Breast Self Awareness Programs

Komen Ozark is available to partner with your group or organization to present Breast Self Awareness (BSA) Programs to your members.  BSA Programs are beneficial to educate your groups on the key elements for early detection and prevention:  Know your Risk, Get Screened, Know what is Normal for You and Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices. Please contact Teresa Jones at 479-430-4365 or teresa.komenozark@gmail.com for more information.

Van Buren High School – Pitch for the Cure

The third annual Breast Cancer Awareness Softball Game will begin at 5 p.m. April 12 at the Van Buren Baseball Field at Van Buren High School, 2001 E. Pointer Trail in Van Buren. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and can be purchased at the gate. T-shirts are being sold in commemoration of the event. Those who purchase a shirt and wear it to the game can attend free.  For more information contact Coach Andy Williams at 479-970-7897

Fishing for a Cure

Saturday June 9, 2012 Fort Smith Park
The Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure ® is proud to team up with area anglers Patrick Green and Alan Anderson to host the first annual “FISHING FOR THE CURE”!   Join us for this one-day fishing tournament and fundraiser benefiting the Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
On June 9th 2012, anglers of all ages will compete for top prizes at Fort Smith Park on the Arkansas River.  Top ten places will be awarded along with manufactures’ added money, plus “Big Bass” prize.  The registration fee for “FISHING FOR A CURE” is $100 for a two man team entry and $10 for a “Big Bass” entry.   Please contact Teresa Jones at 479-430-4365 or teresa.komenozark@gmail.com for more information.

Paint the Park Pink

The 6th Annual Paint the Park Pink is scheduled for Saturday, Sept 22nd at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.  Planning is underway now and if you are interested in helping with this family fun walk please contact Teresa Jones at 479-430-4365 or teresa.komenozark@gmail.com for more information. 

Triple Negative Breast Cancer – what do we know and where are we headed?

Although breast cancer is often referred to as one disease, there are actually many different types of breast cancer. The differences can help guide treatment and provide information on prognosis. Certain characteristics make some breast cancers more aggressive than others, leading to a poorer prognosis. One such breast cancer is triple negative breast cancer. Although we understand some aspects of these breast cancers, we still have much to learn. 
 
What is triple negative breast cancer?

All breast cancers are tested for hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptors and HER2/neu receptors. If the test is “positive”, the cancer cells have many receptors. If the test is “negative”, the cancer cells have few or no receptors. The status of these receptors helps guide treatment. Triple negative breast cancers are: 
 •Estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) 
 •Progesterone receptor-negative (PR-) 
 •HER2/neu-negative (HER2-)   
 
About 14 to 20 percent of all breast cancers are triple negative.1-7 

To read more click here

Save the Date!

June 8th-10th- 7th Annual Pitch for the Cure for more information click here
July 27th- Pink in the Park Arvest Ballpark
October 20th-Swing for the Cure