Statewide breast cancer awareness event

Press release submitted by Access Community Health Network

Access Community Health Network is hosting its 3rd annual Pin-A-Sister Sunday™ event that aims to highlight breast cancer disparities and mortalities affecting women throughout the state of Illinois.

Early detection saves lives. Access Community Health Network will hold its 3rd Annual Pin-A- Sister Sunday™ event Mother"s Day, May 10.

The event highlights disparities in breast cancer education, awareness and treatment for African-American and Latino women.

This year"s event aims to reach more than 500,000 women in 600 houses of worship throughout the Chicago area and the state of Illinois.

The event is supported by the statewide Stand Against Cancer program, and several major breast cancer advocates and organizations.

If your church would like information on how to participate, contact Paulina Guzman at 773.257.5901 or guzp@accesscommunityhealth.net before April 24.

Contact: Elaine Hegwood Bowen

Phone: 773.257.6599

Cell: 773.575.8134

For Immediate Release

March 31, 2009

Third Annual Pin-A-Sister™ï€ Breast Cancer Awareness

Campaign Aims to Reach 500,000 Women Statewide

Mother"s Day event to be held May 10

More than 300 radio and television personalities, clergy, city and state elected officials, and other prominent African-American and Hispanic women gathered to kick off the third year of Pin-A-Sister™, a breast cancer awareness campaign to educate and promote vigilance about breast health that was launched in 2007 by Chicago-based Access Community Health Network.

The campaign"s hallmark event, Pin-A-Sister Sunday™, builds on a decade of faith outreach and early detection services organized by ACCESS. Each Mother"s Day, Pin-A-Sister Sunday™ï€ is held at predominantly African-American and Hispanic churches across the state of Illinois. Churches of all faiths are welcome to participate.

Last year"s event drew participants in churches located in Decatur, Springfield and other Central Illinois towns, for a total of 300 participating churches throughout the state, as well as similar outreach efforts at correctional institutions in Decatur and other locations. The campaign was able to reach 250,000 women. This year, our goal is to reach 500,000 women across the state of Illinois.

For the past two years, the event also had the support of State Senator Mattie Hunter and State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, among other Illinois legislators. Statewide churches that participated included the Main Street Church of the Living God in Decatur, the Christian Center of Hope in Danville, as well as the Springfield branch of the Urban League.

Held at Malcolm X College, the kick-off breakfast for this year"s event included remarks from Damon Arnold, M.D., Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Chicago area clergy, as well as testimonials from breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer disparities are widespread, making it a local, state and national issue. Statistics reveal that African-American and Hispanic women are more likely to die from breast cancer than Caucasian women, because Caucasian women are more likely to receive regular mammograms.

The Stand Against Cancer program, a state-funded program, addresses racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer awareness and treatment by targeting African-American, Hispanic and low-income and uninsured women throughout the state of Illinois. The program offers low-cost to free mammograms and Pap smears to eligible participants. Initiated in 2002, the program provides follow-up treatment through the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

Sandra Woods, staff member of the Springfield Urban League and downstate Stand Against Cancer coordinator, attended the kick-off breakfast with the director of the League"s Health Initiative Program. Woods anticipates galvanizing churches outside the metro Chicago area to host Pin-A-Sister Sunday™ events this year.

"Last year"s event was wonderful. We had great participation from many churches encompassing an area from Rock Island to Cairo," Woods said. "We expect more participation this year. The more faith-based organizations educated through participating in the Pin-A-Sister™ campaign, the more lives that will be saved. It"s important for women to know that the Stand Against Cancer Program offers this assistance."

The Pin-A-Sister Sunday™ event serves as a call to action for churches to not only pay tribute to those women and families affected by breast cancer but to also encourage women to obtain crucial mammograms and Pap smears.

Woods said that the sheer amount of women in church on Mother"s Day lends itself to a special program on that day. "It"s a good day to remind one another to get tested, stressing the fact that there are resources available for women who may not have money. There"s no need for a woman to suffer from breast cancer because of lack of money."

Pastor Raenell Crenshaw of Danville"s Christian Center of Hope also participated in last year"s event. "It brought so much awareness to the many women suffering from breast cancer, and all of the other 12 churches that participated with us reported that it was a moving experience."

"There hasn"t been much change in the mortality rate from breast cancer for underserved women since 1980. While there have been many advances in mammography screening, which leads to early detection, a large segment of African-American and Hispanic women in particular are still losing their lives to breast cancer," said Donna Thompson, CEO of Access Community Health Network. "Pin-A-Sister™"s mission is to highlight these unacceptable statistics and empower these women to be proactive in taking care of themselves and each other. We want mothers who are in church this Mother"s Day to be around to help celebrate next Mother"s Day."

United Effort

This year, Pin-A-Sister™ï€ is supported by several major breast cancer advocates and organizations: The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University; The Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®; American Cancer Society; the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the effort"s sponsor, Access Community Health Network.

For more information

For information on how to register your church for this year"s event, contact Paulina Guzman at 773.257.5901 or guzp@accesscommunityhealth.net before April 24.