WPCNR NOTEWORTHY. From White Plains YWCA. July 14, 2007: Jackie Ramos-Calderon will serve as one of 50 delegates to represent the United States at "Ignite the Promise: Global Advocate Summit" in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 29-30, 2007. Organized by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the leader of the global breast cancer movement, the summit will connect 25 U.S. breast cancer advocates from 21 states with representatives from 30 countries. The overarching goals for holding this international summit are to elevate the dialogue on breast cancer's global impact and to share the strategies used to combat breast cancer in delegates' local communities.
"Each year, more than 1 million women worldwide receive a breast cancer diagnosis," said Nancy G. Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. "The need to provide these women-regardless of race, nationality, or socioeconomic status-an equal opportunity to beat a breast cancer diagnosis has never been greater. This summit will enable advocates to share outreach tactics that have been implemented in the U.S. and elsewhere to meet our collective goal of saving lives and ending breast cancer forever."
Jackie Ramos-Calderon, Director of the YWCA's Encore Plus Program, was selected by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to represent the foundation's Greater NYC Affiliate.
"The YWCA is extremely proud to be part of this seminal global symposium and delighted that Jackie Ramos-Calderon was chosen as a delegate for Susan G. Komen For The Cure", stated Lori Stanlick, Associate Executive Director. Jackie has been a leading advocate and champion for breast cancer education for low-income women of color for over 10 years. She is one of the extraordinary advocates selected by Susan G. Komen for the Cure for her record of activism and success in the fight against breast cancer. She has contributed to breast cancer detection and treatment advances through community outreach, shaping public policy, offering health education, and providing survivor support.
The YWCA's Encore Plus Program stresses the life-saving potential of early breast cancer detection and helps un- and under-insured women obtain high-quality breast cancer screenings, free of charge, in Westchester County. This community-based outreach program targets low-income women of color over 40 who, due to a lack of adequate health insurance, are at greater risk of having breast cancer detected in later stages. Screening services are provided by the Westchester County Department of Health, Healthy Living partnership.
Komen Global Summit Honorary Co-Chair Laura Bush, a longtime Komen volunteer and breast cancer advocate, recognizes that breast cancer affects millions of families around the world and is a priority in America's healthcare diplomacy efforts. To honor the U.S. delegates in advance of this historic meeting, Mrs. Bush hosted a luncheon on June 1, and extended her appreciation for their tireless efforts to increase awareness and education about breast cancer. "Eradicating breast cancer is a challenge for every country, and too many women around the world are still too embarrassed or too uninformed to seek the treatment they need in time to save their lives," said Mrs. Bush.
The Global Advocate Summit will be held in conjunction with the Breast Health Global Initiative Consensus Conference, of which Komen for the Cure is a co-founder, taking place Oct. 1-4, also in Budapest, Hungary.
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, nearly $1 billion has been invested to fulfill the 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 1-800 I'M AWARE.
The mission of the Greater NYC Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen For The Cure is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by offering breast health grants to non-profit organizations that provide screening, treatment and education programs to medically under-served women in NYC, Westchester and Rockland Counties, and Long Island. Encore Plus continues to be a recipient of Susan G. Komen For The Cure Grants for the seventh year in a row. Grants are made possible through donations, corporate support, and its signature run/walk, The Komen NYC Race for the Cure.
To schedule an Encore Plus educational seminar or to request information about screening services, contact Jackie Ramos-Calderon at the YWCA Residence at 914-428-1130, ext. 306.
