November 17, Washington, DC – The Avon Foundation today honored two US Senators as “Pink Ribbon Crusaders” in recognition of their exemplary support of the breast cancer cause. Honored by the Foundation were Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of Delaware.

The awards were presented by Kathleen Walas, President, Avon Foundation, at the closing luncheon of the annual Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund Conference, this year held in Washington, DC. The 2004 conference focused on “Building Successful Community Partnerships,” and brought together for three days nearly 200 representatives from the national network of breast cancer organizations and institutions funded by the Avon Foundation, including community-based organizations, public hospitals and leading cancer centers that support the medically underserved. The objective of the annual conference is to facilitate collaboration and an exchange of information and knowledge among these many organizations to enhance their services to the medically underserved in towns and cities nationwide.

“We are proud to recognize Senator Biden and Senator Chafee as ‘Pink Ribbon Crusaders’ for their important efforts in support of legislation critical to the breast cancer cause,” stated Walas. “The fight against breast cancer requires a public-private partnership between the government and organizations such as the Avon Foundation, just as our grassroots efforts require collaboration among the many organizations we are proud to fund. Together, we can all truly make a difference, and we applaud and honor these two Senators for helping lead the way.”

Senator Biden has been a longtime supporter of assistance for the medically underserved, and cosponsored legislation to increase Medicare payment for mammograms. In 2003, he introduced his Breast Reconstruction Implementation Act to incorporate language into Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act to permit full coverage for all women of post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery, and, in a similar vein, cosponsored legislation that would prevent health plans from placing arbitrary limits on the hospital length of stay for breast cancer surgery. Senator Biden has also cosigned several letters in support of funding for research and care through Department of Defense and Health and Human Services programs, and has been the main sponsor of the National Mammography Day resolution every year since 1993.

Senator Lincoln Chafee introduced the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act in May 2003, with the stated purpose “to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer.” Lauded by many advocacy groups as an important step in breast cancer research, this bill focuses attention and funds on research into possible environmental impacts on breast cancer, and helps raise further awareness of the causes and effects of breast cancer within Congress. Senator Chafee was also a crucial supporter of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, and has lent his support to other important breast cancer legislation.

About the Avon Foundation
The Avon Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, was founded in 1955 with a mission to improve the lives of women. Today, that mission is brought to life by raising funds and awareness for two key areas: women’s empowerment, including the issue of domestic violence; and the breast cancer cause, in support of access to care and finding a cure, with a focus on the medically underserved.

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade launched in 1992, and Avon now supports breast cancer programs in 50 countries. As of November 2004 more than $350,000,000 has been raised and awarded worldwide for access to care and finding a cure. Funding supports five areas: awareness and education; screening and diagnosis; treatment; support services; and scientific research. Beneficiaries range from leading cancer centers to community-based non-profit breast health programs. While advances have been made, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally, and in the US there is a new diagnosis every three minutes, totaling some 216,000 new cases and more than 40,000 lives lost in 2004 according to the American Cancer Society. More information can be found at www.avonfoundation.org.