Boston, MA – May 15, 2005 — Massachusetts and its neighbors are about to see an increase in health care and other services for people who may face breast cancer. Today at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Closing Ceremony at the UMASS Boston Campus, Avon Foundation Executive Director Carol Kurzig announced gifts totaling $2,250,000 to five organizations that undertake research and provide services for medically underserved individuals. These gifts are in addition to the millions of dollars previously awarded to breast care initiatives in the Boston area by the Avon Foundation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Today’s gifts will be given to: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Lifespan, Silent Spring and Community Servings. Proceeds from the Avon Walks are awarded by the Avon Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to organizations that support the Avon Foundation mission of access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, with a focus on the medically underserved.

“These institutions share our mission, and we are grateful for everything they do and are proud to provide funding to help support their great work in the community,” Kurzig said.

The funds distributed at today’s ceremony were from the $4.1 million raised by more than 1,750 dedicated women and men from throughout the state and nation who participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Boston. These individuals walked up to a marathon and a half throughout the Boston area this weekend, covering up to 26.2 miles Saturday and camping out overnight before continuing another 13.1 miles on Sunday. Walkers were supported by an all-volunteer crew throughout their journey, as well as cheering stations manned by family, friends and local Avon Foundation beneficiaries.

This was the third year the Avon Walk has come to Boston, and the Avon Foundation has already announced it will be back May 13-14, 2006. “This weekend, we walked in Boston for every mother, every sister, every daughter and son here and throughout the country who is touched by breast cancer,” Kurzig said, “The spirit was unforgettable and the impact undeniable.”

About the Gifts and Beneficiaries
The new gifts were awarded at the closing ceremony to ensure funds immediately benefit the community. The beneficiaries are:

Massachusetts General Hospital will receive a gift of $1,350,000. This includes $1,000,000 for continuation of research into the “Gene Chip” signature project to assess the genetics of individual patient tumors and predict outcomes, as well as $350,000 for clinical trials that examines aromatase inhibitors as compared to tamoxifen. Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the leading clinical and research centers in the world and is part of a multi-institutional collaborative known as the Harvard Comprehensive Cancer Center. This gift brings the Avon Foundation’s cumulative funding for Mass General since 2001 to $14,700,000.

Boston Medical Center will receive $500,000 to upgrade equipment in the Breast Imaging Center of their new cancer center. BMC is the “safety net” hospital for the poor in its region, having been formed by the merger of Boston Public Hospital and Boston University Hospital ten years ago. With prior Avon Foundation support, the BMC has established comprehensive breast health care programs, including patient navigation, for the low income and uninsured in Boston to ensure access to care for all. Cumulative Avon Foundation funding for BMC since 2001 has now reached $1,960,000.

Lifespan in Providence, RI will receive $250,000 to fund two Patient Navigators, a bilingual Spanish Navigator Assistant, and one Data Manager to support the Safety Net program in two Providence hospitals - the Rhode Island Hospital and the Miriam Hospital. The hospitals’ breast imaging centers see more than 12,000 patients each year, averaging 50-60 per day. Lifespan is the state’s leading provider of care to low-income, uninsured populations in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Silent Spring Institute will receive a gift of $75,000 to continue their work engaging community participatory research in collaboration with medical centers. Silent Spring Institute describes itself as a “partnership of scientists, physicians, public health advocates, and community activists united around the common goal of identifying and changing the links between the environment and women’s health, especially breast cancer.” This is the second Avon Foundation gift to Silent Spring Institute.

Community Servings in Boston will receive $75,000 to provide low-income breast cancer patients with meal delivery and nutrition education and counseling. The Avon Foundation has supported a similar program called “Pink Ribbon Delivery” through the organization Food and Friends in Washington, DC since 2002, and Community Servings is one of three new nutrition programs to be funded by the Avon Foundation in 2005.

In addition to the gifts announced at today’s ceremony, numerous organizations in Boston and the surrounding areas are beneficiaries of past Avon Foundation funds, including: Cambridge Health Alliance (MA); Dana Farber-Harvard Cancer Institute (MA); Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. (MA); Latino Health Institute, Inc. (MA); Norris Cotton Cancer Center Dartmouth (NH); REACH Community Health Foundation, Inc. (MA); Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center (MA); Tapestry Health (MA); YWCA of Boston (MA); YWCA of Malden (MA); YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts (MA); Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod (MA); YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts (MA); Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod (MA); Case Western Reserve University (CT); The Witness Project of Connecticut, Inc (CT); Elliot Health Systems (NH); Gifford Medical Center (VT); YWCA of Northern Rhode Island (RI).

About the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series is a project of the Avon Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The Foundation manages and disburses the net proceeds from the Avon Walks to support access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer nationwide, with funds awarded for awareness and education; screening and diagnosis; access to treatment; support services; and scientific research. Beneficiaries range from leading cancer centers to community-based non-profit breast health programs, with a focus on reaching the medically underserved. From1992 through 2004, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has raised and awarded more than $350,000,000 in 50 countries worldwide to breast cancer research and care organizations. Funds are raised through a wide variety of special events, product sales, walks, runs, concerts and other initiatives in addition to the Avon Walks.

The complete 2005 Avon Walk series includes: Charlotte, NC (April 16-17); Washington, DC (April 30-May 1); Boston, MA (May 14-15); Chicago, IL (June 4-5); Denver, CO (June 25-26); San Francisco, CA (July 9-10); Los Angeles, CA (September 17-18); New York, NY (October 1-2).

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is generously supported by National Sponsors Novartis Oncology and RYKÄ, Official Sponsors Airplus for Her and Crystal Light, and Official Water FIJI,

For more information about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, visit www.avonwalk.org or call 877-WALK-AVON.