Chicago, IL, June 5, 2005 — Chicago 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 Soldier Field, Avon Foundation President Kathleen Walas announced gifts totaling $2,150,000 to four 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 Midwest by the Avon Foundation, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Today’s gifts will be given to: The Cook County Bureau of Health/Hektoen Institute, The Jewish Hospital Cincinnati, The Mount Sinai Hospital of Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to these new gifts, the Chicago region continues to benefit from ongoing Avon Foundation support, including over $14,000,000 million for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern (which opened the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Research laboratories April 21 at the new Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center). 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 we recognize today 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,” Walas said.

The funds distributed at today’s ceremony were from the $5.4 raised by more than 2,400 dedicated women and men from throughout the state and nation who participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Chicago. These individuals walked up to a marathon and a half throughout the Chicago 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 Chicago, and the Avon Foundation has already announced it will be back June 3-4, 2006. “This weekend, we walked in Chicago for every mother, every sister, every daughter and son here and throughout the country who is touched by breast cancer,” Walas 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:

The Cook County Bureau of Health /Hektoen Institute will receive a gift of $1,000,000. This includes $500,000 to bring genetic counseling and high-risk screening services to the uninsured and underserved populations in Chicago through the Cook County health system and John Stroger Hospital.

The gift includes $500,000 to coordinate mammography screening services at the four Cook County mammography sites to increase the diagnostic capacity for women with abnormal and suspicious screening results. This gift brings the Avon Foundation’s cumulative funding for the Cook County to $3,600,000 since 2002.

The Mount Sinai Hospital of Chicago will receive a gift of $500,000 to support the implementation of a patient tracking and navigation system to serve the women of western Chicago and to complement Sinai’s Woman-to-Woman breast health program. The Avon Foundation support will navigate low income, uninsured women and minorities in the North and South Lawndale communities through diagnostic and breast care services.

The Jewish Hospital Cincinnati will receive a gift of $150,000 to support a patient navigator program to help women through breast healthcare after an abnormal or suspicious mammography screening in the hospital’s mobile van or its in-hospital screening services. The mobile van reaches underserved women in rural eastern Indiana, northern Kentucky, and the greater Cincinnati area.

Washington University in St. Louis will receive a gift of $500,000 for the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The gift will support the purchase of state-of-the-art technology for a new mobile mammography van that will reach uninsured women in areas with a high incidence of undetected breast cancer, including north St. Louis, Illinois and the Bootheel region of southeastern Missiouri. Washington University physicians will review the screens and provide direction for diagnostic follow-up, as needed, with the goal to reduce delays in services and treatment for underserved women.

In addition to these new gifts, Avon Foundation funds also support community programs in Chicago and throughout the Midwest, such as Chinese American Services League, Inc. (IL); Community Health & Emergency Services (IL); Cook County Bureau of Health Services (IL); University of Chicago (IL); Xilin Association (IL); YWCA of Peoria (IL); Mercy Medical Center-North IA (IA); Cancer Services of Delaware County-Little Red Door (IN); Cancer Services of Grant County, Inc. (IN); Southwest District Health (IN); YWCA of Greater Lafayette (IN); Center for Breast Care (MO); Grace Hill Neighborhood Health (MO); YWCA of St. Joseph (MO); Ohio State University (OH); Thomas Jefferson University (OH); Church Health Services, Inc. (WI); University of Wisconsin, Madison (WI); University of Wisconsin, Center for Women’s Health Research (WI). This region also benefits from the Foundation’s AvonCares program, which has provided more than $400,000 in direct support services to more than 1,100 women in Illinois and Indiana since 2002.

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.