Boston, May 18, 2008 --- The sixth annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer season continued with the Avon Walk Boston this weekend, which raised $6.9 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The Avon Walk Boston was a tremendous success, with 2,900 participants drawn from 33 states, including 200 breast cancer survivors, who joined together to raise lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer.

At the event’s Closing Ceremony at the UMASS campus, Carol Kurzig, Executive Director of the Avon Foundation, announced a total of $3,025,000 in initial grants awarded to seven local organizations, ensuring the funds raised immediately benefit the community. More grants are slated to be awarded throughout the year to breast cancer programs nationwide.

“We are thrilled with the continued success of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Boston in this our sixth year,” stated Kurzig. “The ongoing support and generosity of the participants and the community for the Avon Walk Boston allows us to make substantial new grants will benefit those facing breast cancer in Massachusetts and across the country.”

During the Closing Ceremony, walker and breast cancer survivor Nacie Graves, a schoolteacher from Dorchester, MA, was one of several speakers who provided an immediate reminder of the impact of breast cancer as she shared her inspiration for walking: a future without breast cancer for her students. “If breast cancer has taught me anything, it’s that you’re never too old to learn something new and it’s never late to make a difference in the lives of the generations ahead. Each day I stand in my classroom and look out at the innocent 6 year-old faces in front of me and hope that we will be able to eliminate breast cancer in their lifetime. With every stride we are moving closer to making this dream a reality.”

The seven initial new grants awarded by the Avon Foundation at the Closing Ceremony include:

• Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA), an Avon Foundation Center of Excellence, received $800,000 to continue Avon Foundation-funded research studies as well as access to care programs at the Avon Center at Mass General and community clinics serving women in Chelsea, Geiger Gibson and Mattapan. The grant was accepted by Kristen Barnicle, Manager of Community Benefit Partnerships.
• Lifespan Foundation (Providence, RI) received $500,000 to support vital patient navigation programs at the Rhode Island and Miriam Hospitals in Providence to assist women through every phase from screening through treatment. Margot Powell, Breast Health Navigator accepted the grant.
• St. Mary's Regional Medical Center (Lewiston, ME) received $500,000 for state-of-the-art equipment upgrades in mammography and ultra-sound as well as the expansion of patient navigation services at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and clinics in Auburn, ME. The grant was accepted by the Breast Health Program Director Karen Clark.
• Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA) received $500,000 to support a new mobile mammography vehicle with state-of-the-art equipment, similar one that was on-site at the Avon Walk Closing Ceremony. The new vehicle will allow Dana Farber to continue its mobile mammography program, which over the past 10 years has provided 18,000 screenings. Anne Levine, Vice President of External Affairs, accepted the grant.

• Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA) received $300,000 as one of the first grants made through the new Breast Cancer Research Bridge Program, an Avon Foundation initiative to support scientists with innovative concepts in breast cancer research. These funds will support research to identify early changes in the breast that develop into breast cancer. The grant was accepted by Dr. Carol Rosenberg, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology.

• Cambridge Health Alliance (Cambridge, MA) received $250,000 to expand access to high quality, affordable comprehensive breast health services to medically underserved women in Boston’s MetroNorth region. Patient Navigator Sara Nemitz accepted the grant.
• Silent Spring Institute (Newton, MA) received $175,000 to fund research into the potential role of genetic and environment interactions in breast cancer and to update their MassHEIS environmental information system. Research Fellow Dr. Robin Dodson accepted the grant.

About the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

The Avon Walk Boston is a noncompetitive event in which women and men had a choice of walking a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over the weekend. The event kicked off Saturday, May 17, with an inspirational early morning Opening Ceremony at the UMASS campus. Following the Ceremony, walkers began their journey, traveling through the greater Boston area and concluding at the Avon Walk “Wellness Village” at Prowse Farm, a “tent city” complete with two-person tents, hot showers, prepared meals, entertainment, and recreational activities such as the Reebok sneaker personalization station and the Fiji water pink carpet photo program. On Sunday, May 18, walkers completed another 13.1 miles together, ending back at UMASS where they were greeted by thousands of family and friends who shared in a celebratory and moving Closing Ceremony, including the awarding of initial new grants.

To participate in the Avon Walk Boston, each walker raised a minimum of $1,800 in donations. Funds raised are managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation [a 501(c)(3) public charity] and awarded to local, regional and national breast cancer organizations to support five areas of the breast cancer cause, including awareness and education, screening and diagnosis, access to treatment, support services, and scientific research, all with a focus on the medically underserved. Donations are still being accepted for the Avon Walk Boston, and registration is still open for women and men to take part in the remaining Walks of 2008: Chicago, IL (May 31-June 1); Rocky Mountains, CO (June 28-29); San Francisco, CA (July 12-13); Los Angeles, CA (September 13-14); New York, NY (October 4-5); and Charlotte, NC (October 25-26). Already completed are the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer events in Houston and Washington, DC.

To register, donate or for additional information, please visit www.avonwalk.org or call 800-541-WALK.

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The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer thanks National Sponsor: Reebok; Official Sponsors: Genentech BioOncology, Novartis Oncology and Prevention Magazine; and Official Water: FIJI

Remember: early detection can help save lives. Schedule your mammogram or clinical breast exam today. For more breast cancer information and resources, visit www.cancer.org (keyword breast cancer) or www.avonfoundation.org, where you can access free printable breast cancer informational literature.