Komen-Susan G. Komen, Central and Northern Arizona-Oct. 2013

Page 1

Inside: • Living with cancer

Fighting breast cancer: The faces of Komen | P6-7

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For survivors, create a lifelong cancer care plan | P2

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• Where the money goes

75 percent of funds raised for Komen CAN AZ stays in AZ | P4

Sunday Lutz, Mikala Edwards, Dr. Bodour Salhia, Leticia Zepeda Flores, Helen Hurry

A CCAA AZ Komen CAN

S U S A N G . KOM E N C E N T R A L A N D N O RT H E R N A R I Z O N A

’ Now we’re

®

2 1 Y E A R S O F S E RV I C E

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

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komenCANaz.org

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info @ komenCANaz.org

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602-544-2873

®

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Komen’s CAN-do attitude

“The name change of our Affiliate reflects precisely what our mission is and where it’s being carried out.” — Carolyn Evani, President, Komen CAN AZ Board of Directors

BY DEBRA GELBART

T

he people helped by Susan G. Komen Central and Northern Arizona® (Komen CAN AZ) may not know that the Affiliate recently changed its name to more accurately reflect what the organization does and who it serves, but these patients are aware of how Komen CAN AZ has made a difference in their lives.

Funds at work

Take 64-year-old Christopher, who last

year was diagnosed in Flagstaff with breast cancer. Initially reluctant to accept Komen CAN AZ funds for his treatment out of concern that a young mother may not get the care she needed if he were given help, Christopher did accept the assistance offered and today, thanks to a grant funded by the local Affiliate, he is recovering. Also in northern Arizona, a mother of two young children received a breast cancer diagnosis but had no insurance or other treatment options. With the help of Komen

CAN AZ funds, this mother received treatment and now has been cancer-free for over a year and able to care for her child, who was diagnosed with cancer before she was. “The name change of our Affiliate reflects precisely what our mission is and where it’s being carried out,” said Carolyn Evani, president of the Komen CAN AZ board of directors. “We CAN help people like Christopher and the young mother in the central and northern parts of the state.” Komen CAN AZ (continued, page 4)

Olympian Amanda Beard is Honorary Race Chair BY GREMLYN BRADLEY-WADDELL

A Heather Roberts, interim executive director for Koman CAN AZ, hopes to expand the organization's mission beyond the annual Race.

Committed to the cause

Komen CAN AZ interim executive director wins prestigious national award BY DEBRA GELBART

H

eather Roberts is a trailblazer. In June, she was selected from among 120 other Komen affiliate professionals around the country for the Excellence in Leadership Award at the annual Susan G. Komen Leadership Conference in Dallas. As the Race and Special Events Director, she became the first recipient to hold a title other than executive director of an affiliate. Now the new interim executive director for Susan G. Komen Central and Northern Arizona® (Komen CAN AZ), Roberts has been associated with the Affiliate for more than seven years, longer than any other current staff member. Roberts was the first to direct the annual Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure® from inside the organization, after years of the Affiliate having an outside company manage the event. She became Volunteer Race Co-Chair in 2006. Since then, Roberts brought more people onto the volunteer race committee and increased the average fundraising per participant, doubling it in her first year alone. Roberts first became part of the Komen organization through her college roommate's family. “Both of her grandmothers were diagnosed with breast cancer as well as her mother,” Roberts said. “I knew, after seeing the incredible network of support that

my roommate’s mom had through the organization and Race for the Cure, that I wanted to be a part of helping women fight breast cancer.” She is the immediate past Race and Special Events Director, managing not only the Phoenix Race for the Cure, but all other event programming the Affiliate undertakes. During her time in charge of the Race, she maintained oversight and responsibility for the Affiliate’s volunteer program, including volunteer cultivation and empowerment of the Race Committee. As interim executive director, she hopes to continue expanding the Affiliate’s important year-round mission impact work and diversify revenue streams beyond the Race, currently the organization’s signature fundraiser. Komen CAN AZ Board President Carolyn Evani and immediate past Executive Director Beverly Kruse nominated Roberts for the Excellence in Leadership Award. “Heather is truly an outstanding person—as an individual and an employee,” Evani said. “I couldn’t have been more thrilled when she won the award than if I had won the Nobel Prize.” Evani added, “She embodies everything that’s best about our organization, our mission, our work and the community. And, her operational knowledge of our organization is unparalleled.”

Arizona’s First Low Dose

3D Mammography

JCL.com/3D AR-0008072169-01

manda Beard’s always been a fierce competitor. At just 14, the striking Californian established herself on the international swimming stage by winning a Gold and two Silver medals at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. More medals at subsequent Olympics followed, bringing her medal tally to an impressive seven. Now, as the 2013 Honorary Race Chair for the 21st Annual Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure®, Amanda is taking on a new opponent: cancer. And she’s doing it for very personal reasons. Her paternal grandmother, Rosalie Beard, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and is today not only a cancer survivor but a great source of inspiration to many, including her granddaughter. That’s why Amanda says, “I can be a warrior and fight for my nana.” She’s also asking the public to show its warrior spirit by joining or otherwise

“I can be a warrior and fight for my nana.” — Amanda Beard supporting her team, "Swim Like a Mom," which is also the name of her blog. The team’s fundraising goal of $4,660 isn’t a randomly chosen figure, by the way – each dollar is in honor of every woman in Arizona expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. A Tucson resident and mother of two, Amanda is married to photographer Sacha Brown. She released her memoir, In the Water They Can’t See You Cry, last year and blogs about subjects ranging from motherhood to exercise. When she’s not spreading awareness about the fight against breast cancer, she can be found hanging out with her family or training for the 2016 Olympics.


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