RACE SaturdDAY:
ay, April 6, 201 kome nsana ntonio 3 .org
16th Annual Race for the Cure
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Thank you, San Antonio, for incredible years!
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TOP RACE SPONSORS TITLE H-E-B
PRESENTING Clear Channel Media + Entertainment Time Warner Cable Saturday, April 6th, will mark 16 years that Susan G. Komen San Antonio has been serving our community. Thanks to donor support and Race for the Cure participation, the San Antonio Affiliate has invested more than $14 million in local breast cancer screening, treatment, education and research. Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister Susan G. Komen that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982 that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and launched the global breast cancer movement. Thanks to events like Komen Race for the Cure and 3-Day for the Cure, we have invested nearly $2 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight to end breast cancer in the world. Established in 1997 by a small group of survivors in honor of a friend that had lost the battle, the San Antonio Affiliate is proud of our humble beginnings. The first San Antonio Race had 1,800 participants and raised $50,000. Today, the Race for the Cure is the largest event of its kind in San Antonio with more than 30,000 participants, volunteers and spectators running and walking the downtown streets. Annually, this event helps raise more than $1 million for our mission to end breast cancer.
DIAMOND SAN ANTONIO WOMAN Magazine Univision Radio PLATINUM Baptist Breast Center Magi Real Estate Services The RK Group University Health System
Check out additional sponsors at www.komensanantonio.org PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS Ages 25-34
Ages 35-44
Ages 13-24
Ages 45-54
Ages 0-12
Ages 65+ Ages 55-64
2012 RACE PARTICIPANTS • 80 percent female; 20 percent male • 1,200 breast cancer survivors • 46 percent part of a Race team 2012 TOP RACE TEAMS
Largest Fundraising Team: Cindy’s Pink Ninjas - $25,728 Largest Corporate Team: H-E-B with 336 Team Members
Largest Non-Corporate Team: 96-Minute Miler’s with 207 Team Members
Largest Hospital Team: University Health System with 128 Team Members
Largest School Team: San Antonio Independent School District with 126 Team Members
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OUR VISION A world without breast cancer! OUR PROMISE To save lives and end breast cancer by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. OUR MISSION CONTINUES... WITH OUR COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT
The San Antonio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is dedicated to serving the breast health needs of all women, men and families regardless of age, race, gender or socioeconomic status. Our top priority is to fund local programs with the best outcomes and community impact. We will continue to do this, as we have for 16 years, by working in collaboration with excellent service providers, demonstrating role model performance that deserves your trust and loyalty. Since inception in 1997, the San Antonio Affiliate has invested more than $14 million in our community. Of the money raised by Komen San Antonio through events like the Race for the Cure, 75 percent of net funds stay in Bexar County to support annual grant programs. The remaining 25 percent is sent to Komen Headquarters for the Komen Award and Research Grant Program, which funds research on an international level.Typically, more than 100 percent of Affiliate funds sent to Komen Headquarters for research programs return to our community in the form of research grants taking place at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
YOUR MONEY AT WORK IN SAN ANTONIO MONEY RAISED 25 percent Breast Cancer Research 75 percent Screening, Treatment and Education Grants
GRANT DOLLARS AWARDED Screening/Diagnostics 40 percent Treatment 24 percent Research 25 percent Education 11 percent
We all know someone touched by breast cancer… The Race for the Cure raises funds and rallies support around our grandmothers, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, and even men who have been affected by this disease. With your continued support, activism and participation, Komen San Antonio looks forward to further developing leadership and service in our mission to end breast cancer. We are working diligently to save lives and build a future where breast cancer is no longer a threat to the quality or length of one’s life. For more information, visit www.komensanantonio.org.
San Antonio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure P.O. Box 6678, San Antonio, Texas 78209 • (210) 222-9009 • www.komensanantonio.org
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AT WORK
DONATIONS AND RACE DOLLARS In 2012, the San Antonio Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded grants totaling $900,000 to local nonprofit programs providing breast cancer services for the medically underserved of our community. Additionally, $325,000 was invested in breast cancer research. Funds generated primarily through the Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure supported grants that specifically addressed breast cancer screening, treatment and education.
To learn more about Komen San Antonio and the many ways to get involved in our mission to end breast cancer, visit www.komensanantonio.org.
2012-2013 KOMEN SAN ANTONIO FUNDED PROGRAMS American Cancer Society – Women diagnosed with breast cancer in need of transportation for treatment, screening or diagnostic appointments. CentroMed – Education, screening, diagnostic and case management services for prevention and detection of breast cancer for low-income, uninsured women. CommuniCare Health Centers – Provides breast cancer screening and diagnostic treatment for medically underserved women.
“This ACS transportation program funded by Komen is a lifesaver. I don’t have a car so it is a comfort knowing you have a ride to the doctor. I thank God for it.” Gloria, Breast Cancer Patient
Martinez Street Women's Center – Breast cancer education, outreach and support services for low-income, minority women.
“When I found a lump, I was unemployed. A friend told me about CommuniCare’s Komensupported program. I never thought this would happen to me.Without help, my cancer would have likely spread. I thank everyone involved in assisting me.” Janice, Survivor
SLEW (Support Lending for Emotional Well-Being) Wellness Center – Emotional and physical support for low-income women who are recovering from and/or undergoing breast cancer treatment. ThriveWell Cancer Foundation – The DIVA program helps women with breast cancer incorporate exercise and healthy eating into their lifestyles. University Health System – Assists low-income, at-risk women with breast cancer screening and diagnostic services. WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing) – No-cost patient navigator services and comprehensive treatment for uninsured women diagnosed with breast cancer
“If it wasn’t for Susan G. Komen and their support of SLEW, I’m not sure where I’d be today. Thank you! SLEW is a haven for people who feel like they can be themselves. Bald, short hair, long hair, we got each other’s back. No judgment. We heal together.” Amanda, Survivor
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How to Save a Life Chris on Co-Surviving Cancer
One cancer diagnosis is enough to make even the strongest people dispirited. Imagine watching your spouse endure three diagnoses while building a career and raising a family. Breast cancer patients undergo harsh cancer treatments, radical changes and worries about the future. Co-survivors stand steadily by their side, seeing them through fears and keeping them focused on overcoming. Chris Louviere knows this all too well—co-surviving breast cancer with his wife, Julie, on more than one occasion.
The couple met in Corpus Christi and 26 years later are still going strong with three cancer victories. With her larger-thanlife and vibrant personality, it’s easy to see why Chris fell for Julie. Even to this day, he says her “spirit, resolve and spunk” still attract him.
In the early years of their lives together, they received unwelcome news: breast cancer. A needle biopsy confirmed it and Chris was blindsided, afraid for her life. As a young lieutenant in the U.S. Navy flying A4s in Puerto Rico, not to mention raising four-year old daughter Ava, he recalls the mental anguish that comes with diagnosis. The perpetual weight of going through cancer with his bride felt overwhelming. Eventually, through family support and uplifting words, optimistic thinking balanced the situation. As Julie endured treatment, the family grew stronger, learning the most essential aspects of their worlds: life and love. Chris admits to sounding a bit cliché, but insists that even though life seemed upside down, the end result is a fuller life—one where you take nothing for granted.
Perhaps this initial victory over cancer for tified them for what would come next; the second diagnosis returned as before, moving beyond the breast and into other locations. Only this time, things in the Louviere home were a little more complicated. Julie was pregnant with her second child. Cancer. Pregnancy.Treatment Options. Chris and Julie had much to consider and made a decision they describe as “surprisingly easy.”This Valentine’s Day, February 14th, Alis Lou-
viere will turn 15, and ambitiously plans to become a medical professional.
By the time the third cancer notice came, the news was easier to handle. They knew the ropes, understood the process and remained confident that when Dr. Sharon Wilkes said everything would be Ok…everything would be Ok. Ava and Alis were older at this juncture, and Chris remembers them strong, composed and fact-oriented, possibly due to living with the “‘whatif ’ cancer game” over the years.
The Louvieres developed a tough fiber, surviving the disease three times and closely bonded as a family. Julie remains a 20-year survivor and is still larger-than-life. Without question, nothing could bring them down, not even invasive breast cancer. Chris and Julie make that known every year at the Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure with their team, “Julie’s Sole Sisters and Bros.” Over the past 12 years, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, brothers and sisters gather at the Alamodome to celebrate Julie’s survival and ownership of cancer.To some, Komen elicits Race images and glimpses of pink. To Chris, it signifies vision and support to those affected by breast cancer when they need it the most. An organization with a visible power of mission and sisterhood.
Straight Talk: Chris’ Advice for Co-Survivors
• Love them. No matter what. • Listen to them. • Don’t pretend to know what they’re going through. Get them in touch with a breast cancer survivor who does. • Keep your eyes and theirs on the silver linings. Stay positive. • Keep busy. Encourage them to give of themselves in a meaningful way, perhaps through Komen. Julie is happy when she’s busy and giving to others. It takes them out of their immediate concerns.
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How to Save a Life Amber’s Story
Amber Gillespie, a San Antonio native, remembers the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “The Monday before was a rainy day, I'll never forget. My doctor said it might be a good idea for me to bring my sister along. I knew it was bad news. That next day, January 10, 2012, will forever be a day that changed my life in so many ways.”
At the age of 26, she was a graduate of Texas A&M University, had landed a full-time job in Houston and was well on her way to becoming a successful professional. After a mammogram and ultrasound, Gillespie’s doctor delivered the news that women of any age, especially those in their mid-20s, are often not ready to hear. “I knew I wasn't going to die,” Gillespie said. “I knew I was going to kick breast cancer's ass.Telling people about it and being completely open about my experience really helped me a lot. I’ll be honest, there were times when ‘I have cancer’ was hard to swallow,” she said. “Depression did set in after a few months of chemo. Loneliness and self-pity got me, but thankfully they were short-lived.”
She was introduced to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, where she became actively involved in supporting their cause to raise money for breast cancer research. She championed the goals of early detection, hoping to spread the word that breast cancer can affect women of all ages. “I want other young women to know that breast cancer affects women of all ages and self-breast exams are so important,” Gillespie said.
Her oncologist set her up with another young woman to be her "cancer coach" this past summer, and she will continue to mentor new, young patients. Gillespie has had the privilege of speaking to groups of college students, and she is active in Bright Pink.
“I am an advocate for women now,” she said. “I want to share my story and information with as many women as possible.”
On October 29, 2012, Gillespie returned to the same doctor to receive the news that she was cancer-free. She will spend the 2013 Race for the Cure walking alongside her peers who gave the support to fight it.
“I kicked its butt by the grace of God, a loving family, amazingly supportive friends and co-workers and a positive attitude,” she said. “Now, I just want to live my life to the fullest each day and use my story to help others. Breast cancer sucks, but I have met so many incredible people since my diagnosis, including survivors, media, and just people who care who have made all the difference.”
Jennifer and Amy’s Story
Jennifer Franz held her sister Amber’s hand while the doctor delivered the news to 26-year old Amber that the results from the mammogram and ultrasound showed Amber had breast cancer. Jennifer called their mother, Amy Gillespie, who sprang into action. “When [Jennifer] called me after they saw the doctor, I stopped everything and found the oncologist in my clinic for any information I could get, made plans to be with them next day for her appointment and biopsy,” said Amy. As co-survivors, the two took on as much of Amber’s burden as possible: taking her to doctors’ appointments, chemotherapy and emotionally supporting her through the complex and overwhelming disease as much as they could while coping with the gravity of the diagnosis themselves.
“I kind of just took everything step by step,” said Jennifer. “Dealing with each day and each bit of new information as it came. I don’t know that I could have handled it any other way.”
Although their struggle was nothing like Amber’s, Jennifer and Amy assumed the difficult task of being Amber’s “brave ones” while she battled the disease that claims the lives of 39,000 American women each year.
Co-survivors often feel they need to be everything for their loved one, but Jennifer and Amy conceded that it is important to not be everywhere, but to be there where they need you.
“My sister turned to different people in different ways,” said Jennifer. “There’s no need to be everything to your friend, sister, wife or mother, just be what they need you to be.”
Amber said it was the support from her family and friends that gave her the strength to beat the disease. After completing four months of chemotherapy, Amber, Jennifer and Amy walked the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as a family in May 2012.
“It is always inspiring to see that many people coming out to support the cause,” said Jennifer. “I remember being astounded by the survivors.Their strength was just so awe-inspiring. I never suspected that I would be walking alongside one so near and dear to me one day. My advice to anyone who is trying to support a friend or relative with cancer is very simple, and the most difficult thing, all at once: Just be there.”
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Strength Instilled: The story of Isis Romero and her mother’s fight against breast cancer
Twelve year-old girls look up to their mothers for fashion advice, makeup tips and all the questions and guidance that come along with becoming a woman.The young Isis Romero looked up to her mother’s determination and strength when faced with adversity.
Although the prognosis of Stage 4 breast cancer did not sound good, Romero’s mother pulled through, continuing to work as a teacher, volunteer and support her family.
“Even at the time when she was so sick that she could barely function, she was a woman of grace, intelligence and compassion,” said Romero.
Romero supported her mother by continuing to be the best daughter possible.
“I think all parents want the best for their children,” said Romero. “So for me to do well in school, reach my goals and make strides toward a successful future meant I was ensuring my mother’s wish for me would come true.”
At the age of 54, after a mastectomy, radiation and numerous rounds of chemotherapy, Romero’s mother lost her 16year battle with cancer. Romero flew to her mother’s bedside before she passed. “I will never forget the last day I ever saw her alive,” she said. “She was in the hospital. We had an emotional private chat between the two of us. In the back of my mind, I knew this would be my last opportunity to tell her everything I
ever wanted to say to her. I am so grateful I got that time. Her nickname for me was, ‘baby doll,’ and when I got up to leave, she smiled at me, and said sweetly, ‘I love you, baby doll.’ That memory will be with me forever.”
Romero kept focused on the determination and goals her mother instilled in her. Now an anchorwoman in charge of the nightly 10 p.m. newscast for ABC affiliate KSAT-12, Isis attributes the person she is today to her mother’s strength.
“My mother’s fight against cancer has inspired me to be more like the woman she was – full of strength, love and kindness,” Romero said.
Every year for her mother’s birthday, Romero has committed to do something in her honor.
“Whether it’s to demonstrate more patience, do something kind for a stranger or provide help to someone who needs it, I made a commitment that day to see it through,” said Romero. “My mother was just that kind of woman, and I’m inspired to be a better person because of her. “
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Breast
Self-Awareness 1.Know your risk
• Talk to your family to learn about your family’s health history
• Talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer
2. Get screened
• Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you and if you are at a higher risk
• Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40, if you are at average risk • Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at 20, and every year starting at 40
3.Know what is normal for you
See your health care provider right away if you notice any of these breast changes: • Lump, hard knot or thickening
• Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening
• Change in the size or shape of the breast • Dimpling or puckering of the skin
• Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
• Pulling in of nipple or other parts
• Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
• New pain in one spot that does not go away
4.Make healthy lifestyle choices • Maintain a healthy weight
• Add exercise into your routine • Limit alcohol intake
For more information, visit www.komen.org or www.komensanantonio.org
Call 1-877 GO KOMEN
Register Today! Join us on Saturday, April 6, 2013, for the 16th Annual Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure® Help us fulfill our promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures!
Help us go Green.
Visit www.komensanantonio.org to sign up online today. Thank you to our local title sponsor:
(1-877-465-6636) or 210-222-9009
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