Participants last year raised $6.3 million for local organizations and institutions that support breast cancer causes for a total of $55 million in the first 10 years, just for the Chicagoland area.
Joining us Sunday morning was Eloise Caggiano, program director for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and 7-year survivor of breast cancer.
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The Avon Foundation for Women , an accredited 501(c)(3) public charity, was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women and their families, and more than half a century later this mission is brought to life through a focus on breast cancer and domestic violence. Through 2012, Avon global philanthropy has donated nearly $910 million in more than 50 countries for causes most important to women.
While advances have been made in the fight against breast cancer, the disease remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, with a new diagnosis almost every three minutes. Since the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade launched in 1992, Avon breast cancer programs in 58 countries have donated more than $780 million for research and advancing access to care, regardless of a person's ability to pay.
The Avon Foundation awards funding to beneficiaries ranging from leading cancer centers to community-based non-profit breast health programs, creating a powerful international network of research, medical, social service and community-based organizations focused on defeating breast cancer and ensuring access to care. Key achievements in the United States include:
Awarded $140.5 million since 2000 to support eight Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Centers of Excellence nationwide that provide exceptional research and care.
Awarded more than 1,548 Avon Breast Health Outreach (BHOP) grants since 2000 to community-based nonprofit breast health organizations, which includes support for approximately 125 organizations annually.
Since 2001, awarded 497 grants totaling nearly $175 million to Avon "Safety Net" hospitals and community organizations to fund patient navigation, staff and equipment upgrades to ensure quality care for the poor or uninsured.
Invested more than $170 million in breast cancer research, including most recently more than $55 million for 101 research projects focused on primary prevention, understanding the etiology and potential causes of breast cancer, and developing new blood- or saliva-based tests for monitoring changes in healthy breast over time.
In partnership with the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, launched the Love/Avon Army of Women to accelerate the pace of prevention research by enlisting women - healthy women who have never been diagnosed with breast cancer, those at risk for breast cancer, and breast cancer survivors. Through 2012, the Army of Women has recruited more than 371,000 women, launched 70 research studies, and had more than 751,000 responses from Army of Women members. To date, 81,000 members have signed up to be part of a study and have been connected to study coordinators.
Educated more than 142 million women globally about the importance of breast screenings and early detection and facilitated access to mammograms for 18 million women.
In 2012, the Avon Foundation funded the 2012 Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer Mortality Study, which examined the racial disparity in breast cancer mortality at the city level in the United States, finding that 21 of the 25 largest U.S. cities have a black: white disparity in breast cancer mortality.
The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade raises funds and awareness through many initiatives, including the U.S. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series, the sale of special pink ribbon products worldwide, the Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer
