Last Wednesday, September 16, 2015, an estimated 300 active supporters gathered at this year’s Komen Detroit Race for the Cure event, which was hosted locally by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute. The official fundraising race was held earlier in May. Last week the participating organizations and institutions were pleased to announce this year’s race was able to raise over $1.1 million, with $918,436 going directly to four breast and cervical cancer education, screening and treatment initiatives covering the Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The remaining $275,830 will be awarded to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Award and Research Grant Program to fund novel breast cancer research.
The annual Komen Detroit Race is one of the nation’s premier Komen Race events, proudly raising over $28 million worth of donations and investments to support breast cancer initiatives since its inaugural event in 1992. Three-fourths of any amount raised go directly to local communities’ support programs, and a fourth is dedicated to funding research. All in all, Susan G. Komen has pledged over $2.6 billion to these causes.
“We are honored to recognize and celebrate all those whose dedication and commitment help us in our work to end breast cancer,” said Katrina Studvent, chair of the Komen Detroit Race for the Cure. “This year’s fundraising results are a testament of the outstanding support of numerous Race teams and participants, companies, organizations and faith-based groups, and more than 100 generous Race sponsors.
The event’s co-chair, Brian Christy, also disclosed some interesting findings from the Komen Detroit needs evaluation, which helps identify areas in most need of the race’s pooled funds. “We have come a long way since our fist Detroit Race in 1992 but our work is far from over,” said Christy. “Our latest needs assessment on our Detroit service area (representing Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties) showed a significantly higher incidence of late-stage diagnoses and deaths from breast cancer compared to the rest of Michigan. Your support of our annual Race helps close the gap on these disparities.”
Based on the needs assessment, donors and investors selected specific recipients. While the majority of funding went to breast cancer initiatives, Robert Burack, M.D., MPH at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine was awarded a generous $313,991 grant to “EXTEND AND ENHANCE: PROVIDING BCCCP (Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program) SERVICES TO MORE WOMEN IN WAYNE COUNTY”. This local program is committed to help underinsured women to have adequate and timely access to preventive, screening and treatment services for breast and cervical cancer, including educational and follow-up support. This money will help fund these women’s out-of-pocket costs.
To learn more about the race’s beneficiaries, and how to get involved in next year’s 25th Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure, set to take place in the Spring of 2016 at Chene Park, Detroit, visit http://www.karmanoscancer.org/KomenDetroit/registration.aspx.