Dear Komen family,

Today is a powerful day for me. Five years ago today, I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy all in the same day on March 15, 2012, and a few days later, I learned that I had stage III breast cancer. A relentless optimist, my mind immediately began directing its energy toward waging a fearsome fight against the disease, but admittedly, I couldn’t entirely quiet the rational part of my brain that wanted to know just exactly what we were up against. Though I inwardly dreaded hearing the numbers, I truthfully wanted to know. What were the survival statistics? What exactly were my odds of winning? A fighter likes to know her challenge.

It was then that I became acquainted with the “five year” milestone. I would soon learn that many survival rates are presented within the interval of five years. An overall survival rate shows the percentage of people who are alive after a certain period of time after diagnosis of a disease, such as breast cancer, which is often five years. I feel a need to caution all curious Googlers right now that the generalized survival statistics you may read online are just that – averages that vary with each person’s diagnosis and treatment. A number of factors are actually considered to pin a number to a prognosis – tumor size, tumor grade, the characteristics of the tumor, lymph node status, distant metastasis, etc. Be sure to talk with a health care professional if you have any questions about how this might apply to you or someone you know.

Today as I reflect on this five year anniversary, I’m happy to report I'm still here to write this note to you, but I am still fighting. Just this past fall, about six months shy of that five year mark, I was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer that had spread to my bones and distant lymph nodes. I am once again undergoing treatment – a mix of targeted and hormone therapy - that is improving survival rates for metastatic survivors every day.

As the largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research (investing more than $920 million since inception), Komen has funded nearly $160 million in metastatic disease research since its founding. Komen has funded another $110 million in research on aggressive forms of breast cancer – such as triple negative, inflammatory breast cancer and hormone-positive forms of breast cancer – that are resistant to standard treatments. Even now, in the 2016 Komen Research portfolio, Komen is currently funding 38 grants expanding our knowledge of metastatic breast cancer and how to stop it.

Please join me in the fight. For some of us, the need for new treatments or better yet – a cure – is urgent. Register TODAY for our 20th Annual Komen Central Virginia Race for the Cure®, and join us on Saturday, May 13, to celebrate lives saved, remember those we have lost, and fight to end breast cancer forever.

And I’ll keep fighting to be there beside you.

Gratefully,

Kristin Harris
Executive Director

Join Us in the Fight - Volunteer at the Race for the Cure

The Komen Central Virginia Race for the Cure® is made possible by our incredible volunteers. These passionate individuals go beyond simply supporting our cause; they get out there and make this important fundraising event a success. Our volunteers truly are More Than Pink™.

Join us as a volunteer for Race for the Cure®! Show your passion for the breast cancer cause and take action. Prove that you too are More Than Pink™. We welcome any and all fun-loving, enthusiastic, hard-working, and reliable individuals who are willing to contribute to the success of this important event.

Read about all of our current volunteer needs here.

Want to have a year-round volunteer presence at Komen? Fill out a volunteer application and stay up to date on all of our opportunities.

Get Involved

Make sure to check the list below for information about upcoming Komen activities and third party events and promotions. Click here for additional information about any of the events or promotions listed below. Click here to learn more about fundraising for Komen.

Southern Women's Show:  Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19 Planning to attend the Southern Women's Show this year? We'll be there again this year with our friends from NBC12. Stop by and see us in the lobby. The Voice's iconic Red Coach's Chair will be there. It's your chance to pose like a star in the chair and snap a pic that will make all your friends jealous. Come join us and bring your inner rock star!

ONGOING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

	Dixie Gas & Oil Corporation - Delivering for a Cure: For every gallon of propane dispensed from the specially painted tank trucks, Dixie Gas will donate one cent to Komen Central Virginia. Since 2010, Dixie Gas & Oil has donated more than $35,000 to Komen Central Virginia.
	Melwood Charity Car Donation Center: Donate your used car, van, truck, boat with a trailer, or recreational vehicle to the Central Virginia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It’s as easy as filling out our online donation form. Vehicles accepted in any condition! To date, Melwood Charity Car Donation Center has donated over $25,000 to Komen Central Virginia.
	AmazonSmile: Are you are an avid Amazon shopper? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support Komen Central Virginia every time you shop with Amazon, at no cost to you. The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. All you have to do is shop Amazon from this link http://bit.ly/CentralVASmile.

ONGOING NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

	Bank of America Pink Ribbon Banking: Bank of America serves as the National Presenting Sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series in the United States. Bank of America also supports Komen through its Pink Ribbon Banking Affinity products, which have raised over $7 million to date. Employees of Bank of America also support Komen across the country by volunteering in their local markets. Bank of America has been a Komen partner since 2009. Click here for more information on the Pink Ribbon Banking program.
	Rally for the Cure®: Rally for the Cure® is a grassroots program that works to educate women about breast cancer and to remind them to get their annual screening through volunteer organized golf, tennis, and social activities. Since 1996, Rally events have generated over $77 million for Susan G. Komen®. Click here for a full list of local Rally events.
	Wacoal Fit for the Cure®: Each year, Wacoal holds more than 1,000 Fit for the Cure® events across the United States. At these events, Wacoal offers complimentary bra fittings, and for each woman who participates, Wacoal donates $2 to Susan G. Komen®. Wacoal also donates $2 for every Wacoal or b.tempt’d bra or shapewear piece purchased at a Fit for the Cure® event. As part of this Fit for the Cure program, Wacoal has guaranteed a minimum donation of $250,000 to Komen in connection with Fit for the Cure and other events in 2016. Since 1999, Wacoal has donated more than $4 million to Komen. Click here for complete information on local Fit for the Cure events.  Upcoming Wacoal Fit for the Cure® Events: March 31 - Belk Spotsylvania Mall, Fredericksburg, VA April 1 - Belk Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA April 1 - Belk Apple Blossom Mall, Winchester, VA