President's Corner
Pat Halpin-Murphy
President and Founder 

CALL TO ACTION:
CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSPERSON IN WASHINGTON, DC TO OPPOSE STRIPPING AWAY PROTECTION FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Federal legislation is up for a vote which, if passed, would strip away state mandates providing insurance coverage for mammograms.  Advocates need to mobilize to block the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, Senate Bill 1955.  The bill would undo all the existing programs we have worked so hard to secure such as requiring insurers to pay for screening mammograms, opposite breast reconstruction, and hospital stays.

As advocates for women and families in PA, please contact Senators Specter and Santorum and urge them NOT to support Senate Bill 1955.  Your Senators can be reached at www.senate.gov and Representatives in Congress at www.house.gov. 

Events Calendar

May 10-21
Reading
"67 Women - 67 Counties"
Photo Exhibit

The PBCC's traveling photo exhibit will be in Berks County this month.  Free and open to the public, the exhibit will be held at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, N Building.  See full details on our events page.


May 18
Wyomissing
Information Table

Visit the PBCC's information table at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center's "Educate, Empower, and Be a Healthy Woman".  Ask questions and interact with a panel of experts.  See full details on our events page. 


May 20
Pittsburgh
Information Table

Visit the PBCC's information table at the 18th Annual Cancer Survivors Conference.  Located in The Great Hall at Heinz Field, admission for survivors is free, all others are $15.  See full details on our events page.



June 3
Ephrata
Information Table

Visit the PBCC's information table at the Ephrata Community Hospital Day in the Park.  Located in Grater Park, admission is free.  See full details on our events page.



Do you want to make hope grow?  Plant a seed in your community and watch it grow statewide by planning a special event/fundraiser for the PBCC!  Contact Amy Collins with your community event idea at amy@pabreastcancer.org or 1-800-377-8828 x 106. 

Click for a complete listing of PBCC events.

Music To Your Ears

Callers to the PBCC headquarters office have commented about how enjoyable the on-hold music is.  We're not surprised!  Those sounds are from the live recording of the 2005 Divas of Jazz fundraiser for the PBCC.  You can get your own copy on our website.  Enjoy! 



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Photo of the Month 

Jon Jehrio, Chairman of Play It Again for Charity, shows off his pink skate laces at the "Slap Shot 2, A Goal Against Breast Cancer" fundraiser. 

See, real men DO wear pink!

See article above right for more details on the event.

Wish List 

The PBCC can always use help with supplies!  To donate any of these items, please send to the PBCC, 287 Duke St, Ephrata, PA  17522.   Be sure to include your name and address so we can thank you properly!

Dear , 


SENATOR BRIGHTBILL - A LEADER IN PASSING FREE MAMMOGRAMS LEGISLATION

State Senator and Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill, PBCC President Pat Halpin-Murphy, and Good Samaritan Board Member and PBCC Lebanon County Captain Debbie Freer visited Good Samaritan Health System and its President Robert Longo to discuss how to best reach out to the community to promote the availability to free mammograms to uninsured women 40-49.  Senator Brightbill was a leader in getting this legislation for free mammograms passed through the Senate.  The $1.7 million in funding will go into effect once the state legislature passes the budget, which is expected to happen in June.

The PBCC salutes the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) for their breakthrough discovery in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) clinical trial.  The STAR trial demonstrates the success of raloxifene in reducing breast cancer risk for post-menopausal women at increased risk of the disease with fewer side effects than tamoxifen.  Raloxifene is currently prescribed for osteoporosis under the brand name Evista®. 

Read the press release and look for the next Frontline™ newsletter for complete details.  You can also visit the NSABP website. 

May has us thinking about golf, tennis, swimming and other fun ways to stay fit!  We know the Hanson Brothers of Slap Shot fame are in fine shape!  Steve, Jeff and Dave Hanson came to Twin Ponds East Recreation Center in Harrisburg on April 22 for a charity hockey game "Slap Shot 2, A Goal Against Breast Cancer".  Two teams of local talent played with the Hanson Brothers and a portion of the proceeds from this exciting event went to the PBCC.  What fun!  

$2473 was raised through a raffle, silent auction, pink puck sales, photo sales and ticket sales.  Thanks to Rob Ziemba and Jon Jehrio from Play it Again for Charity, the Hanson Brothers, and everyone who helped make the night fun and successful!

The PBCC has enjoyed a great start to baseball season with two wonderful events!  On April 23 the Harrisburg Senators (no, not those senators) teamed up with HealthAmerica and the PBCC to "Paint the Park Pink" at Commerce Bank Park.  Players work pink team jerseys during the game  which were raffled or auctioned off at the end of the game.  All proceeds from the raffle  and auction benefit the PBCC.   HealthAmerica also sponsored an old-fashioned picnic with pink lemonade and pink ribbon cookies.  A very special ceremony before the game recognized breast cancer survivors.  And Robin Work, one of the dazzling Divas of Jazz, sang the national anthem!

Then on May 7, HealthAmerica partnered with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons to benefit the PBCC at Lackawanna County Stadium in Moosic to once again "Paint the Park Pink".  For this game only, the Red Barons traded in their regular uniforms and donned pink team jerseys.   Pink Red Barons caps were given to the first 1500 women through the gates, courtesy of HealthAmerica.  There was also an old-fashioned picnic, sponsored by HealthAmerica.

Thank you, HealthAmerica, Harrisburg Senators and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons!

The PBCC's Friends Like Me™ program sends free care packages to PA women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.  On an average month, more than 30 women receive important and timely information, along with some very lovely gift items.  Many of you  have made product donations which make the packages even more special.  We want to especially thank Dr. David Vasily of Aesthetica Cosmetics & Laser Center who donated 20 gift certificates for free facials for care packages sent to Lehigh or Northampton Counties.  Thank you, Dr. Vasily!  Here are some other recent donations:

• Lois Townsend/Journey Books
  30 copies of her book "Our Journey Through Breast Cancer"
• Dan Kauffman
  3 copies of "Breast Cancer Husband"
• Marc Silver/Rodale, Inc.
  20 copies of his book "Breast Cancer Husband"
• Nancy Madey
  7 autographed copies of her book "Facing Fear"
• Roche Pharmaceuticals
  200  "My Healing Companion" journals
• Classical Stretch, Inc.
  30 Breast Cancer Rehab Stretch DVDs
• Emma Hand/Carma Design
  1000 sheets of removable, inspirational stickers

To donate new, unused books or gift items for Friends Like Me™ care packages, contact kim@pabreastcancer.org.

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Credits
Editor and Producer: Kim Eubanks
Head Writer: Dolores Magro

Copyright © 2006, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition
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