PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Pat Halpin-Murphy
President and Founder
REGIONAL SEMINARS ON FREE TREATMENT PROGRAM
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program exists today so that no woman
will ever have to lose her battle with breast cancer because she had no insurance and couldn't afford treatment. Through this free
treatment program, women with low to moderate income who are diagnosed with breast cancer or a pre-cancerous condition can get medical care,
regardless of their insurance situation.
The PBCC was instrumental in bringing about this change in PA; however, we are deeply concerned about
the lack of awareness of the free treatment program. Women who need this coverage must know about the program! The PBCC is
conducting regional seminars across the state to increase awareness among hospitals, medical professionals and breast cancer advocates. Our
first seminar was in Philadelphia in June, and we will continue to travel the state to spread the word until we are confident that all women who
qualify for the program have the information and access to free treatment.
Pink Fountains Commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness
State Representative Jim
Roebuck, PBCC President Pat Halpin-Murphy, and Leslie Stiles, Executive Director of the PA Commission for
Women and Honorary Chair of the PBCC, were on hand to turn Harrisburg State Capitol's East Wing Fountain pink to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness
month. Fountains at Point State Park in Pittsburgh and North Park Row in Erie have also turned pink as visual reminders to all Pennsylvanians
about the importance of breast cancer issues. Our thanks to Bonnie Harr, PBCC's SW Vice President, who spoke at the Pittsburgh
event, and Corrine Halperin Egan, PBCC's Erie County Captain, who spoke at the Erie event.
Exhibit Sites Needed
The PBCC is looking for sites in PA to host our traveling photo
exhibit "67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in
Pennsylvania™". Additional information and space requirements can be found here. To find out more, please call Jen Fetich at 800-377-8828 x 101 or email her at jennifer@pabreastcancer.org.
Events
Calendar
December 1
Medieval Christmas
Spectacular
Harrisburg
Enjoy music, Gypsies, jousting and full family entertainment at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex. Show
starts at 8pm, doors open at 7pm. Advanced tickets cost $10, at the door - $15. A portion of the proceeds benefits the PBCC.
Visit our events page for more information.
We here at the PBCC are in what we jokingly call our "slow
time". Breast Cancer Awareness month is over, our annual conference is done, and the phone rings a little less frequently. So
we have only one event to list this month! Why don't you change that? Hold a Casual Day at your work to benefit us, sell pink ribbons
to your church attendees to spread awareness, donate a portion of the sales of items in your store to the PBCC. Contact Sarah Lightman for
more ideas or to get started!
Please visit our website for a complete and detailed
listing of upcoming events.
Do you want to make hope grow? Plant a seed in your community
and watch it grow statewide by planning a special event or fundraiser for the PBCC! Contact Sarah Lightman with your community event
idea at sarah@pabreastcancer.org or (800) 377-8828 x
107.
MAKEOVER FOR MOM CONTEST
Tell us in 250 words or less why your mom, as a breast cancer survivor, is an inspiration to her friends, family
or community, and you and your mom could be in for a real treat! Doneckers of Ephrata is offering a free makeover grand prize for one lucky
winner, and the person who nominates her, in May 2008. The winners must be able to travel to Ephrata in Lancaster County to receive the
prize. Email your nomination to heather@pabreastcancer.org and watch future Pink Link™
and Frontline™ newsletters for more details.
Can You See Yourself
on
this Harley?
Only 5,000 tickets will be sold and one of those will be the
lucky new owner of this 2008 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. Tickets are $10 each and proceeds benefit the PBCC. The winner's name will
be drawn on June 14, 2008 at Cox's Northern Tier Harley-Davidson in Mansfield, PA. You do not need to be present to win.
Call or visit
any of these locations to purchase your tickets now:
~PBCC, 287 Duke Street in Ephrata, (800)377-8828 x 105 (Tricia
Grove)
~Cox's Harley-Davidson, 2911 South Main Street, Mansfield,
(570) 297-3873
~Columbia Cross Roads Equipment - Route 14,
Columbia Cross Roads, (570) 397-3873
~Hess Farm Equipment, Route 414, Canton, (570) 673-5143
~Butch Bean, Route 549 & Hill Road,
Millerton, (570) 537-3767
Winner is responsible for all taxes, title fees and registration.
HINT: A
chance (or several) to win this awesome Harley would make a wonderful stocking stuffer!
Visit our Grassroots Partners page for photos of recent
events.
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Dear ,
2007 PA BREAST CANCER COALITION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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Thanks
to our conference sponsors, workshop presenters and moderators, and our wonderful volunteers who joined together to make this year's conference
one of the best ever!
Here is a sampling of kudos from some of nearly 1,000 attendees:
"I truly did not know what to expect, but
any expectation I had was blown out of the water when I arrived and experienced what you put together to help women surviving breast cancer."
~ Karen C.
"The conference was a great success. All of you should feel very proud of your accomplishments. Two
days of positive vibes of hope and encouragement where I met some friends from last year's conference and made new ones." ~Linda
G.
"Thank you again for everything that you do for the women of PA. My daughter and I have decided that we will definitely be
attending next year's conference, even if that is the only 'vacation' we can afford. Again it was a wonderful and enlightening
experience." ~Lori B.
New to the
PBCC website...PowerPoint presentations from our spectacular workshop presentations. If you don't have PowerPoint installed on your computer,
you can download the presentations as a pdf with Adobe Acrobat.
Look for photos and more information about this year's conference in the
upcoming Frontline™ print newsletter.
Mark your calendars for the 2008 conference in Harrisburg on October 8th!
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| CONGRESSMAN SESTAK BREAST CANCER
ROUNDTABLE
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Congressman Joe Sestak hosted a round table discussion with breast cancer survivors and advocates at his Media, PA office on October 12.
Dolores Magro, Director of Patient Advocacy, shared information about PBCC legislative victories for women with breast cancer, and our continuing
efforts to create awareness of the free treatment program. "I am very concerned about the issue of breast cancer both here in the district and
in the country," said Congressman Sestak. "The passion and expertise of the round table participants have helped me to explore this issue on a
much more personal level." Thank you, Congressman Sestak, for your support of our efforts on behalf of women with breast
cancer.
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| INTRODUCING NEW PBCC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, BRIAN HAND
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 The PBCC is pleased to
introduce the newest addition to our staff, Brian Hand. Born and raised in DuBois, Brian comes to the PBCC most recently from the University of
Pennsylvania where he served as the Director of Development for the Penn Cardiovascular Institute. His prior experience includes major gift
positions at the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Brian's role with the PBCC is to focus on gifts from
individuals, corporations and foundations. He describes the best part of his job to be the moment when he sees a potential donor's eyes light up
as they realize how their gift will truly help the PBCC and the women and families we serve.
'TIS THE SEASON: YOU CAN BE
NAUGHTY AND NICE!
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This year, why not be naughty to the taxman while being nice to the PBCC? Did you know that a gift of "appreciated
securities" (stocks that have risen significantly in value since you purchased them) can be a highly tax-effective way of making a gift to the
PBCC?
If you simply sell those stocks for a profit, you will have to pay capital gains taxes on the difference between your original purchase
"basis" price and its current value.
However, if you gift those shares directly to the PBCC, you may qualify for a tax deduction for the full
amount of the current, higher value. You can actually reduce your total tax burden and support the important work of the PBCC at the same
time.
For more information, contact your financial advisor or PBCC Director of Development Brian Hand at 717-738-9567 x
106.
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NEW BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
AESTIQUE
MEDICAL CENTER, GREENSBURG, PA
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 Bonnie Harr, PBCC Southwest Region Vice President, has for some time dreamed about establishing a support group
for breast cancer patients and survivors in Westmoreland County. The PBCC knows that when Bonnie sets her heart and mind on a mission for
women with breast cancer, it will soon become a reality.
Bonnie and the PBCC are thrilled to announce the new Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer
Support Group at Aestique Medical Center in the Conference Room. The group will meet on the third Monday of each month, with two different
times of day to accommodate work and personal schedules: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, and an evening program from 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm.
For
more information, contact Bonnie Harr at bonnie.harr@aestique.com or at (724)
832-3083.
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| ONLINE AUCTION - LIKE A YARD SALE WITHOUT ALL THE
FUSS!
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Are there things around your house or garage that you never use but don't know what to do with? The PBCC is
partnering with Auction Inn, a unique eBay Trading Post until the end of December. Take your items to one of their three drop-off locations and
mention that you want the sale of your things to benefit the PBCC. Auction Inn will take care of the rest. When the item sells on
eBay, the PBCC receives the proceeds! Items must meet Auction Inn's guidelines and estimate to sell for at least $50. Click to view a list of items that sell
well. (Please be patient as this file takes time to load.)
Click for more information on Auction Inn.
The three drop-off locations
are:
~Paxton Square Shopping Center at 6011 Allentown Boulevard
in Harrisburg
~ 405 Carlisle Avenue in York
~ 241 West Lemon Street in Lancaster
And finally, if you live outside of South
Central PA or don't have anything to drop off, watch for future ways to help the PBCC by bidding on
items!
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| BOARD OF DIRECTORS
UPDATE
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Brent O'Connell, MD, MHSA, is stepping down from the
PBCC Board of Directors after serving since 2003. Dr. O'Connell recently retired after 15 years as Medical Director of Highmark Blue Shield
where he oversaw the development of corporate medical policies. He is now the Chief Medical Officer of the Argenta subsidiary,
Argenta TEC Advisors™ (Argenta TEC). Argenta is a leading national life science reimbursement consulting firm.
Dr. O'Connell has
been a dedicated member of the PBCC Board of Directors, and an invaluable resource on insurance issues. He generously shared his time and
expertise on the advisory panel for the PBCC insurance guidebook "Breast Cancer: Covered or Not?" We are very grateful to Dr. O'Connell for his
time served on the board, and we wish him continued success in his new endeavors.
YOUR AD COULD GO HERE!
How would you like to see your ad, logo or message and a link to your website here? Pink Link™
goes to over 6800 medical professionals, survivors and breast cancer advocates all across PA and beyond! Ads cost $250 for one issue, $400 for
two issues.
Email Kim at kim@pabreastcancer.org today to place your ad! Ad size and
placement may vary from issue to issue.
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entirety.
Credits
Editor and Producer: Kim Eubanks
Head Writer: Dolores Magro
Copyright © 2007, Pennsylvania Breast Cancer
Coalition
All rights reserved.
Please feel free to pass Pink LinkTM along
to your friends. However, we ask that you keep the Pink Link attribution, subscription, and copyright information
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