In Celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Komen San Diego Announces Opportunities for San Diegans to Get Involved in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

In Celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Komen San Diego Announces Opportunities for San Diegans to Get Involved in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year the San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has a number of local events San Diegans can participate in to show their support and promote breast cancer awareness in San Diego County.

Music lovers are invited to attend a benefit concert and silent auction in honor of San Diego Breast Cancer Survivors, including special guest Mattie Mills, lead singer of local band "The Heroes" who was diagnosed with breast cancer on Mother's Day this year. The concert will feature local rockers Eve Selis, Rockola, Burt Brion and the Band, The Heroes and Steeley Damned. The first ever Komen "Kids for the Cure" song, "A Time for a Cure," will be sung by 12-year old MacKenzie Cartmill on behalf of all children who have a loved one with breast cancer, especially Mattie Mill's four children. Concert doors open at 4 p.m., Sunday, October 15, 2006 at Humphrey's By the Bay in Shelter Island. Tickets purchased in advance cost $30 and VIP packages are available for $75. Visit www.musicformattie.com or www.star941sandiego.com to purchase tickets or for more information.

The San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation provides special recognition this year to children, giving them hope through music with the song "A Time for a Cure." Brothers John and Paul Cartmill volunteered to write the song with John's 12-year old daughter MacKenzie singing lead vocals, back-up vocals by Mattie Mills and music by The Heroes. Komen San Diego wishes to thank Paul and John Cartmill for their poignant lyrics and beautiful music; Mackenzie Cartmill for her heart-felt performance; The Heroes and Mattie Mills for back-up; Rolling Thunder Studios for donating studio time; and MY 94.1 Radio and KFMB-TV News for the promotion. For a donation of $5, the song will be available at all the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month events and the November 5, 2006 Race for the Cure(R).

"Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time to really focus on the importance of eradicating breast cancer," said Noreen Ippolitto, director of sponsorship marketing at Clear Channel Communications. "This fatal disease affects many San Diegans, and we want to do all we can to help Komen San Diego. The San Diego area has a great local music scene, and we are happy to bring together music lovers for this special event that benefits a worthwhile cause and celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month."

On October 21-22, the first ever 24-hour scrapbooking marathon called "Survivor Crop for the Cure" will take place from 9 a.m. on Saturday to 9 a.m. Sunday. Twelve teams will compete in the all-nighter to create the best "breast cancer survivor" themed scrapbook. The scrapbooks will be judged by Komen San Diego and the winning team will receive a special gift from Komen. The minimum contribution to join the competition is $100 and all community members are invited to attend the event. The "Survivor Crop for the Cure" will take place at the Quantum Learning Campus in Oceanside.

On October 29, the UCSD rowing team along with Komen San Diego will host its fifth annual "Row for the Cure" at North Ski Beach on Mission Bay from 7-11a.m. Rowers and kayakers of all ages and skill levels will participate in timed races and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in each category. Participants are encouraged to raise pledge money to benefit the Komen Foundation, and all community members are invited to attend the event. Entry forms for Row for the Cure must be received by October 16, 2006 and the cost to participate, which includes a Row for the Cure T-shirt, ranges from $25-$90, depending on category.

"Breast cancer is a disease that has affected the families of several of our team members in recent years," said UCSD rowing coach and "Row for the Cure" coordinator, Pattie Pinkerton. "As a team, we wanted to find a way for the San Diego water sports community to support Komen San Diego in their fight against breast cancer. So, four years ago we launched Row for the Cure. Since then we've raised more than $40,000 for Komen San Diego, and at the same time we've gotten the community involved in a cause that is very near and dear to us."

Komen San Diego's Race for the Cure(R) is San Diego County's largest race supporting local breast cancer education and awareness. This year's co-ed 5K (3.1 miles) run will be held in Balboa Park on November 5th. Families participating in Race for the Cure(R) can also include their children in this year's Race with Kids for the Cure. Kids for the Cure encourages families to educate children ages 12 and under about breast cancer awareness by allowing their children to join the thousands of expected Race participants in this year's Race for the Cure(R). In addition, San Diegans that cannot attend the Race for the Cure(R) can participate in Sleep In for the Cure, an opportunity provided by Komen San Diego that allows people to pay a fee slightly more than the race entry fee and receive a special Sleep In for the Cure nightshirt. The costs for Race for the Cure(R), Kids for the Cure and Sleep In for the Cure are $25, $15 and $30 respectively.

"We encourage all San Diegans to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month events during the month of October," said Samm McDonald, president of the San Diego Affiliate of the Komen Foundation. "Proceeds from all Komen San Diego events held during Breast Cancer Awareness Month benefit the foundation and help us carry out our mission to increase breast cancer education, screening and treatment in San Diego. The contributions and involvement from local community members are what allow us to provide San Diegans with the research and education programs necessary to continue the fight against breast cancer."

For additional information on all of Komen San Diego's Breast Cancer Awareness Month events, San Diego's 10th Annual Race for the Cure(R) or the Komen San Diego Affiliate, please visit the Komen San Diego Web site at www.sdkomen.org. San Diegans can sign up for the November 5th Komen San Diego Race for the Cure(R), Kids for the Cure or Sleep In for the Cure at the Komen San Diego Web site, or by calling In Motion at 760-692-2900.

About the San Diego Affiliate of the Komen Foundation

The San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1995 by a group of volunteers committed to saving and improving lives of people affected by breast cancer. The affiliate is a fund raising organization that provides grants to organizations and medical clinics in our community that serve individuals in San Diego County, addressing all ages and economic backgrounds, while placing special emphasis on the medically under served. Since its inception, more than $4 million has been provided to local organizations.

About the Komen Foundation

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 100,000 volunteers working through local Affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure(R) to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. Through fiscal year 2005, the Komen Foundation, together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, has invested more than $630 million in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.

National Race for the Cure(R) Series Information 1-800-653-5355 National Race

for the Cure(R) automated schedule Information 1-888-603-RACE

Source: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

CONTACT: Emily Zanovich of Porter Novelli Life Sciences,
+1-619-849-5376, ezanovich@pnlifesciences.com, for Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation

Web site: http://www.sdkomen.org/
http://www.musicformattie.com/

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