FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 15, 2009
Contact: Julia Shell juliashell@juliashellpr.com or 312-203-3130
GOV. PAT QUINN HONORED AS CHAMPION FOR THE CURE AT THIS YEARS SUSAN G. KOMEN CHICAGOLAND RACE FOR THE CURE®
Donations and Registrations for the Race are UP – Charity Navigator Awards Komen Coveted Four-Star Charity Rating for the Third Year in a Row
(CHICAGO, IL) – The 13th Annual Komen Chicago Race for the Cure® will take place on Saturday, September 26th at 8:30 AM, at Grant Park in downtown Chicago at Columbus and Balbo. It is a 10K/5K Run/Walk and a 1 Mile Fun Walk. Komen Chicago is proud to announce Governor Pat Quinn will attend and be honored with the Komen Champion for the Cure award for leadership in passing the historic Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities Act.
In April 2009, Governor Quinn signed the “Reducing Breast Cancer Disparities Act” in an effort to level the playing field of breast cancer’s affect on the very poor and underserved. “Education, prevention and healthcare with regard to breast cancer should not only be available to the elite and insured,” said Sean Tenner, Board Member of the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “We felt honoring the Governor with this award was especially important this year.”
It’s through events such as the Race whereby the Affiliate takes in the majority of their funding. Despite the down economy of 2009, registrations, donations, teams and participants for this year’s Komen Chicago Race for the Cure® are up from last years numbers. Because breast cancer has affected so many, people are still finding a way to reach into their pockets, even if they cannot afford it. “Just two days ago a man gave us a check for $26,000, and his fundraising goal is $50,000! His wife is a breast cancer survivor, and he is determined to be the top fundraiser,” Michael Ziener, Executive Director of the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure explained with enthusiasm.
Race for the Cure registration is still open until the Race is complete. Participants may walk-up and register for the Race on the day of the Race starting at 6:30am on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Online registration is open until 11:59pm on Sunday, September 20, 2009.
What makes donating to Komen a sound choice in philanthropy is their Charity Navigator rating. For the third year in a row, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® was recently awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal management. According to Charity Navigator’s CEO Ken Berger, only 12% of the charities they rate have received at least three consecutive 4-star ratings. This is a tremendous achievement, particularly in light of today’s challenging economic climate. Komen for the Cure is recognized as a responsible steward of their contributors’ donations, which means these hard-earned donations collected from the Race for the Cure and other signature events are not squandered.
About the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Affiliate was established in 1997 with the first Komen Chicago Race for the Cure® that same year. With the support of the signature fundraiser, Race for the Cure, the Affiliate has awarded grants totaling more than $8 million locally towards the fight against breast cancer by funding grassroots breast health education, screening and treatment programs. Grants are awarded each year to hospitals and community organizations that provide innovative outreach and awareness programs for medically underserved people in the greater Chicago area. For more information visit their web site at www.KomenChicago.org .
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