Why Raleigh, North Carolina?
Raleigh was the eleventh stop of the Komen Community Challenge, a 25-city tour and grassroots campaign to rally communities to Close the Gaps in research, public policy, and access to quality care that make breast cancer deadlier for some women. Nearby Edgecombe County was identified as one of eight communities with unusually high breast cancer mortality rates in The Breast Cancer Mortality Report: Closing the Gaps in Eight Communities. The North Carolina Komen Community Challenge presented an excellent opportunity to get everyone - business leaders, public officials, the medical community, survivors, and activists - fully engaged in the breast cancer movement.
Did You Know?
African American women in North Carolina are dying of breast cancer at a higher rate (34 per 100,000) than white women (24 per 100,000).
Did You Know?
One in six non-elderly North Carolina women are uninsured and do not have access to preventive care.
Public Policy Challenge
In 2007, the North Carolina Legislature took an incredible step forward in the fight against breast cancer. Under the leadership of Senator Bill Purcell and Representative Linda Coleman, the Legislature passed a first-ever $4 million appropriation over two years for the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (NCBCCCP) that provides life-saving breast cancer screenings for low-income and uninsured and underinsured women. As a result, NCBCCCP will be able to screen an additional 6,000 eligible women for breast cancer and an additional 2,000 women for cervical cancer. The twin goals of the North Carolina Komen Community Challenge were to thank legislators for their leadership and build momentum for sustained public support for screening and early detection programs.
The Events
On October 15, 2007, First Lady Mary Easley hosted more than 200 people at a Governor's Mansion reception. TV news anchor Gerald Owens emceed the evening and his station, WRAL-TV, produced two breast cancer awareness PSAs: one featured Mrs. Easley and one featured North Carolina State University women's basketball coach and breast cancer survivor Kay Yow. Wick Baker, the president of Heritage Hospital in Edgecombe County, told the crowd about how he had learned about the County's ranking in The Breast Cancer Mortality Report His wife alerted him to a National Public Radio story about the report and it motivated him and his colleagues to Close the Gaps in their community.
The next morning, Governor Mike Easley hosted Kathy Burns, the Grants Committee Chair and a Board Member of the North Carolina Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and others at a press conference to proclaim "Pink Ribbon Week." The highlight of the press conference occurred when Wanda Williams, a hair stylist who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she did not have health insurance, told assembled reporters that NCBCCCP saved her life: "I was able to smile everyday during treatment, knowing I wasn't alone. I was grateful, knowing my life had been saved."
Finally, on October 22, 2007, 60 breast cancer survivors, volunteers, and activists joined the Carolina Hurricanes for a Hockey Fights Cancer Night. With foam fingers and pink tee shirts, North Carolina's Komen affiliates turned the rink pink and raised awareness about the importance of early detection. The Hurricanes donated a portion of ticket proceeds to Komen and other cancer organizations.
Outcome and Next steps
North Carolina has established itself as a leader in fighting breast cancer, but there is still much more work to do, especially in helping women who are least able to fight the disease alone. In the next legislative session, North Carolina's Komen affiliates will be advocating for sustained public support for NCBCCCP, which often means the difference between life and death for low-income and uninsured women. Specifically, Komen and other public health partners will call on the North Carolina Assembly to allocate $100,000 to NCBCCCP to fund two administrative positions that will ensure high quality delivery of services. We need your help to Close the Gaps in North Carolina and give every woman an equal chance at beating this disease. Please contact your legislators and tell them to make breast cancer a high priority.
