Preparations begin for Israel's second Komen race

Event is designed to create more awareness of breast cancer and the benefits of early detection.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Susan G.Komen Israel Race for the Cure 311 (photo credit: David Katz)
Susan G.Komen Israel Race for the Cure 311
(photo credit: David Katz)
Oncologists, health care representatives and community leaders from Israel and the United States gathered at the residence of US Ambassador Dan Shapiro on Wednesday to kick off preparations for the second Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Israel.
The event will be held in Jerusalem on May 3. The first Komen race was held there in October 2010, attracting 5,000 participants, with 3,000 of them coming from the Naamat women’s organization.
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This year, Naamat will once again be the chief NGO partner in the event, which is designed to create more awareness of breast cancer and the benefits of early detection.
Shapiro’s wife, Julie Rachel Fisher, who is chairing this year’s race, noted that cancer respects no borders, nor ethnic, national, religious or political differences. It is a common denominator for victims of all backgrounds.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure (SGKC) is a global breast cancer research and awareness organization operating in more than 50 countries. It was founded by Nancy Brinker, who watched her sister, Susan, fight a losing three-year battle against breast cancer. Just before Susan died in 1980 at age 36, she made Nancy promise to do everything she could to find a cure.
Nancy started to keep that promise in 1982, and since then the organization she founded in her sister’s memory has grown beyond anything she could have imagined. It began to fund breast cancer research in Israel in 1994, and so far has donated $3 million to various research projects and to breast cancer awareness programs here.
The total funding SGKC has provided to countries around the globe amounts to $1.3 billion, said Margo K. Lucero, vice president of business development and partnerships.
Yehudit Zusmanovich, representing Naamat, said her organization places breast cancer awareness high on its agenda. She invited Israelis of all stripes to join in the race on May 3 to ensure that the greatest concerted effort can be made toward finding a cure.