Community Grantee the American Indian Cancer Foundation hosts a Powwow on cancer prevention & early detection.

In recognition of National Minority Cancer Week, the Prevent Cancer Foundation is spotlighting our 2012 Community Grant Recipients who have made an impact in reducing cancer disparities with their innovative community-level programs. The Foundation’s Community Grants program supports organizations across the U.S. that focus on helping to prevent cancer or detect it early. Over the past six years the program has provided the resources needed to fund several projects that help improve cancer screening access, awareness and prevention education to Hispanics, African Americans, Alaska Natives and American Indians. The Foundation has supported many culturally appropriate activities and education at barbershops, powwows, health fairs, churches, sporting venues and through peer-to-peer outreach in order to reach ethnically, racially and medically underserved populations.

Learn how our Community Grants help address the tremendous cancer inequalities by providing funds and resources that help underserved communities Stop Cancer Before it Starts!:

• Powwow for Hope: Dancing for Life, Love & Hope. With support from the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the American Indian Cancer Foundation hosted their annual Powwow for Hope that brought together several tribal nations across the Midwest to honor cancer survivors and increase awareness and education among American Indian families.
  

  Women’s Resource Center, a Community Grantee, provides free screenings to low-income women w/ a mammogram mobile unit.

• Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Leveraging the Foundation grant along with community volunteers, the WRC was able to eliminate barriers to quality health care for many women of the Fort Collins, CO community. The WRC was able to provide at-risk and low-income women with free mammograms, cancer patient navigators and wellness education.
• Play it Sun Safe, Utah! With this education outreach, the Utah Department of Health’s Cancer Control Program aimed to educate coaches, youth and parents participating in local recreation soccer leagues on the dangers of the sun and the need for sun safety in order to reduce skin cancer risk. This Foundation funded grant project continues to provide skin cancer awareness outreach to many ethnic and low-income families in Utah.

The 2013 Community Grants program is now open and the application deadline is Friday April 19th, 2013. Click here to learn more about the Community Grants and read about previous grantees from across the country and their valuable cancer prevention and early detection projects.

The Foundation is proud to help Alloro fulfill their mission of helping breast cancer survivors “recapture the joy” both emotionally and financially. Twenty-five percent of the profits will go toward breast cancer prevention research and educational programs that target underserved women.

Alloro co-founders Christine Irvin & Laurel Kamen. (photo coutesy of allorocollection.com)

The idea for this collection was born when founder and breast cancer survivor Laurel Kamen was about to undergo a double mastectomy. On the evening before her surgery, Kamen discovered that sophisticated clothing was not available to women recovering from breast cancer treatment. Kamen then recruited her friend Christine Irvin, an artist and Wall Street veteran, and her cousin Roedean Landeaux, a New York City couturier, to help her create a fashion line that would help women with breast cancer feel good about themselves, despite the physical toll of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

Inspired by Kamen’s own breast cancer experience, co-founders Kamen and Irvin were determined to use Alloro as a way to help other women. Alloro chose to partner with the Prevent Cancer Foundation in order to support efforts in breast cancer prevention and research for underserved women. Alloro was impressed with the outreach programs developed and supported by the Foundation, including the GW Mammovan, a mobile mammogram unit that provides free breast cancer screening to underserved Hispanic and African-American women.

“The Prevent Cancer Foundation is proud to partner with Alloro,” said President and Founder Carolyn Aldigé. “Breast cancer is a cruel disease; it affects millions of women worldwide who must face physical, psychological and financial challenges related to breast cancer and its treatments. We are pleased to team up with Alloro in this effort.”

The Alloro Collection is available online at www.allorocollection.com and at the upcoming Alloro Collection Trunk Show in Manhattan on April 17 & 18 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m at the Jim Villa Designers Agent Showroom, 263 11th Avenue, 4th floor, NYC.

Watch Alloro Collection Founders Laurel Kamen and Christine Irvin’s interview with WUSA-9 Morning Anchor and Prevent Cancer Foundation Sustaining Board Member Andrea Roane.

1. Watching the reaction of shoppers as they tried to figure out what this huge, inflatable, red thing was.
2. Giving a tour of our colon exhibit to teens who were really interested in knowing more about colon cancer.
3. Meeting generations of families who have been touched by colon cancer.
   

   Father brings his three sons to the Prevent Cancer Super Colon to learn about colon health!

The day was full of many curious looks and interesting comments and questions as both adults and children approached the Prevent Cancer Super Colon situated in the center court of the mall. Several onlookers asked if our exhibit was a brain and the kids wondered if it was a moon bounce. I was particularly moved by how intrigued the teen visitors were and impressed with the thoughtful questions they had about colon cancer.

As with every stop the Prevent Cancer Super Colon makes, there were many survivors and families of loved ones lost to cancer who visited throughout the day. One of the survivors was a mother named Corrina who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer at the young age of 38. When it comes to advocating for the importance of knowing your family history of cancer, Corrina not only talks the talk, but she also walks the walk, as she brought her daughters to visit the educational exhibit so that they too could understand the importance of cancer screening and colon health. Corrina also knows that her daughters will need to begin screening at a younger age since she herself was diagnosed before the age of 50. Colorectal cancer screening typically begins at age 50 for those at average risk of colorectal cancer, but people with a family history of colon cancer or polyps should talk with their doctor about getting screened at an earlier age.

Doctors & nurses from Hamilton Health answer questions about colon cancer

Volunteers from Dalton’s Hamilton Health, including nurses and doctors, were on-sight to answer questions regarding colorectal cancer symptoms and refer visitors to medical centers that provide colorectal cancer screenings. These enthusiastic volunteers were a great resource for the local families visiting the exhibit.

The Prevent Cancer Foundation would like to thank Hamilton Health Care for inviting us to their community and helping us share the life-saving message of colorectal cancer awareness and screening!

Check out this video of Corrina, a Colon Cancer Survivor, who visited the Prevent Cancer Super Colon with her daughters to teach them the importance of knowing your family history.

The Foundation has also launched an online auction through BidPal as a complement to this year’s Gala fundraising efforts. There are fantastic items ranging from luxury vacations, designer jewelry, superb vintage wine lots, embassy dinners with traditional fare and entertainment, premiere golf outings and other unique experiences. Bid today for a chance to win:

• A seven day Mediterranean vacation in a gorgeous three-bedroom, two-bath gated villa located in beautiful St. Remy de Provence, France. Discover this unspoiled, tucked away gem—St. Remy is a magical town with fantastic restaurants, antique stores, sporting activities and weekly food and antique markets.
• A wine lot featuring the superior 2000 Bordeaux vintage, described as deep, ripe, rich, concentrated, flamboyant and expressive by wine connoisseurs.
• A wellness weekend getaway to the world class, 5-star Wentworth Mansion nestled directly in the heart of historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Voted top city in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, Charleston is the perfect destination for a relaxing and restorative getaway.
• A slot in the famed Waterfall Fishing Tournament in Prince of Wales Island, Alaska; considered one of the best fishing grounds in the world.

This year the Foundation Gala honors Italian culture with its theme “la Festa della Donna,” a popular festival in Italy that recognizes the achievements of women. Honorary Patrons, His Excellency Claudio Bisogniero, the Ambassador of Italy and Mrs. Laura Denise Bisogniero will welcome nearly 800 guests, including distinguished notables from the corporate, political, medical and diplomatic communities. David Tutera, Foundation board member, celebrity party planner and host of WEtv’s “My Fair Wedding” will once again work his magic to transform the Museum into a breathtaking celebration of our host country Italy. He is also inviting his Facebook fans to participate in a Facebook contest to benefit the Foundation, where he will give three lucky winners a signed copy of his book, “The Big White Book of Weddings.”

We hope you will join us for this very special occasion that inspires us all to Stop Cancer Before it Starts! For more information on tickets and the online auction please visit the 2013 Prevent Cancer Foundation Gala website.

The Utah Cancer Control Program (UCCP) works to decrease cancer incidence and mortality throughout Utah, with an emphasis on cancers that can be prevented or detected in early stages. The program also provides support for Utah’s community cancer coalition, the Utah Cancer Action Network.

“Play It Sun Safe, Utah!” materials teach soccer coaches & players to enjoy fun in the sun safely!

Utah consistently has one of the highest melanoma incidence rates in the country. There are many reasons for this, including its largely fair-skinned population, high altitude and outdoor lifestyle.

“Just a few serious sunburns can increase a child’s risk of skin cancer later in life,” said Kristi Smith, health program specialist for the Utah Department of Health. “By teaching sun safety at an early age, children can develop lifelong habits that help prevent skin cancer.”

In 2012, the UCCP received a Prevent Cancer Foundation community grant to begin a new project called “Play It Sun Safe, Utah!” The project closely followed Preventing Skin Cancer: Education and Policy Approaches in Outdoor Recreation Settings found in The Community Guide (a resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for evidence-based program recommendations about what works to improve public health). The “Play it Sun Safe, Utah!” aimed to educate coaches, youth, and parents participating in local recreation soccer leagues on the dangers of the sun and the need for sun safety. There are two main components of the project:

1. A sun safety reminder that included sun safety tips with a picture of the project spokesperson, Chris Wingert, a professional soccer player for Real Salt Lake.
2. A training manual which provided coaches with information on the need for sun safety along with short lessons to use with their team.

The project was implemented in three soccer leagues in 2012. A total of 139 teams with 1,566 children received project materials, and an additional 300 children received the sun safety reminders. Children who returned surveys that they completed with their parents were entered into a prize drawing.

Following the project work with the soccer leagues, the UCCP made the educational materials available to local health departments statewide for implementation with their local recreation soccer programs. As a result, over 2,000 additional Utah children are expected to receive materials that will help them enjoy fun in the sun safely and reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.

Facilitators work with Campeonas to share messages of breast cancer prevention with DC Latinas

The Campeonas program was developed by a bilingual and bicultural team then pilot-tested among Latinas in Washington D.C. The purpose of this outreach is to address Latina health disparities in the U.S. where mammography rates are lower for Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic white women. The program provides training for Latinas who are interested in sharing their own breast cancer screening experiences with friends and family in order to encourage them to get regular screenings. It also offers free-standing community-level materials: the novela entitled Un encuentro oportuno: conversando sobre el cáncer de seno (“A Timely Encounter: Talking about Breast Cancer”) uses pictures and conversation between friends to share information about breast cancer screening.

The easy-to-use, step-by-step Campeonas training guide and free-standing community-level materials are now available in Spanish or English to community health organizations and can be downloaded for FREE on the Foundation’s website www.campeonas.org.

We encourage you to visit our website where you’ll find fresh, exciting and culturally appropriate resources to help increase awareness and screening among Latinas in your community.

Special thanks to the National Capital Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure for its support of the Campeonas project.

The grant funded by the Prevent Cancer Foundation helps the WRC provide more preventive services and outreach in Fort Collins. A study by the Trust for America’s Health estimates that an annual investment of $10 per Coloradan in community-based prevention initiatives could save more than $232 million annually in health care costs after five years — a $5.05 return for every $1 invested.

With this grant, the WRC aimed to provide a full spectrum of cancer services, including free or affordable screening checkups, diagnostic procedures and cancer treatments. Leveraging the Foundation grant along with 486 hours of volunteer time – equal to twelve 40-hour work weeks, the WRC was able to eliminate barriers to quality health care for many women of the community. Upon receiving the Foundation’s Community Grant, the WRC was successful at:

• Providing free mammograms for 391 women.
• Navigating 118 women through diagnosis and/or treatment options for breast or gynecological cancers.
• Educating 217 women in women’s health workshops.
• Engaging 1,416 women in face-to-face conversations about women’s health issues at health fairs.

Of the women that received services, approximately 98 percent were low-income.

WRC staff members Karla & Jen at a homeless health fair in Ft. Collins, CO.

The WRC continues to empower more community members with the guiding principle, health doesn’t start in health care facilities — it begins wherever we “live, work, play and pray.” The WRC focuses its energy on reaching out to women in correctional centers, homeless shelters, domestic violence safe houses, food banks, rec centers, work sites, shopping centers and church basements. This community-based prevention approach provides an opportunity to connect with these women in their everyday environment where they can easily receive cancer prevention education and early detection screenings.

The grant allowed WRC to personally impact the health of our community as shown through the story of Helen, one of our attendees.  Helen visited one of WRC’s in-home workshops at her sister’s house. Helen, her sister, and two friends hadn’t had mammograms in years, so all four carpooled to a mobile mammogram van hosted by the WRC. Helen received an abnormal result on her screening mammogram. A WRC patient navigator documented her financial need and arranged an ultrasound and biopsy at no cost. Transportation was a barrier for Helen, so WRC provided gas vouchers to travel 130 miles for her care. Helen’s results showed there was no evidence of cancer and she was given a referral to follow up in six months.

Patient Skye McKenzie is thankful for her mammogram service as she believes WRC helped diagnose cancer just before it spread beyond her breasts. Skye expressed her immense gratitude to WRC, “I want supporters of the Women’s Resource Center to know that prevention and early detection of cancer is not just a hypothetical idea. I am alive today because generous people donated to WRC. Thank you.”

These success stories were made possible by the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the Women’s Resource Center.

For more information on the Women’s Resource Center in Fort Collins, CO visit http://www.womens-resource.org/

Read more about the 2012 grantees and previous grant awards.

Prevent Cancer staff from L to R: Will Mellor, DJ Abernathy, Elliot Turner and Liona Chan

Our booth was brightly decorated in our Prevent Cancer signature green and our volunteers all matched in green tanks and sunglasses. We had a great time meeting so many people while jammin’ out to the many talented DJs and bands playing on the Dance Forest stage.

Many people stopped to participate in the new #PreventCancer4 campaign, a quick and easy way to support cancer prevention and early detection! They each filled out who they are preventing cancer for and posed for a photo. The #PreventCancer4 messages were ones from the heart: some honored moms and grandparents while others were more all encompassing: “everyone” and “the world”. And beyond that, some were a little more “out there”: “cancer sucks” and “hot chicks”. But no matter the answer, it’s pretty clear that everyone is affected by cancer in some way, and there is always someone who you should be preventing cancer for!

We also distributed our Buddy Bracelets promoting colorectal cancer awareness, green Prevent Cancer sunglasses, stickers and other cool swag. We even featured a free sunscreen “bar” where we had sunscreen “shots,” the recommended amount of sunscreen to use to protect your skin from the sun. The sunny morning definitely required it, as many visitors had forgotten theirs!

Several cancer survivors also stopped by and we were truly touched by the many personal stories that we heard throughout the day. It seems that everyone has a personal connection to cancer, and we are extremely thankful to everyone who was kind enough to share their stories with us.

Alabama Shakes performs on the main pavillion stage.

Many thanks to everyone who generously donated to the Prevent Cancer Foundation during Freefest! Every dollar counts and each donated to the Foundation helps fund our lifesaving cancer prevention and early detection research, education, advocacy and community outreach programs.

To those who visited our booth at Freefest, check out your #PreventCancer4 photos on our Facebook page and be sure to tag yourselves! For those who didn’t make it out to the festival, show your support for cancer prevention and make your own #PreventCancer4 photo and post it on our Facebook wall. Don’t be afraid to get creative! See these and other snapshots of Freefest here!

Q: What is considered adolescent and young adult cancer?

A: The definition of the adolescent and young adult cancer patient has evolved over time and recently has been defined as those diagnosed with cancer at ages 15 through 39. Nearly 70,000 people aged 15 to 39 years are diagnosed with cancer every year.  AYA patients are a unique population with regards to both cancer epidemiology and psychosocial needs.  Patients are caught between two worlds, childhood and adulthood:  Many of these patients are beginning the process of finding their independence, going to college, away from parents/family, and no longer feeling like children but not quite yet feeling like adults.

Q: Why is this age group important to you?

A: It is important that we focus our efforts toward this group of patients because the incidence of cancer in the AYA population has steadily been increasing over the last 25 years, but the overall survival in these patients has not improved. One theory for this is delays in seeking medical attention. Diagnoses may be delayed because AYAs typically see themselves as invulnerable, causing them to ignore or minimize common cancer symptoms.  In addition, providers tend not to think about cancer in this age group, and symptoms may be attributed to fatigue, stress or other common causes. By educating young people and physicians, we may be able to diagnose and therefore treat AYA patients much earlier.

Q: What is the L.E.A.P. AYA Cancer Program?

A: Our AYA Oncology program identifies the urgent need for education, training and communication activities to raise awareness and recognition of AYA preventable cancers at both public and professional levels. With the assistance of the Prevent Cancer Foundation and their generous grant, we were able to begin an outreach program entitled, “L.E.A.P. AYA Cancer.” Our program is a combination of “teach the teacher” and “pay it forward.” We provide knowledge regarding the most common AYA cancers, the signs and symptoms associated with them, and ways to prevent these cancers to medical students and residents. By empowering these medical professionals with this knowledge early in their learning, we hope to impact the way they examine and educate patients throughout their medical career.

Q: What have been the program’s successes so far?

A: Thus far, we have met with several trainees and presented our information. Through our program, we have seen an increase of great than 75% in their AYA knowledge. Armed with this teaching, we have had several residents volunteer to “pay it forward”, and in the fall they will be going into the community to educate high school and college students with their new knowledge.

Q: How many residents, high school and college students do you expect to reach?

A: We would like to reach as many students as possible by attending health and biology related classes. The more people that we can inform the better.  We are focusing our efforts on inner-city schools as they may have fewer resources than other schools, but plan on trying to engage many of the communities in our city.

Learn more information about the Prevent Cancer Foundation 2012 Community Grant Awardees.

Powwow for Hope attendees singing and drumming in support of cancer prevention and early detection.

With support from the Prevent Cancer Foundation and other sponsors, the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) organized the Powwow for Hope: dancing for life, love & hope. This powwow created a positive, culturally appropriate environment to honor and support cancer survivors, caregivers and families impacted by cancer and to increase cancer awareness and prevention education for American Indian families. This very special event was held in Minneapolis, MN on April 28, 2012, with over 2,000 participants from several tribal nations across the Midwest, including Red Lake Nation Tribal Chairman Buck Jourdain and U.S. Senator Al Franken.

Powwow for Hope was a dream shared by spiritual leader, Michael Dahl of the White Earth Anishinaabe. Michael is an energetic and passionate leader and volunteer for AICAF because he, like so many of us, has experienced the devastation caused by the cancer epidemic among American Indians.

American Indian community celebrating cancer survivors at Powwow for Hope.

By empowering people to get involved as volunteers, dancers, drummers, singers, educators, or to contribute monetarily, we successfully met our goals and raised more than $30,000 and more importantly, Powwow for Hope provided opportunities for Native people to get the support that has been missing when it comes to dealing with cancer. The twenty-eight teams that creatively raised most of the money before and during the event were critical to the success. These teams and others also donated more than 100 items to the silent auction. The Powwow for Hope was an immensely positive and successful event. Planning has already begun for Powwow for Hope 2013!

For more information visit www.powwowforhope.org or www.AICAF.org

Editor’s Note: The Prevent Cancer Foundation funded the Powwow for Hope project of the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) as one of the 2012 community grants that focus on helping people prevent cancer or find it earlier. AICAF is a non-profit organization that was established to address the tremendous cancer inequities faced by American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The group leveraged the Foundation grant along with local community resources to hold the successful educational and cultural event and to support additional cancer programming for the community.

Read more about the 2012 grantees and previous grant awards.