The 2009 Weekend to End Breast Cancer was one of the most energizing and uplifting experiences I’ve ever had! My wife Dana and I walked 38 miles last year and are dong it again in 2010! What a sense of accomplishment and cooperation we experienced in walking to help those in our community suffering from breast cancer.

Breast cancer has touched my family in a personal way. Last year both my mother and wife were diagnosed. Fortunately they are doing well, thanks to early detection and exceptional medical treatment. But I am aware that while we are fortunate, too many others are not.

I hope you’ll help in this important cause by joining me and participating in this year’s event! Walking on one or both days, and raising funds to help breast and other women’s cancers patients, is a significant commitment. But let’s not forget the devastating impact that a diagnosis of cancer has on the patient and the patient’s family. The Weekend to End Breast Cancer provides all of us with a tangible way to do something meaningful and significant about women’s cancers.



Sincerely,

Kyle DeFur, FACHE
President
St.Vincent Hospital

The first Weekend to End Breast Cancer in Indiana and the United States took place over the weekend of Sept. 26-27, following a year of physical preparation and fundraising for hundreds of individuals dedicated to the cause of breast cancer. More than 550 participants walked or served as crew members, with hundreds of others volunteering throughout the two-day weekend. Together, we raised more than $1.3 million to support clinical research, technology, programs and services for breast cancer patients and their families.

Our journey began more than a year ago, when the Foundation decided to host a new initiative to engage thousands of Central Indiana citizens who are passionate about defeating breast cancer, and grateful for the commitment of St.Vincent to the care and treatment of patients diagnosed with the disease.

What began for me as a new way to support the breast program at St.Vincent quickly became a very personal journey. I made a commitment to form a team, raise funds and walk in honor of my two high school buddies and my niece, each a courageous breast cancer survivor. During the year of planning and preparation, two more friends were diagnosed. I worked up to long distances in my training. I researched what I thought were just the right shoes and socks. I prepared my mind to camp out overnight and to walk the streets of Indianapolis, regardless of the weather.

During the two-day experience, it became less about me and all about the survivors and the families of patients whose lives have been tragically taken by breast cancer. My life was changed. As the miles added up, and the blisters formed on my feet, I felt like a surrogate for the pain and discomfort experienced by those courageous survivors along whose side I walked.

Each of you who participated and/or contributed made a difference in our fight against breast cancer. On behalf of St.Vincent, I thank you for your courage in partnering with us for this great undertaking. What each of us accomplished together was challenging and difficult, but it is small compared to the battle being fought every day by those affected by breast cancer. Invite your friends for next year’s Weekend event, September 25-26, 2010.

The fight against breast cancer does not end here. Help us carry the momentum, energy and excitement into 2010.

Gratefully,


Sue Anne Gilroy
Executive Director/Vice President of Development
St.Vincent Foundation

You are supporting breast and gynecologic cancer screening, technology and treatment, and helping to develop programs and services for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors and their families. The Weekend to End Breast Cancer will provide critically needed funds to benefit the St.Vincent Breast and Oncology Centers through the extraordinary commitments made by The Weekend’s participants. St.Vincent programs are for all breast and gynecologic cancer patients and survivors, with a goal of improving outcomes for those confronted with the disease.

Looking to the future, we have a vision. A vision that includes creating greater awareness, opportunities for screening and treatment for the uninsured and underserved, and making the best technology, treatment, and services available to all in our community. You are helping to make this vision a reality!
 

There are four primary usages of the funds raised through The Weekend to End Breast Cancer:

St.Vincent Breast Cancer Patient Access Fund

A fund will be established within the Foundation to provide financial assistance to underserved patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer but do not have financial resources for treatment because they are under or uninsured.  Currently the St.Vincent Breast Cancer Center has funding to provide free mammography screenings, but currently there is little or no available funds for treatment of these patients.  Criteria and policies regarding usage of the fund will be developed to ensure that potential recipients of the fund are financially qualified and that funds are distributed equitably.

St.Vincent Breast Cancer Survivor Program

Funding will be allocated from The Weekend to End Breast Cancer proceeds to establish a comprehensive program that will make available a wide array of services for patients undergoing treatment and those who are both short and long term survivors of breast cancer.  The program is expected to be fully developed over a number of years but will encompass such services as counseling and support programs, as well as wigs, prosthetics, and other necessities that are unavailable to patients because of a lack of financial resources.  The Center will also focus on education, making literature and information regarding breast cancer and breast cancer prevention available to the community. 

Technology and Education

It is important to St.Vincent and the communities we serve to provide the most cutting edge diagnostic equipment available to our patients.  Potential usages of The Weekend to End Breast Cancer funds may include updating of equipment in rural communities to digital mammography, an additional mobile screening van that will provide onsite mammograms to corporations around the state as well as free mammograms to underserved communities, and breast MRI technology. In addition, funds will be used to develop community awareness, and provide information and education regarding breast cancer and other women's cancers, risk factors, healthy living to foster prevention, and community updates on the latest medical information in breast and gynecologic cancer prevention and treatment.

Clinical Research

St.Vincent is an NCI community hospital, one of ten in the nation, and is currently participating in clinical trials.  Additional funding provided by The Weekend to End Breast Cancer will greatly increase the hospital’s ability to develop clinical trials that may lead to better treatment and outcomes for breast and gynecologic cancer patients.  Funding could also potentially be used to bring top-notch researchers to St.Vincent, transforming our efforts to discover more effective treatments for breast and gynecologic cancer patients. 

Nearly $100 million is provided by St.Vincent each year to help, treat, and heal patients in need. No one is ever turned away, not ever. Serving the poor is an integral part of the St.Vincent mission.

You can give the gift of hope. Good health is basic to the physical, social, and spiritual well being of all people. You can play a vital role in providing hope for a cure, for healing, and for restoration of health to thousands through your support of the St.Vincent Foundation.

The St.Vincent Foundation provides support and grants to fund a wide range of hospital-related initiatives, all focused on helping those in need. From funding charity care to supporting the greatest needs of the Hospital at any one point in time, St.Vincent Foundation depends on donor support.

Nearly 100 percent of your gift benefits St.Vincent patients through medical research, education, technology, equipment, programs and services.

For more information about St.Vincent Foundation, visit stvincent.org