Project Access NOW partners with Komen for the Cure
If you missed our Texas Hold-em Tournament fundraiser in November, you missed a great time. The tournament was generously hosted by Dr. Mark Rosenberg, the immediate past chair of our board of directors. Fifty percent of the donated “buy-in” proceeds went to Project Access NOW and we invited the top three players at the end of the night to each select a charitable beneficiary of the remaining “winnings.” After all, collaboration is what Project Access NOW is all about.
We were pleasantly surprised when the tournament winner, Nik Kresse, selected Susan G. Komen for the Cure for his share. Nik has more than just a passing interest in women’s breast health issues. His mother, Lori, is the Volunteer Program Manager for the Oregon and SW Washington affiliate of Komen and a breast cancer survivor. Diagnosed at her regularly scheduled annual mammogram in August of last year, Lori credits early detection with the successful treatment of her cancer. Nik was so thankful and moved by his mother’s experience that he joined the race logistics committee helping at both the Portland and Eugene Races for the Cure. Nik posed for this picture with Lori at the Eugene Race for the Cure in October.
Project Access NOW is happy to “share the love” by directing some of the donations received via the tournament to Komen, an organization whose objectives are so strongly aligned with our own. Along with its grant funding, educational, advocacy and support efforts, Komen funds free or low-cost screenings through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program (BCCP) for under-insured and uninsured individuals in Oregon and SW Washington. An important upcoming event to be aware of is the 2012 Breast Health Issues Conference, which will be held on Saturday, March 10, at the Oregon Convention Center.
Lori Kresse is “absolutely thankful for the donation. It is a unique way to raise funds and engage all ages for the benefit of many people.” She says, early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer. When breast cancer is diagnosed at its earliest stages, the five-year survival rate is 98 percent. That’s why programs such as Komen and Project Access Now are so important.
Nik says, “The tournament was fun. I enjoyed meeting all the players and it was such a great idea. I really like what Project Access NOW does and the fact that it helped to donate funds to Komen. Both organizations do a lot to raise awareness and provide resources for people who need cancer screening and may not be able to afford it.”
(January 2012)
