Current Grant Recipients

Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Awards $308,936 in Grants to Six Regional Agencies

Organization’s Community-Based Grants Dedicated to Filling Unmet Breast Health, Breast Cancer Needs

ROANOKE – April 19, 2012 – Six regional health care agencies have been awarded grants from the Komen Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate to reduce barriers, increase access and improve outcomes through early detection in screening mammography as well as diagnostic testing, education, and awareness. The grants will serve women across the Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate region that are identified as uninsured or underinsured for breast screening services.

The Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate has increased its community based awards from $292,815 to $308,936 due to successful fundraising including an increase in contributions from  its Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure^®.  Melissa Woodson, Executive Director, cites a highly engaged community that realizes that significant philanthropy needs to occur in order to combat the disease.  “We are completely dedicated to serving women by ensuring preventative care as well as developing new chemotherapies.  We want to ensure that women have the chance to live a lifetime.”

The area agencies designated to receive Komen grants include Carilion Clinic Breast Care Center, Roanoke, VA ($79,789) – Centra’s Pearson Cancer Center’s Comprehensive Breast Program ($57,050) - Martinsville-Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness, Martinsville, VA ($31,031)– Rockbridge Area Free Clinic ($12,747)-- Virginia Department of Health, Mount Rogers Health District, Marion, VA ($79,500) – Virginia Department of Health, Pittsylvania-Danville Health District, Chatham, VA ($48,819).

These grants are awarded specifically to address medically uninsured and/or under-served women in 32 cities and counties which include Alleghany, Amherst, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, City of Buena Vista, Campbell, Carroll, City of Covington, City of Danville, City of Covington, City of Danville,  Craig, Floyd, Franklin, City of Galax, Giles, Grayson, Henry, City of Lexington, City of Lynchburg, City of Martinsville, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, City of Radford, Roanoke, City of Roanoke, Rockbridge, City of Salem and Wythe. 

According to Grants Chair, Eileen Lepro,  "This broadly-based service area is an excellent demonstration of the Affiliate’s aim to reach women throughout Southwest Virginia.  The Blue Ridge Affiliate provides a thoughtful and deliberate process in our decisions regarding funding opportunities for potential grantees.  The process is dedicated to the selection and preparation of a highly diverse and well educated grant review panel.  The grant review panel remains confidential in order to provide objectivity in decision making.  The Board of Directors receives the slate of approved candidates but is never privy to the decision making undertaken by the grant review panelists".

Requests for Applications are designed to help prospective grantees understand the required elements of a high quality program and outcomes-based planning and evaluation.  The review panel selects those grants that reflect best practices in order to fulfill Komen’s mission to eradicate breast cancer.  Seventy-five percent (75%) of donations to our Affiliate remain local so that we can continue to provide the funding necessary to the needs of our local communities.  The remaining 25% goes directly into national research with 0 dollars dedicated to administrative overhead at the national level.

The Komen Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate is part of the 125-member Affiliate network of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting to end breast cancer forever. Local Affiliates serve as the face and voice of Komen’s global breast cancer movement, mobilizing millions of everyday people through activities like the Komen Race for the Cure® Series, the world’s largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer.

Komen and its Affiliates are known globally for their dedication to filling existing gaps in breast health and breast cancer needs. To make sure they are addressing needs that no one else is meeting in their own service areas, Komen Affiliates work with local medical experts and community leaders to conduct comprehensive community needs assessments. These community profiles are then used to establish local grant application and review processes consistent with Komen's promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.

 About Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Komen Virginia Blue Ridge Affiliate
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® and launched the global breast cancer movement.   Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® is fighting every minute of every day to finish what we started and achieve our vision of a world without breast cancer.  Each year 1.1 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer, and 410,000 die from the disease.

Local Facts

• Mortality rates for breast cancer in our service area are higher than the state and national averages
• 80,787 women (38%) in our service did not have their annual mammogram
• Of the total African American women with breast cancer in our region, it is estimated that 14% have more advanced Stage III or IV Breast Cancer
• Roanoke City has the highest breast cancer mortality in our area
• The following counties have the highest mortality rates and death totals:  Roanoke City, Henry, Pittsylvania, Bedford, Franklin & Roanoke County
• Thousands of women in our area, who are insured, can afford mammograms and know they should get one, but do not.
• Of the 210,385 women age forty and over in our service area, it is estimated that 39% did not have a mammogram over the prior 12 months

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  Women's Health Virginia 2004, US Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).