200 Breast Cancer Survivors and Hikers Tackle a Mountain in Spirited Bid to Fight the Disease

Breast Cancer Fund
Friday, 12 October 2001

Worthington State Forest, NJ -- Breast cancer survivors and their supporters will take on a portion of the Appalachian Trail on Saturday, October 20th, as 200 hikers and volunteers climb in Worthington State Forest to raise funds for The Breast Cancer Fund (TBCF) and local breast cancer services and programs. Participants will hike nine miles in the Delaware Water Gap area, which boasts some of New Jersey's most scenic hiking trails.

With each hiker required to raise a minimum of $300, the goal of the hike is to raise $50,000. Corporate sponsors include LUNA Bar and The Career Development Team.

"Our PEAK HIKES are an incredible, spirited community challenge," said Jeanne Rizzo, Executive Director of The Breast Cancer Fund (TBCF). "But while the focus is on fun, there's also a serious side. We're working to fight breast cancer the same way we climb mountains: one step at a time."

Breast cancer rates have almost tripled since the 1940s and continue to rise. One in eight women are now affected by the disease. And without major changes to the status quo, one million American women will be diagnosed and half a million will die in the next decade.

TBCF recently hosted additional PEAK HIKES at Mt. Crested Butte, CO, and Mt. Tamalpais, CA that together involved 1,200 hikers and volunteers and raised a total of $440,000. Proceeds from the PEAK HIKE will support TBCF's public education and advocacy initiatives that seek to eliminate the preventable causes of the disease, particularly those in the environment, develop safe and reliable detection methods, identify non-toxic treatments and therapies, and secure access to care for all.

TBCF's priorities for the coming year include launching a groundbreaking collaboration with AIDS organizations to help low-income women with breast cancer access treatment, and expanding Pathways to Prevention, a program that provides community education about reducing exposures to hazardous substances that may cause breast cancer.

"Wherever they are, the PEAK HIKES offer an opportunity to raise funds to support critical breast cancer work," said Rizzo. "And they also give friends and family a chance to show their support for women who have faced breast cancer with hope, courage and resilience."

For more information, or to contact Breast Cancer Fund, see their website at: www.breastcancerfund.org