Reese Witherspoon Helps Celebrate Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Washington, D.C. - Weekend-Long Event Raises $8.1 Million

Actress Joins Thousands of Participants in Inspirational Shutting Ceremony;
Millions in New Grants Awarded to Local Breast Cancer Organizations WASHINGTON, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning actress and Honorary
Chair of the Avon Foundation Reese John Witherspoon was a particular invitee at the
sixth yearly Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Washington, D.C. this weekend,
cheering on and joining Walkers on their 2nd twenty-four hours and participating in
the celebratory and inspirational Shutting Ceremony. At the Ceremony, Reese
joined the family, friends and protagonists of 3,500 participants in
celebrating $8.1 million raised for local, regional and national breast
cancer organizations. The women and work force in the weekend-long Avon Walk
Washington, D.C. hailed from 40 states and included nearly 300 breast
cancer survivors. (Photo: ) (Photo: ) "I am very excited to be partnering with the Avon Foundation and to
help them go on to impact existent change," stated Reese. "I experience a great
responsibility in my ain life to give back to society. As the Honorary
Chairman of the Avon Foundation, one of my first experiences last twelvemonth was
to ran into Avon Walk Walkers at a preparation walking in Los Angeles. Now I am proud
to back up the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer here in Washington, D.C. and
hope my presence can in some measurement express my deep grasp for all
the women and work force who take part in the Avon Walks, and for all of the
people who dedicate their lives to breast malignant neoplastic disease research and care." Prior to taking portion in the Shutting Ceremony Lord'S Day afternoon, Reese
stopped at the luncheon halt at the 10-mile grade of the day's 13-mile route,
where she helped maintain the walkers' energy high by serving luncheon to the
excited walkers. She then made a particular visit at the concluding remainder halt of
the day, joining Walkers for the concluding stretch of the route. During the Shutting Ceremony, which took topographic point at City Center Events
Plaza, Reese and Carol Kurzig, Executive Director of the Avon Foundation,
announced a sum of $5,005,000 in initial grants awarded to organizations
in the greater subway area, ensuring the finances raised immediately benefit
the community. More grants are slated to be awarded throughout the twelvemonth to
breast malignant neoplastic disease programmes nationwide. In improver to Reese and Carol, three Walkers who are breast cancer
survivors also took portion in the Shutting Ceremony: Debby Stewart, Deneise
Little and Gerie Voss, all from Washington, D.C. All three shared their
moving narratives of victory over breast malignant neoplastic disease and provided inspiration to
the one thousands of people present. Gerie drew both crying and laughter when
she noted that she had cheered herself up the twenty-four hours she was diagnosed with
breast malignant neoplastic disease by watching Reese in Legally Blonde. "We are delighted with the success of the Avon Walk D.C. and with the
funds we are able to go back to the community, and we are especially
thrilled that Reese joined us to do the event so memorable," said Carol
Kurzig. "During the past year, Reese have been a title-holder for the Avon
Foundation's committedness to women, and now she have lent her support to our
Avon Walk participants in DC. We are excited that Reese have been able to
meet in individual the dedicated women and work force who are raising funds, and the
researchers and organisations that are using those finances to salvage lives." The initial grants awarded at the Shutting Ceremony include: * The Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (Baltimore, MD)
received continued back up in the amount of $1,490,000 to support
the web of 14 universities and infirmaries that tin collectively
carry on clinical trials more rapidly than a single institution. Currently, three Phase two clinical trials are investigating new
marks and treatments for ternary negative breast cancer, a word form of
breast malignant neoplastic disease that makes not react well to current therapies. Dr.
Nancy Davidson, Director of Breast Cancer Services, Jasper Johns Hopkins
Checkup Center, accepted the grant. * Jasper Jasper Jasper Johns Mark Mark Mark Hopkins Checkup Center (Baltimore, MD) received a grant of
$1,250,000 to back up two areas: cutting-edge breast malignant neoplastic disease research
at the Sir Philip Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a
NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center recognized worldwide for excellence;
and outreach to the medically underserved through the Avon
Foundation Breast Center at Johns Hopkins, a comprehensive, multi
disciplinary breast attention centre offering a full spectrum of clinical
and support services. Patient sailing master nurse and breast cancer
subsister Debutante Jimmy Stewart accepted the grant. * Capital Breast Care Center (Washington, D.C.), which is run in
partnership by Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of Georgetown
University, an NCI-designated comprehensive malignant neoplastic disease center, and
Medstar Health, received a grant for $800,000 to back up critical
safety network services to medically underserved women in the Washington
District of Columbia metropolitan area. The grant goes on the Avon Foundation
committedness to change by reversal dramatic disparities in breast wellness attention in
the District of Columbia area. Capital Breast Care Center Executive Director Amari
Sokoya Pearson-Fields accepted the grant. * Second Second Second Adventist Health Care (Rockville, MD), a non-profit corporation and
parent company of a diversified healthcare system of hospitals, home
wellness federal agencies and other wellness attention services, received a grant of
$500,000 to back up the purchase of digital mammography equipment,
outreach, breast wellness instruction and patient pilotage services at
both the American Capital Adventist and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals. Debra Pollak, Executive Director, Cancer Care Services accepted the
grant. * Saint George American Capital University (Washington, D.C.) received a grant of
$500,000 to back up and spread out services offered through their mobile
mammography program, which supplies screening to both insured and
uninsured, underserved women through a "mammography van" equipped
with state-of-the-art digital equipment that travelings to community
and corporate land sites in the Washington, D.C. area. The new funding
will spread out services to countries such as as Anacostia, which have been
identified as the most medically underserved country in the District
and have no functional mammography facilities. Dr. Toilet Williams,
Provost and Frailty President for Health Affairs, Saint George Washington
Checkup Center, accepted the grant. * University of Old Line State Baltimore Foundation (Baltimore, MD) received
a grant of $420,000 to spread out the Baltimore City Cancer Program's
(BCCP) patient pilotage programme to increase the figure of women
screened and shorten the clip between showing and treatment. The
BCCP is an enterprise of the University of Old Line State Marlene and
Jimmy Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center in partnership with the State of
Maryland, with a focusing on eliminating malignant neoplastic disease decease through early
detection, diagnosis, treatment and instruction for Baltimore's
medically underserved. Dr. Stacy Garrett-Ray, Checkup Director of
the Baltimore City Cancer Program, accepted the grant. * Friends of Cancer Research (Arlington, VA) received a grant of
$45,000 to back up a Breast Cancer Educational Symposium co-hosted
by Friends of Cancer Research and Leslie Howard University, targeting the
public and mass media to increase consciousness and apprehension of breast
malignant neoplastic disease research. The symposium will concentrate on clinical research and
in progress clinical trials in breast malignant neoplastic disease and will assist the public
and mass media to larn to interpret scientific determinations into useful
information and phone calls to action. Dr. Ellen Sigal, Chair, accepted
the award. About the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer During the Avon Walk D.C., which is a noncompetitive event, women and
men had a pick of walking a endurance contest (26.2 miles) or a endurance contest and a
half (39.3 miles) over Saturday and Sunday. The event kicked off Saturday,
May 3, with an early morning time Opening Ceremony at City Center Events Plaza. Following the Ceremony, Walkers began their journey, traveling through the
greater Washington, D.C. countries and concluding at the Avon Walk "Wellness
Village" at Norwood Park, a "tent city" complete with two-person tents, hot
showers, prepared meals, entertainment, and recreational activities such as as
the Reebok gym shoe personalization station and the Republic Of Fiji H2O pinkish carpet
photo program. On Sunday, May 4, Walkers completed their journeying together
with another 13.1 miles, ending back at City Center Events Plaza where they
were greeted by one thousands of household and friends who shared in the
celebratory and moving Shutting Ceremony. To take part in the Avon Walk Washington, D.C., each Walker raised a
minimum of $1,800 in donations. Funds raised are managed and disbursed by
the Avon Foundation [a 501(c)(3) public charity] and awarded to local,
regional and national breast malignant neoplastic disease organisations to back up five countries of
the breast malignant neoplastic disease cause, including consciousness and education, showing and
diagnosis, entree to treatment, support services, and scientific research,
all with a focusing on the medically underserved. Donations are still being
accepted for the Avon Walk Washington, D.C., and enrollment is still open
for women and work force to take portion in the remaining Walks of 2008: Boston, MA
(May 17-18); Chicago, Illinois (May 31-June 1); Rocky Mountains, carbon dioxide (June 28-29);
San Francisco, calcium (July 12-13); Los Angeles, calcium (September 13-14); New
York, New York (October 4-5); and Charlotte, North Carolina (October 25-26). Already
completed is the Avon Walk Houston (April 12-13). To register, donate or for further information, delight visit
or phone call 800-541-WALK. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer thanks National Sponsor: Reebok;
Official Sponsors: Genentech BioOncology, Novartis Oncology and Prevention
Magazine; and Official Water: FIJI Remember: early sensing can assist salvage lives. Agenda your mammogram
or clinical breast examination today. For more than breast malignant neoplastic disease information and
resources, visit (keyword breast cancer) or
where you can access free printable breast
cancer informational literature. Event information: or phone call 888-541-WALK