The West Virginia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has awarded a $13,310 grant to The Foundation of Mon General Hospital to provide free mammograms in conjunction with the annual Tucker County Health Fair.
Residents will be able to sign up for the free mammograms at the Tucker County Health Fair, to be held Saturday, June 7, 2014 at Caanan Valley. The free mammograms will be performed at Davis Memorial Hospital in the middle of July.
“We are grateful to the Susan G. Komen organization for its contribution to the Tucker County Health Fair,” said Tag Stiles, Tucker County Health Fair organizer and a volunteer with The Foundation of Mon General. “This contribution will help ensure that lower income residents of Tucker County and the surrounding region will have an opportunity to receive a mammogram.
Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health, according to the American Cancer Society. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. It is estimated that one in eight American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
Death rates from breast cancer have been declining, largely due to earlier detection through screenings (such as mammograms), and increased awareness, as well as improved treatment.
“We are pleased that we will be able to offer mammogram forms, along with a doctor’s order for the test, at the Tucker County Health Fair,” Stiles said. “Women will be able to have the mammogram in the middle of July at Davis Memorial Hospital thanks to this grant.”
The Tucker County Health Fair, which is sponsored by Mon General, is held the first Saturday in June at Canaan Valley. This annual health event is now in its ninth year. Watch for more details in 2014.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and the West Virginia Affiliate is one of 125 Affiliates on the front lines dedicated to ending breast cancer in their communities. Komen Affiliates fund innovative programs that help women and men overcome the cultural, social, educational and financial barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment.
“At the Komen West Virginia Affiliate, we conducted a needs assessment of our community and discovered particular gaps in service across the state,” said Rebecca Newhouse, Past President of the West Virginia Affiliate’s Board of Directors and Grant Committee Member. “We are confident that through the 2013-2014 grantees’ projects these needs will be addressed and West Virginia women will benefit as a result.”
Bill Hennessey, Executive Director of the Mon General Hospital Foundation, left, and Tag Stiles, Tucker County Health Fair Coordinator, right, hold a $13,310 check from The West Virginia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. The grant will be used to provide free mammograms in conjunction with the annual Tucker County Health Fair in 2014.