Dear Supporter,
I have a granddaughter who is just over 18 months old now. She is a curly-locked cutie: observant, smart, silly, with an impossibly happy and even disposition. I watch her with my 92-year-old mom while my daughter Christina and her husband Joe are at work. It is hard to express how overwhelmingly wonderful it is to be with her – it frequently feels as though my heart is bursting with joy. But it also feels like it is breaking.
You see, Anna is named in honor of her grandma, Ann. We lost Ann to breast cancer 18 years ago. She did not get to see our son Adam graduate from high school, college or grad school. Ann did not get to see our daughter Christina graduate from college, fall in love, get married and give birth to Anna. I will never get to see the boundless joy in Ann’s eyes as she hugs our granddaughter, nor Anna’s squeals of delight as her grandma chases her around the house. And so, my days are filled with great joy and tinged with great sorrow.
Breast cancer scars not only its victims but everyone they love, as well as generations to come. Like most, Ann did not have a family history of the disease. She just happened to be one of the one in eight women who develops breast cancer in their lifetime.
Millions are spent each year searching for effective treatments to be applied after the suffering has already begun, but very little is devoted to prevention. That is why everyone at MBCC is dedicated to preventing environmental causes of breast cancer through community education, research advocacy, and changes to public policy.
But we can’t continue our mission without your support.
We don’t have the resources of big pharma behind us, and there are precious few foundations willing to fund our fight. We rely on the generosity of people like you – idealists who believe that we can and must stand up to the powerful corporations that profit from using PFAS and other dangerous chemicals in consumer products and those that pollute our environment. Will you help us continue our mission by sending in your donation today?
We are deeply grateful to the businesses and charitable organizations that provide funding, but the true foundation of our support lies with individuals and families like you, who are passionate about our mission. That makes your generous donation all the more important. We hope you will consider making a contribution this year. You can do so by visiting our website at mbcc.org/donate or by mailing a check. Your generosity enables us to continue to be able to do this vital work. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Thank you for caring,
Steve D’Amico
Board of Directors Treasurer
Please Note: In the printed version of this appeal, Steve D’Amico’s title appears as MBCC Board Vice President. As part of MBCC’s recent Board leadership updates, Steve now proudly serves as Treasurer.