In February of this year, the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) was selected as an honoree of the one hundred for 2014. On June 10, MBCC along with the 99 other nominees will attend an annual dinner to receive this prestigious award and recognition.
This year, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center received nearly 1,000 nominations from around the world. Final selections were made by Massachusetts General Hospital faculty, staff, and supporters.
“The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition is extremely honored to be recognized among the other impressive one hundred honorees for our unique focus on breast cancer prevention. MBCC was founded by women who were concerned about the lack of attention being paid to breast cancer prevention. We advocated for the commonwealth to declare breast cancer an epidemic, and we’re proud to say that we succeeded in this endeavor. We will continue to strive towards eradicating breast cancer for future generations,” says Cheryl Osimo, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition.
While grateful for efforts toward early detection and treatment, MBCC is dedicated to preventing environmental causes of breast cancer through community education, research advocacy, and changes to public policy. By advocating for the investigation of chemicals linked to cancer in air, water, soil, food and consumer products, MBCC seeks to protect current and future generations from exposure in the home, community, and workplace. To support their unique mission, MBCC founded its sister organization, Silent Spring Institute, in 1994 to conduct scientific research on the link between the environment and breast cancer.
Through a growing action network of advocates and volunteers, annual fundraising events, and community education initiatives, MBCC engages its supporters and those who want to learn more about breast cancer prevention. To further this goal, MBCC has recently launched Let’s Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures, an educational program to increase discussions between health professionals and patients about environmental toxic exposures.
In addition, MBCC has released a Research Updates Video Series to present the facts about environmental health and breast cancer prevention. Each short video features an interview with a researcher, medical professional, university professor, breast cancer activist, or other prominent figure in the field.
Through these means, MBCC’s unique approach to preventing breast cancer continues to influence public policy on both local and national scales.
Created and hosted by the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, the one hundred is an annual event celebrating 100 individuals and organizations who are making a difference in the fight against cancer. They are doctors and nurses who spend their days caring for patients and their families, advocates fighting to raise awareness for the cancer cause, researchers working tirelessly in their laboratories to make important discoveries, and philanthropists contributing generously to make a cure possible. Funds raised at the event support the Cancer Center’s patient care, research, education and community outreach programs.
The one hundred will host its seventh annual dinner on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at the Westin Boston Waterfront. The evening program will highlight a selection of honoree stories, and it will feature groundbreaking work that will contribute to our generation’s conquering of cancer. MBCC Executive Director, Cheryl Osimo, and Board President, Margo Simon Golden, will humbly be in attendance to receive this prestigious award.
For more information on the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, please visit www.mbcc.org. To learn more about the one hundred event or read more about the MBCC Nomination, visit the MBCC one hundred nominee page and the one hundred award letter to MBCC.