Dear Friends in Prevention,
On behalf of all of us at Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC), I want to express our deep appreciation for your continued support and belief in MBCC’s mission of cancer prevention. We are incredibly grateful to be honoring our 30th anniversary in 2021, and despite the many challenges we have all experienced over this past year, MBCC has remained steadfastly committed to the work of creating a better world for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.
This year, through our program, Let’s Talk Prevention: Actions You Can Take, MBCC will continue to support students, teachers, parents/caregivers with free, age-appropriate materials for high school, middle school, and elementary school students to use both in and outside of the classroom. The MBCC Webinar Series features a range of leading scientists and community leaders addressing a number of important health issues. The full calendar for the 2021 Webinar Series is available here. In support of our programs, MBCC will be hosting virtual fundraising events throughout the year, including our first Annual Bike-A-Thon, Against the Tide, and the Lesbians & Friends LGBTQ+ Dance. Please click here to learn more.
On the policy front, MBCC is grateful to all of our supporters who made phone calls and wrote letters in support of the Children and Firefighters Protection Act. We are extremely pleased Governor Baker signed the bill into law, and are proud to have worked alongside so many passionate advocates to ensure that highly toxic flame retardants are banned from children’s products, household furniture, mattresses and bedding, curtains, and carpeting. MBCC remains deeply concerned about the health impact of exposure to PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), and we continue to galvanize support for Bill S. 1315 and Bill H. 3839. Both pieces of legislation are geared towards removing these harmful chemicals from food packaging in Massachusetts. We invite all MBCC supporters to join us in reaching out to state legislators. You can read more about MBCC’s Campaign here.
Nationally, MBCC continues in its role as a community partner on three national PFAS health and exposure studies. Two of these studies are funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the third is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Through these partnerships, MBCC is contributing to a broader scientific understanding of the sources of PFAS exposure and potential health effects in both adults and children. While the pandemic has presented some challenges for each of these research studies, MBCC, Silent Spring Institute, and our other research and community partners are still carrying on this important work.
When I think back to the inception of MBCC in 1991, I cannot help but feel grateful to the many women who founded this organization. Since that time, there have been many significant accomplishments as our work has grown both locally and nationally. And, yet, as we embark on our 30th year, there is still so much to do to ensure that we create a healthier world for future generations.
I am both honored and humbled by the faith you have shown in MBCC and hope that you will continue to stand with us in 2021 and beyond.
With caring gratitude,
Cheryl Osimo
Executive Director