Photo credit: Janet Donovan
It’s not every day that an airplane is dedicated to someone, but such is the case of Delta Boeing 767-400ER in honor of Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s founder Evelyn Lauder. It was painted in a pink livery while Lauder was living; re-christened and renamed the same plane in her memory.
It all started in 1993 at Evelyn Lauder’s kitchen table, according to their history statement: “Over a cup of coffee, Mrs. Lauder and her dear friend Dr. Larry Norton began a conversation that would, over time, change breast cancer history. Recognizing the power of research and its potential to change the lives of millions of women and men worldwide, they realized that to tackle this disease a new approach was critical. At the time, a breast cancer diagnosis inspired fear and little hope. Scientific understanding of the nature of the disease and how it moved through the body was still nascent. Investigations on prevention strategies were fledgling, screening methods were limited and treatment options were few. Mrs. Lauder, along with Dr. Norton and her husband, Leonard, committed then and there to change that. They believed research was the way forward and founded BCRF on the belief that funding was the only obstacle standing between breast cancer and a cure.” The Austrian born American businesswoman, socialite and philanthropist has been credited as one of the creators of the pink ribbon as a symbol for breast cancer awareness.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dr. Marc Hurlbert
“I’m at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation,” Chief Mission Officer Dr. Marc Hurlbert told Hollywood on the Potomac at a reception honoring ABC News’ Cokie Roberts hosted by House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “We’re the leading funder of breast cancer research in the non-profit world, this year and the last several years. We have 240 active projects and several focusing on male breast cancer which is actually quite rare. There is only like one percent of the cases each year – about two thousand cases compared to two hundred and fifty-thousand cases each year in the US for women – so it’s a little rare, but it still needs to be studied. Men don’t get mammograms, obviously, and there is no real {credence} that have been tested. All the clinical trials were done on women early on. So unfortunately for men, breast cancer does happen. It is rare, but we’re not screening for it; so when it happens it occurs late and is quite aggressive and more often than not has already spread to other parts of the body. It’s our long term goal to end breast cancer so we are into research, not only treatment. We need to prevent the disease in the first place.We need to find out what is causing it and then prevent it.”
“Thank you for honoring us with your presence here,” said Nancy Pelosi when thanking her co-host Cathy McMorris Rodgers. “As the highest ranking woman in the Republican caucus, she is a leader in so many ways and an articulate spokesperson for her point of view. I love seeing her as a mom. Thank you Cathy.”
Cokie Roberts, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Nancy Pelosi with her grandchildren
Honoree “Cokie” Roberts was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2002 and is an active advocate for finding a cure. She continued to work during the ordeal “and put one foot in front of the other” during her treatment. She and urges women to ‘pay attention.’ She is part of the journalists race for the cure and advocates knowing your family history, getting preventive care – it’s the difference between life and death. “Do you really want to leave your kids without a mother?”
