Anita Nager has advanced environmental health and breast cancer prevention through her leadership at the Beldon Fund and other philanthropic organizations. Having lost her mother and a friend to breast cancer, the journey has been personal for Anita as well, and in 2007 she and her daughter Kara joined Climb Against the Odds to honor those loved ones.
Have you seen the Breast Cancer Fund's blog, Not My Breasts?
The blog features breaking news and opinion about science, public policy advances, consumer products, special events, Breast Cancer Fund supporters, photos and more. Check back often or sign up for our RSS feed.
"We believe in the Breast Cancer Fund's mission wholeheartedly. We also believe that business can be used to improve our world. We see the difference Climb Against the Odds makes in the lives of the climbers first hand and we believe that the funds raised are being used to make the world a healthier place for all. It is fabulous to us that what we do as guides can be used for the greater good." —Jenn and Chris Carr, owners of Shasta Mountain Guides
Janet Gray, editor of the Breast Cancer Fund's groundbreaking report, State of the Evidence 2008, has provided access to and clearer understanding of the complex science linking breast cancer to chemicals and radiation. Along with her Vassar College students, Janet also created an interactive CD-ROM, Environmental Risks and Breast Cancer, which brings the research to life and has been distributed in all 50 states and 100 countries.
Climb Against the Odds 2006 alum and breast cancer survivor Kim Ryder is back on her skis and enjoying the snow in Colorado after surgery. "It is great to feel like myself again, returning to 'normal.' I am so grateful. I feel very passionate about living life...with purpose and service to others. I don't want to just talk about something or dream about it. I want to do it!
Pete Myers, one of the nation’s leading environmental health scientists and co-author of Our Stolen Future, is a mentor and colleague in the effort to create an understanding of the connection between the environment and human health. As a scientist and as CEO of Environmental Health News, he analyzes international news and research that has advanced public discourse on these critical issues.
"It is a privilege to serve as a spokesperson for the Breast Cancer Fund's work. Being a part of this year's Climb Against the Odds team has already brought enormous light to my life. My mother was diagnosed when I was 19 years old, and five years later my aunt. It is an epidemic that is screaming for attention, people are ready to help create change and are looking for guidance. It is an honor to climb a mountain in support of the people devoted to providing real answers." –Sarah Carter, actress and Pure Prevention spokesperson, pictured with climb coordinator Connie
We are survivors, partners of survivors, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and neighbors of survivors. We are concerned about our health and the health of the earth we will leave behind for our children. We have a personal connection to breast cancer and we know that if we protect the environment, we will prevent this disease and so many others.
Dr. Susan Kutner, a breast cancer surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, has taken on countless leadership roles in her determination to prevent breast cancer. Not only has she donated her time as climb doctor on four Breast Cancer Fund mountain expeditions, in 2006 Dr. Kutner joined the climb team alongside one of her patients. "How better can you express the real value in having a partnership for health than to climb a mountain with somebody that you've cared for?" she said.
Susan Ruddick received a powerful note from a friend after sharing news of her Climb Against the Odds: "I suspect the environment played a big role in my cancer. I grew up near a landfill in Ohio and drank well water. I have no family history of breast cancer or any risk factors. I will probably never know what exactly caused my cancer, but I believe we can do a lot more to clean up our environment, which will help us all to live more safely."
Safer Products for Californians
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills into law September 29 designed to protect state residents from hazardous chemicals in consumer goods. Breast Cancer Fund President Jeanne Rizzo, R.N. called it "a historic step toward reducing Californians' exposure to toxic chemicals."
"War on Cancer" Should Start with Prevention
A new "War on Cancer" bill addresses the continuum of cancer care from detection to hospice. But to be truly comprehensive, we must look at environmental contributors to cancer and strategies to prevent the disease.
State of the Evidence 2008
This comprehensive report on the environmental links to breast cancer includes synthetic estrogens, endocrine disruptors, carcinogenic chemicals and radiation. Early-life exposures emerge as critical to later-life breast cancer risk.
Apply to Climb Against the Odds Don't miss your chance to be part of the Climb Against the Odds 2009 team! We are now accepting applications for the June 2009 expedition on California's Mt. Shasta.
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