John Paul Mitchell Systems and the Patron Spirits Company Announce Support of Fran Drescher's Cancer Schmancer

New 'Early Detection Fran Van' program provides cancer screening program for women in need in LA

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Actress and women's health activist Fran Drescher joined John Paul DeJoria, owner of John Paul Mitchell Systems and The Patron Spirits Company, to launch the "Early Detection Fran Van" program, a fleet of vans equipped with mobile screening equipment. In addition to transporting the screening equipment and staff between clinics throughout California to provide the screening mammograms, The "Fran Vans" serve as roving billboards, giving women a toll-free phone number (in English or Spanish) and a website to find out more information including why they should get screened, what early symptoms to be conscious of, and how to schedule a free appointment for a screening mammogram and clinical breast exam. Inner Images provides the clinical service and has partnered with Cancer Schmancer to heighten awareness and provide women with education on prevention and early detection of cancer.

"When we looked into providing mobile mammography and other tests for women in Los Angeles, we realized that there was not a shortage of available services; rather, there was a lack of awareness about the need to get screened," said Fran Drescher, who survived uterine cancer and founded The Cancer Schmancer Movement in 2007. "Women need information on living healthfully, and how to take their health into their own hands," Drescher said. "We are busy working, and raising families, but the best gift you can give your family is a long and healthy life." The Patron Spirits Company and John Paul Mitchell Systems are major sponsors of the new initiative.

"At Inner Images, we take pride in providing service to women in under-served areas who have limited access to early detection screening tests for breast cancer.  Education and awareness is critical and we are thrilled to be working with Cancer Schmancer to bring these services and the life-saving message of early detection to the areas that need it most," said Deborah Wright, who founded Inner Images in 2003.

Women who get screened receive takeaway information on everything from eating better to becoming a "medical consumer", which means partnering with your doctor to take control of your health. There are also patient navigation services to help women who need follow-up care navigate any complex bureaucracy.

"We should now be living in a world of preventative medicine, and my friend, Fran Drescher is leading the charge on this movement with her Cancer Schmancer Movement," said John Paul DeJoria. "We at Paul Mitchell and Patron are honored to support the Fran Van campaign in its efforts to provide methods of prevention and early detection to women across the country."

ABOUT CANCER SCHMANCER:

After two years, eight doctors, and an odyssey of misdiagnoses and mistreatments, actress Fran Drescher was diagnosed with Stage 1 uterine cancer. To share her experience so women wouldn't have to go through what she did, Fran wrote the New York Times best seller, Cancer Schmancer. In 2007, she launched Cancer Schmancer, a women's health organization dedicated to transforming generations of women from passive patients into informed medical consumers and educating our communities on the importance and methods of prevention and early detection.

By empowering women to listen to their bodies, ask the right questions of their doctors and seek second opinions, we can prevent cancer and, if we still end up with cancer, detect it in its earliest stages when it is most treatable.

In July 2010, Cancer Schmancer was named one of the Top-Rated Health Nonprofits by GreatNonprofits (www.greatnonprofits.org).

ABOUT INNER IMAGES

Inner Images is a mobile mammography company founded in 2003 by Debbie Wright.  The goal was and still is to provide early detection breast screening services to underserved women throughout California.  Inner Images and a sister company provided service to 6,500 women a month throughout California.   However, recent cuts to the program because of the state's financial crises has impacted the company and the ability of women to get service.  The company did receive a large financial grant from the Breast Cancer Prevention Fund during this restricted time and currently searching for more financial contributions.  It is unknown what the status of the program will be once the state's budget is signed and/or implemented.

ABOUT THE PATRON SPIRITS COMPANY

The Patron Spirits Company was created with the singular vision of producing the world's highest-quality spirits. With its portfolio of Patron tequilas and liqueurs, Pyrat Caribbean rums, and Ultimat ultra-premium vodka, the company has consistently set the standard for ultra-premium products in the spirits industry. For more information, please visit www.patronspirits.com

ABOUT JOHN PAUL MITCHELL SYSTEMS

Paul Mitchell, manufacturer of salon-only professional hair care products, has been serving the professional beauty industry for 30 years.  The company currently produces over 90 products (including the brands Paul Mitchell^®, Modern Elixirs^®, The Tea Tree^® Collection, Paul Mitchell LAB™, PM SHINES^® and Paul Mitchell the color^®).  All Paul Mitchell hair and skin care products are manufactured within the United States.  Paul Mitchell products are sold through 25 distributors within the United States to approximately 100,000 hair salons and schools. Internationally, Paul Mitchell works with distributors in 86 countries that supply thousands of hair salons.  The company does not test, and never has tested, its products on animals.

CONTACT: Jordan Brown, +1-310-617-4863

SOURCE Cancer Schmancer Foundation