2011 Komen Detroit Race for the Cure®, May 21, Celebrates 20 Years in the Breast Cancer Fight

Sponsors, Teams, Participants and Volunteers can Sign Up Now!

DETROIT, Feb. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over the past 19 years, millions of people have gathered in metropolitan Detroit to celebrate progress, honor the memory of a loved one, raise awareness and support those affected by breast cancer. The 20th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, locally presented by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, will take place Saturday, May 21, at Comerica Park. Sponsors, teams, participants and volunteers can sign up now for this year's Race.

The Komen Detroit Race for the Cure® awards 75 percent of the current year's net proceeds to a diverse group of organizations serving Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Funds support breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs for the medically underserved. The remaining 25 percent funds breast cancer research and project grants awarded through Komen for the Cure.

Last year, more than 35,000 people took part in this inspirational movement in Detroit – a 15% increase from the previous year – making our hometown Race a top-tier event in the world's largest 5K run/walk series. Of the $2.3 million raised, $1.55 million in grants went to support local breast health programs and more than $428,300 supported national breast cancer research.  

Since 1992, the Detroit Race has raised more than $19.3 million to help end breast cancer forever, right here at home. Since its inception, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has invested an unprecedented $1.9 billion in breast cancer programs and research worldwide.

Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. Worldwide, a woman dies of breast cancer every 69 seconds. Help us end breast cancer. Be part of the 2011 Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure®. Every step you take in this inspirational movement – a 5K competitive race, a 5K walk or a one-mile walk – will bring us closer to a cure.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

• Be a Sponsor. Business sponsorships range from $300 and up.
• Register to Walk or Run, as a Team or Individually. Teams are a wonderful way to engage coworkers, friends, families and neighbors to be part of the breast cancer movement. Team registration closes at 5 p.m. on May 4; individual online registration closes at 6 p.m. on May 19. Other multiple registration options continue through Race morning.
• Volunteer! Sign up online for any of more than 1,400 volunteer opportunities.
• Make a Donation. Whether or not you can join us in person on May 21, please consider making a donation. Many fundraising incentives offered. 

To sign up or for more information go to www.karmanos.org and click the Race icon or call 1-800-KARMANOS and ask for the Komen Detroit Race for the Cure®.  

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.

Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure® and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Based in Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute is committed to a future free of cancer. The Institute is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Caring for nearly 6,000 new patients annually and conducting more than 700 cancer-specific scientific investigations programs and clinical trials, the Karmanos Cancer Institute is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 faculty members, and supported by thousands of volunteers and financial donors, the Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. The Karmanos Cancer Institute was originally established in 1943 as the Detroit Institute for Cancer Research, which then became the Michigan Cancer Foundation. The Institute was renamed the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in 1995 in memory of the late wife of Peter Karmanos, Jr., chairman and CEO of Compuware Corporation. Barbara Ann died at the age of 46 after an eight-year battle with breast cancer. To learn more about the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, its activities, or how you can get involved, visit www.karmanos.org or call (800) KARMANOS.

SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute