For Immediate Release
March 18, 2009

BUFFALO, NY - The Witness Project® at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) has been awarded a one-year, $20,000 grant from the Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund.

The Witness Project®, sponsored by the RPCI Office of Cancer Health Disparities Research, educates African-American and medically underserved and unscreened women. The program provides women with referrals to low-cost or free mammograms and clinical breast exams, and assists with transportation and other needs. The Project also offers educational programs to area churches, civic centers, and job sites and presents information during community activities.

Established in 2001 in Buffalo, NY, the Witness Project® has reached more than 1,200 women with information about the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has referred more than 220 women for mammograms and clinical breast exams at local screening facilities.

“Roswell Park is committed to reducing cancer incidence and deaths among minority and underserved groups through such vital projects as the Witness Project®. We are grateful for the continued support from the Avon Foundation, which will allow us to continue to collaborate with our screening partners and to provide the necessary services to women in Western New York,” said Deborah Erwin, PhD, Director, Office of Cancer Health Disparities Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, RPCI.

For more information on the RPCI Witness Project®, call (716) 845-3383.

The Avon Foundation, founded in 1955, has been committed to the mission to improve the lives of women and their families. From the initial $400 scholarship in 1955, Avon philanthropy has expanded globally and through 2008, exceeded $660 million raised and awarded worldwide.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center. The Institute was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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