The SW Michigan Affiliate Story

In 1996, a group of volunteers organized the first Michigan Race for the Cure® in Battle Creek. In 1998, the SW Michigan Affiliate officially incorporated to meet the needs of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties. This year, 2002, the Affiliate has expanded to include six additional counties: Allegan, Berrien, Branch, Cass, St. Joseph and Van Buren.

Today, the SW Michigan Affiliate joins the Komen Foundation's network of over 112 affiliates in the United States and abroad with the mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease through the advancement of public awareness, education, screening, treatment and support.

The SW Michigan Affiliate participates in other national fundraising activities such as, the late summer BMW Ultimate Drive at Harold Zeiglar's and Lee National Denim Day®, the first Friday of October. Each year, a Kalamazoo family and their friends organize the Dance for the Cure to memorialize, Mary Robinson.

The annual highlight is the selection of local grant recipients whose projects address the eight county service area's residents breast healthcare needs for education, screening and treatment. Local community and corporate participation in fundraising events make these grants possible.

Since the Affiliate's inception in 1996, community members are responsible for raising almost $400,000 for local grants used in southwest Michigan to fund local breast health education, screening and treatment programs. The first grant year awarded $10,000 to Calhoun County Health Department.

In 2002, the Affiliate awarded $100,000 to five programs: Calhoun County Health Department, Kalamazoo County Human Services Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Program, First Presbyterian Church Health Clinic, Healthy Futures African American Health Initiative and InterCare Community Health Network, Peer Outreach Program for Migrant Farmworker Women. In addition, the Affiliate has contributed over $85,000 to the Komen Foundation's breast cancer research program.

The SW Michigan Affiliate is a volunteer-based organization. Seventy-five percent of the net proceedings from all fundraising stays in southwest Michigan while the remaining funds support national research for a cure.

The Board of Directors is comprised of local media executives, medical professionals and community volunteers. The Affiliate continues to depend on volunteers for all of its operations; there is no paid staff.