October One of the Most Successful Fundraising Months On Record For Cure Breast Cancer Foundation

CLIFTON, N.J. – This October turned out to be one of the most successful fundraising efforts on record for the Cure Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF), the non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization which raises important funds to support breast cancer research efforts under the direction of Dr. Larry Norton and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and other national and international research facilities.

The Clifton, N.J.-based organization instituted a comprehensive fundraising program throughout breast cancer awareness month which included a number of public events, brand new partnerships with highly-recognized brands and retailers, as well as community support from local volunteers.

The end result, close to $115,000, was raised to support the research of Dr. Norton, Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Breast Cancer Programs and the Medical Director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.   The impressive October number brings the total of money raised by CBCF to over $4.5 million since its inception in December 2007.

Fundraising efforts that took place in October included:

.  The 5th annual Valley Goes Pink! Breast Cancer Walk which raised over $100,000.

.  “Fight.Fly.Cure,” a special session of the indoor cycling experience at Flywheel    Sports in Millburn, NJ which totaled $4,741 raised. 

.  The Montclair Kimberley Academy raised $1,692 during its annual “Denim Day” when students and faculty are encourage to wear denim and pink in support of CBCF.  Carly Abramson, founder of CBCF, is a 2009 graduate of the Montclair, N.J.-based school.

. A partnership with Yosi Samra, the popular women’s shoe designer, which netted $228     in donations.

. Niksnaks.com donated 10% of the proceeds from the purchase of each personalized stroller blankets (Butterscotch Blankees) during October totaling $50.40.

. Salon J One in Rutherford, NJ donated a portion of sales from hair and styling services during October, totaling $400;

. Bracelets For Breast Cancer, the brain child of Maggie Bowie, a parent at the                Bernardsville Middle and Elementary Schools.  Throughout the month of October,  Middle and Elementary School students in Bernardsville made and sold hand-made loom bracelets with 100% of the sales donated to CBCF.  The incredibly generous effort raised $5,080.

.  The Pomona Middle School in Pomona, NY also donated $250 to CBCF.

. Old Souk Trading Co., a marketplace for worldwide treasures, original artwork and custom framing in Hackettstown, NJ, also participated.

CBCF offers a year-round schedule of fundraising events that include its annual Golf Classic, walk-a-thons, fashion events and other fundraising activities.  Fully 100% of its net fundraising proceeds received by the foundation are donated to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan and other national and international cancer research facilities to support the research being conducted under the direction of Dr. Norton and his colleagues.

Dr. Norton's research focuses on the theory of breast cancer “self-seeding”: the ability of breast cancer cells to move and start new cancers growing, not only in distant organs like the bones and liver (called metastases), but in the breast itself.  This behavior is referred to as “self-seeding” as it recalls the way weeds take over a garden: not by the growth of each individual weed plant, but by the seeding of new weed plants that grow in a confluent fashion.  By this concept, breast cancer is not one mass, but rather a collection of contiguous smaller masses.

This method of growth is indeed true in certain experimental models and research is ongoing to prove that it happens in people as well.  It explains many aspects of cancer: rapid growth, disorganization, formation of new blood vessels, need to irradiate a breast after lumpectomy for cancer and the association of all of the above with distant metastases.  If correct, it will provide new targets for the development of drugs to treat and prevent cancer.  Since “seeding” is an abnormal process—as opposed to the normal process of mitosis—such drugs may not only be more effective, but less toxic as well.  Hence, the concept of self-seeding is not only interesting from the point of view of biology, but possibly very important in the design of better approaches to cancer management and prevention, as well as in finding a cure.

For more information on the CBCF, please call (973) 471-CBCF (2223) or visit http://www.curebreastcancerfoundation.org.

Cure Breast Cancer Foundation

The Cure Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is a Clifton, N.J. – based not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charity devoted to fund research on the growth and spreading of breast cancer cells, also known as the Self-Seeding Theory, at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan and other national and international cancer research facilities under the direction of Dr. Larry Norton, who serves as the Foundation’s Scientific Advisor.  The founder and president is Carly Abramson.  Her father, Andrew Abramson, is Treasurer.  For more information, call (973) 471-CBCF (2223), e-mail info@curebreastcancerfoundation.org or visit http://www.curebreastcancerfoundation.org.