Lipscomb joins fight to help battle breast cancer
Chris Pepple |
Lee National Denim Day is the largest single-day fundraiser supporting the fight against women’s cancers. The event has raised more that $61 million in the past 10 years. Last year, nearly 30,000 companies or organizations allowed employees to wear denim on Lee National Denim Day in exchange for a $5 donation to help fight breast cancer.
“All of us at Lee Jeans are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in creating Lee National Denim Day,” said Liz Cahill, director of advertising and public relations for Lee Jeans. “We have seen firsthand what the passion and the power of a simple idea like Lee National Denim Day can achieve.”
Net proceeds from the day will support groundbreaking breast cancer early detection and treatment research as well as local community breast cancer programs. Specifically, the donations will fund research initiatives at seven of the leading research institutions in the country, each of which will establish laboratories named after the program. The following seven institutions are working together – a first in the research world:
o Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Md.
o Harvard University – Cambridge, Mass.
o M.D. Anderson Cancer Center – Houston, Texas
o University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Los Angeles, Calif.
o University of Chicago – Chicago, Ill.
o University of Washington – Seattle, Wash.
o Vanderbilt University – Nashville, Tenn.
Funds will also go to support the EIF Breast Biomarker Discovery Project, an effort led by world-class scientists to develop a blood test for the early detection of breast cancer, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund and their efforts to create a unique multimedia web-based and print resource dedicated to providing individuals with breast cancer, those at risk, and their families all the tools they need to make informed decisions about the issues in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
EIF is a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry. Pierce Brosnan, best known for his starring role as James Bond in four blockbuster films, serves at the 2006 spokesperson for Lee National Denim Day. He is also the current honorary chairman of EIF. He is participating in the Lee National Denim Day in memory of a close friend who lost her battle with breast cancer.
Lipscomb University’s participation in the day will be sponsored by the university’s Wellness Program. The program began in 1992 with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles in the Lipscomb community. Employees participating in the exercise incentive program will receive 5 points for their participation in the walk towards their goal of 50 for the year. At this time, 165 employees are signed up in the incentive program in hopes of a one-time discount on health insurance bought through the school’s insurance program.
Ruth Henry, the program coordinator, states, “We want to emphasize weekly regular exercise and help our employees start a healthy habit for themselves.” She also encourages employees to be involved with community fundraisers throughout the year and coordinates her program with local fundraisers when possible. She said that coordinators for Lee National Denim Day made things easy for organizations to be involved. She could sign up online and coordinate events at our campus rather than being asked to try to encourage employees to go off campus to participate in an event. “We can do this on our own campus, support a great cause, and enjoy the camaraderie of an afternoon with our own faculty and staff.”
For a $3 fee, employees can enjoy a catered picnic lunch on campus. Employees can also choose to walk in honor or memory of a person. A mural of names will be created for the event.
“I feel like breast cancer affects almost every person on our campus in some way,” Henry states. “It has touched our own faculty, staff, students and families.”
All events will take place rain or shine, though the walk may be moved into Allen Arena if severe weather occurs.