Women's Committee Report - October 2006

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For more than 20 years, this month has been used to educate women and their families about early breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. The key message has been the importance of early detection through annual mammography screening for women over 40, or earlier for women at increased risk.

This year we are spreading the word about an important study being conducted by the National Institute of Health. Called the Sisters Study, it is an attempt to gain more information on why some women get the disease while others don't. The Sisters Study will look at how things in our homes, workplaces, and communities affect anyone's chances of getting breast cancer.

In the next 3 years, they hope to have 50,000 women aged 35 to 74 whose sister had breast cancer and who do not have it themselves, enroll in this study. Please help us reach out to these sisters by taking copies of the flier we have in the back that has a toll free number and web site for more information on this Sisters Study.

Our Committee also wants to remind you that you can still join our TEAM 751 to walk with us in the 'Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk' on Sunday, October 15th. We are meeting in front of the fountain across from JC Penny's at Bellevue Square to take a group photo at 8:30 AM. Registration and contribution forms are available at our table and at all our Union halls. Or you can join our team and pledge on line at our TEAM 751 website. Simply log onto www.cancer.org/stridesonline and click on WA State to reach the Seattle event. You can join our team from there and the pledge is optional. And, we are still taking t-shirt orders at our table. We plan to pass them out that morning before the pictures. We hope you can join us to walk and raise money so together we can help change lives.

The last thing we want to share with you is that we will be holding the drawing for our beautiful quilt this month at the District Council meeting on October 24th. This may be your last opportunity to buy a ticket for $1.00 to the winner! All the money will go to Guide Dogs of America. So, come get your lucky ticket now!