[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 72 (Friday, June 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5731-S5732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           RACE FOR THE CURE

 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, fifteen years ago the first Susan G. 
Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race For The Cure was held in Dallas. 
This year, at least 500,000 participants in more than 85 communities 
nationwide will host 5-K runs and 1-mile fitness run/

[[Page S5732]]

walks to raise money for national breast cancer research efforts and 
local breast cancer initiatives.
  I am proud to be honorary co-chair for this year's Vermont Race For 
The Cure, along with my distinguished colleague, Senator Jeffords. The 
race will be held in Manchester on July 26. Last year our race was a 
wonderful community event, with more than 2,300 Vermonters running or 
walking in the race and with others joining in support through pledges 
and by cheering racers on. That effort led to $84,000 in grants for 
nine projects throughout Vermont to support breast cancer treatment, 
education and survivor support.
  The Race For The Cure is an important and successful effort to raise 
private funds for breast cancer screening, education, and treatment to 
reduce and one day eliminate this terrible disease. One woman somewhere 
in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer every three 
minutes and one of its victims dies from the disease every twelve 
minutes. One in eight women will suffer from breast cancer in her 
lifetime, and it is the leading cause of death for women between the 
ages of 35 to 54.
  The private contributions raised by the Race For The Cure are a vital 
complement to the efforts of those of us in Congress who strive each 
year to secure federal funding to fight breast cancer.
  We in Congress have made it clear that we plan to continue to 
increase research funding at the National Institutes of Health.
  And just yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to 
guarantee at least $135 million for Fiscal Year 1999 for the Department 
of Defense breast cancer research program. This program continues to 
spawn far-reaching innovations in medical research, and the seven-year 
total allocated under this program will rise to $872 million, if this 
provision is enacted this year.
  Seven years ago, working with the breast cancer survivor community, 
several of us launched this crusade to earmark a portion of the defense 
budget for this breast cancer research program, and over the years it 
has become a crucial supplement to other federally and privately 
sponsored research efforts.
  Working together on these initiatives, and by supporting such private 
efforts as the annual Race For The Cure, we are drawing closer, year by 
year, to the day when we can eliminate the destruction and the pain of 
breast cancer from the lives of our wives, mothers and sisters.

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