[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 101 (Thursday, July 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  IN RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY & IN GRATITUDE OF DENNY 
  MOE'S SUPERSTAR BARBERSHOP SECOND ANNUAL CUTTING FOR A CURE 48 HOUR 
                                MARATHON

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                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 2010

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise in recognition of an 
outstanding act of community service by the organization and non-
profit, Cutting For A Cure, and its founder, Dennis Mitchell. I am 
proud of the work being done by extraordinary people in the fight to 
bring awareness and combat very serious health issues, like HIV/AIDS, 
which has disproportionately affected Blacks, women and other minority 
members of the Harlem community and the city at large. At the forefront 
of that movement is Denny Moe's Barbershop and Cutting for a Cure, a 
community based organization founded to increase the awareness of 
preventive health care and the importance of early detection and 
screening.
  In hosting the 2nd Annual Cutting for a Cure event, a 48 hour hair-
cutting, medical screening and entertainment marathon which commenced 
on June 25 and ended on June 27, in partnership with National HIV 
Testing Day to gain exposure for its cause, the organization employed 
the help of volunteer barbers, entertainers, doctors, nurses and 
medical technicians to cause a tangible effect in Harlem by raising the 
awareness of early screening as a means of preventive health 
maintenance.
  With a mobile medical van and team of medical personnel on location, 
the organization offered screening for diseases ranging from diabetes, 
high blood pressure and hypertension, high cholesterol, breast, 
prostate and colon cancer, asthma, kidney disease, and of course, 
hepatitis and HIV/AIDS in its effort to provide people with the means 
of early detection. Doctors have repeatedly offered evidence that early 
diagnosis of certain diseases such as cancers of the colon and the 
prostate give those who are diagnosed early ability to aggressively 
combat their illness in the hope of eliminating it and continuing their 
lives free of disease.
  I would like to formally commend Cutting for a Cure for its work in 
raising health awareness and promoting early diagnosis of the health 
issues which unevenly affect minorities in our urban centers. The aim 
of the organization is to offer free health screening clinics with the 
support of local and corporate business sponsorship, area hospitals and 
health care professionals to provide local residents an opportunity to 
get tested right in their own neighborhoods and on their commercial 
streets and blocks. With help from sponsors such as the National Black 
Leadership Commission on AIDS, St. Luke's Roosevelt, Harlem Hospital 
Center, Central Harlem Health Revival, Harlem United, Barbershop 
Quartet, Apple Bank, The New York Times, Crunch Gyms and many others, 
Cutting for a Cure is effectively addressing an epidemic of preventable 
disease and death right here in Harlem, throughout my Congressional 
District and the greater New York City at large.
  Founder, Mr. Dennis Mitchell, affectionately known as Denny Moe, is 
the Harlem barbershop owner of Denny Moe's Superstar Barbershop and the 
catalyst for the creation of Cutting for a Cure. Denny Moe was 
diagnosed earlier this year with Type II diabetes and has used his 
detection and influence in the community as a business owner to take 
action with the end goal of bettering lives. Inspired by the health 
concerns and issues he heard from his many customers who sat in the 
chairs of his barber shop and friends and family members who became 
affected by disease and various cancers, he noticed a pattern of 
certain diseases affecting his customers more than others and the 
tragedy of people dying due to being diagnosed too far along into their 
illnesses.
  Denny realized that something must be done to stem the tide of 
African Americans who were losing their lives unnecessarily prematurely 
due to lack of awareness and inadequate health care. That realization 
was the seed for the birth of Cutting for a Cure and the work began to 
offer the community help in the form of education and medical 
evaluation. Emphasizing the importance of periodic check-ups and 
healthy living in order to prevent disease is the means used by Denny 
Moe's Superstar Barbershop to help the people of Harlem and the 
community around him in his effort to highlight the disparity in the 
quality of health care offered in urban communities across the nation.
  Madam Speaker, the efforts of this organization to effect positive 
change in the lives of other New Yorkers is invaluable and I am honored 
to commend its work. The organization's motto of ``One ounce of 
prevention is worth more than a pound of cure'' is an ideal which it 
promotes heavily while educating the community that disease prevention 
is the best method of living a healthy life. The citizens of New York 
City can only benefit from individuals and organizations such as Mr. 
Dennis ``Denny Moe'' Mitchell and Cutting for a Cure as they enrich the 
lives of others as they continue to help our community.

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