CT Breast Health Initiative Reaches 20th Anniversary

The Connecticut Breast Health Initiative (CT BHI) proudly marks its 20th anniversary in 2023, as supporters from throughout the region will gather on Friday, October 6 at the Society Room in Hartford to mark the occasion, to raise money to advance breast cancer education and research initiatives in Connecticut, and to make a difference locally in the fight against breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and registration is now open for the 20th anniversary event.

A statewide nonprofit organization, the Connecticut Breast Health Initiative (CT BHI), annually hosts the popular RACE IN THE PARK on Mother’s Day weekend in New Britain and additional fundraising initiatives throughout the year. With generous public and corporate support for two decades, more than $4.3 million and 107 grants have been provided for research and education initiatives in Connecticut.

“100% raised in Connecticut. 100% stays in Connecticut,” said Joyce Bray, president of the CT BHI Board of Directors. “Every person who participates, every dollar donated, brings us closer to the next breakthrough and ultimately a cure. There is groundbreaking research underway right here in Connecticut that we have been proud to support through the years, thanks to our dedicated donors, sponsors, event participants, and volunteers. This year, we celebrate the impact and progress made locally in the fight against breast cancer.”

CT BHI brings statewide benefits. The money raised has funded grants provided to breast cancer research and education initiatives across the state, including in Bridgeport, Danbury, Farmington, Hartford, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, Norwalk and Stamford.

The annual RACE IN THE PARK is the largest fundraiser to support leading-edge breast cancer research in Connecticut. Each year, the RACE IN THE PARK brings people together, affirms community spirit, and reflects a camaraderie of respect and honor, resilience, and remembrance.

CT BHI “may lead to novel interventions or different therapies that can help patients and help us better understand how we can make a difference – in treatments, and in survivorship,” said Susan Tannenbaum M.D., University of Connecticut. Added Anees Chagpar, Professor of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine: “Your funding is absolutely making a difference. It is ground-breaking work, and there is really no other way to get it funded. And it is absolutely critical to advance state-of-the-art practice in breast cancer management.”

Through the years, researchers and educators at the following institutions and organizations earned grants from CTBHI: Middlesex Health, St. Vincent’s Hospital, MidState Medical Center, UConn Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Jackson Labs, The Hospital of Central Connecticut, Norma F. Pfriem Breast Center, Danbury Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital, Hispanic Center of Danbury, Norwalk Hospital, Stamford Health, The Witness Project of CT, Neag Cancer Center, Hartford Hospital, Fairfield University, Chatham Health District, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Yale Cancer Center, YWCA of New Britain, Yale School of Public Health, and Visiting Nurse Association of Central CT.

The RACE IN THE PARK offers options including a 5K run, a 4K walk, a 1- mile walk, and two Kids’ Challenges (1 mile and ½ mile). Each course includes a loop around the Historic Walnut Hill Park, and participants in the 5K also run through the surrounding neighborhood. Racers are always pleased to see enthusiastic local residents standing on their front lawns, cheering them on.

“The entire community really comes together to support this wonderful family day,” Bray noted. “Volunteers are the backbone of the event. Because of everyone’s extraordinary efforts, we’re able to fund forward-thinking programs that have yet to qualify for federal grants. And we’re doing it where it matters most – right here at home. Our vision is a world without breast cancer, and we know that research is the answer to cancer.”

Fundraising initiatives by CT BHI, in addition to the RACE IN THE PARK, include the Howard H. Belkin Memorial Golf Tournament, held annually in the Fall, and the Walk of Life, in which individuals purchase a customized brick to be added to the walkway in Walnut Hill Park in New Britain.

Throughout each year, organizations large and small put together grassroots fundraisers in support of CT BHI, which are indispensable to the cause. They range from New Britain Public Safety to local retail businesses; elementary school classes to local sports teams and community groups. Numerous fundraising events will be held throughout October.

The stark statistics underscore the imperative to continue fundraising. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, next to lung cancer, and breast cancer is the most common diagnosis in women in the U.S. Nationwide, 13% of women develop breast cancer, and in 2023 it is anticipated that there will be 298,000 female news cases and 2,000 male new cases. At present, there are four million women living with breast cancer in U.S. The rate of female breast cancer in Connecticut is the second highest in the United States, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

For more information about the Connecticut Breast Health Initiative, to attend the October 6 event, to make a donation, or to learn about corporate sponsorships, visit www.ctbhi.org.