Susan G. Komen Connecticut Announces 2015 New Balance Honorary Team Member

The Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen® is pleased to announce that Sandy Cassanelli of Glastonbury has been named the 2015 New Balance Honorary Team Member. Each year Komen Connecticut, in partnership with New Balance, selects a breast cancer survivor to recognize at Komen’s signature events, Race for the Cure®, held annually in Hartford and Fairfield County.

“Komen does wonderful things for the women of Connecticut; from prevention to awareness, to support throughout and after treatment,” Cassanelli said. “I love that all the money raised stays in Connecticut.”

Cassanelli and her team “Breast Friends For The Cure” will take part in the 22nd annual Race for the Cure on June 6 at Hartford’s Bushnell Park. For Cassanelli, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37, the upcoming Race is a valuable opportunity to support other women dealing with the disease – especially in Connecticut.

She says that breast cancer taught her to appreciate her life more than she ever had. “It made me realize how precious life is and to not waste one minute of it,” she explained. “Do all you can and want to now. You never know what tomorrow brings!”

That lesson was something Cassanelli learned while still in the midst of her battle with the disease. The loving wife who owns a business with her husband says she managed to work out every day throughout her surgeries and chemotherapy.

Cassanelli believes that women should get screened for breast cancer as soon as they are able to. In her case, it turned out to be the difference between life and death. “It’s never too early to start self-exams and checkups! Early detection saves lives. It saved mine at 37.”

Over the last five years, Komen Connecticut has funded $1 million annually in community grants to local organizations providing lifesaving services for women in need across the state. Seventy-five percent of Komen Connecticut’s net proceeds support local breast health programs in the state while the remaining twenty-five percent is invested in research to find the causes and cures for the disease.

New Balance is celebrating over 25 years of partnership with Susan G. Komen and recognizes breast cancer survivors and those who have made a difference in the fight against breast cancer across the country. Locally, New Balance of South Windsor supports the Race for the Cure Greater Hartford.

The 2015 Komen Connecticut Race for the Cure Greater Hartford will be held on Saturday, June 6 at Hartford’s Bushnell Park. Registration opens at 7 a.m. at the park. Fellow Glastonbury resident UConn Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin Ollie will serve as Honorary Co-Chair, along with Aetna President Karen S. Rohan and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center’s Dr. Niamey Wilson. For more information about Komen Connecticut’s mission or to register for the Race for the Cure, visit KomenCT.org.

About the Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen® Komen’s presence in Connecticut began in 1994 with a Race for the Cure. The local organization was incorporated as an Affiliate of Susan G. Komen in 1999. Komen Connecticut serves local communities by providing funding for research and local life-saving programs which address education, screening and treatment for Connecticut residents. Over its 21 year history Komen Connecticut has invested approximately $23 million in Connecticut-based organizations.