Orchard Park, NY– The Buffalo Bills are partnering with the Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Zeta Tau Alpha and the Bills Women's Association to coordinate the sixth annual Billieve - Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign this Sunday, October 9, 2011 at the Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Pregame activities include:
- 15,000 pink NFL Zeta Tau Alpha ribbons to be distributed to fans at the entrance gates
- 50,000 pink pom poms to be given to fans courtesy of Time Warner Cable, game day sponsor
- 180 Jills Cheerleaders and Jills Alumni (six decades of Jills cheerleaders) to perform pregame
- 50 breast cancer survivors on the field to form Stampede Row during Bills player introductions
- Pink ribbon coin for the coin toss and the presentation of a ceremonial pink game ball
- Sky divers landing on the field during pregame with a Billieve flag and pink parachute
- Dessert deli selling pink ribbon cookies with the proceeds going to the Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The Bills will have pink goal post padding, banners on the ring wall and ribbon logos painted on the field. Players will also use pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, Captain's patches and sideline and quarterback towels. Special game balls with pink ribbon decals will be used throughout the game as well. This is all part of the NFL's - 'A Crucial Catch' initiative to promote the importance of awareness and early detection.
Delaware North Companies (DNC), the Bills retail partner, will sell the Billieve logo merchandise including pink tees, hats, knit caps, Billieve logo mini-helmets, and other pink-themed Reebok items at their locations and on-line with proceeds going to the local Komen and national American Cancer Society respectively. These items will be available at The Bills Store locations in Orchard Park at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure promotes and aids in the work of the Cancer Services Program of New York State. These county partnerships provide breast health screening and cancer treatment services for uninsured or underinsured women who qualify. For more information on this life-saving breast cancer service program, please call the American Cancer Society at 1-866-442-2262.
"We are honored to present the sixth annual 'Buffalo Bills Billieve Breast Cancer Awareness' program and the NFL's 'A Crucial Catch' campaign," said Gretchen Geitter, Bills vice president of community relations. "Education, awareness and early detection are the best defense against this disease. We appreciate the tremendous efforts of organizations like the WNY Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society, and we are happy to help promote the importance of early detection to our fans."
"There's much public confusion on what age women should begin screening mammography for breast cancer," said Jackie Pritchard, Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure executive director. "Getting older is the biggest risk factor and Susan G. Komen for the Cure recommends women begin annual mammography at age 40 or earlier upon their doctor's recommendation. We cannot stress enough the importance of early detection. When breast cancer is detected early and confined to the breast, more treatment options are available giving a woman a 97% chance of survival. Early detection saves lives!"
Currently there is no cure for the estimated 207,000 who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Today, 2.5 million women are living with breast cancer.
For more information, visit www.komen.org.
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, they have invested more than $1 billion to fulfill their promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit **www.komen.org*or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.*
Since 2001, the WNY Komen Affiliate has invested more than $2 million to provide funding and support to agencies in our local communities that provide mammograms and treatment, breast cancer education and ongoing support. Up to 75% of the money raised locally funds programs in Western New York, and the remaining 25% helps fund the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in these research programs have returned to Western New York for research programs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Universities of Buffalo and Rochester.
