For Immediate Release
Office of Mrs. Bush
April 4, 2002
Remarks by Mrs. Bush at Komen Foundation Event - Dallas
Thank you, Nancy (Brinker).
I'm delighted to be back here in Dallas for this international
breast- cancer benefit. Many of the people President Bush and I know
and love have been affected by this disease, including my mother. I'm
proud to join the Komen Foundation, Breast Cancer Care, and Cherie
Booth in calling worldwide attention to this important cause.
Cherie, thank you for being here. It is clear from her remarks
tonight that the Primer Minister's wife is a leader who inspires hope
and courage through her work with Breast Cancer Care in London - and in
her many roles as a wife, mother, and professional in the United
Kingdom.
Cherie is a great advocate to have on your side, and we're glad to
have her avid support for this cause. I first learned about her work
with Breast Cancer Care when we hosted the Prime Minister and Cherie at
Camp David in February 2000. As we got to know each other, we talked
about some of the things that are important to us.
Cherie told me about her work with Breast Cancer Care, an
organization that supports more than a half- million people in the
United Kingdom whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, and of
course, I told her about my association with the Komen Foundation. In
fact, when I lived here I enjoyed helping plan the foundation's annual
luncheon in Dallas.
Cherie thought it would be fun if she and I worked together to
raise money for breast cancer awareness and research in both our
countries.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation and Breast Cancer Care can point to a
number of milestones they've accomplished individually, but tonight's
event is a first - it's the first time that both organizations have
joined forces to raise awareness and support for this cause. So thank
you, Cherie, for the great idea and for your partnership.
This year alone, some 200,000 American women and men will be
diagnosed with breast cancer. Nearly 40,000 women and men will be
diagnosed with the disease in the United Kingdom. The disease is
random; it knows no geographic, gender, or ethnic boundaries; and it
strikes women and men during their most productive years.
That's why every woman should consult her doctor to determine when
a breast exam and a mammogram are needed - especially women with a
family history of breast cancer -- but the American Cancer Society
recommends regular breast cancer screenings for women age 40 or older.
If every woman over the age of 50 received an annual mammogram, the
number of breast cancer-related deaths would drop by about 30 percent.
All of us here today know and love someone who has had breast
cancer. Technology, science, and every survivor give us hope that we
will find a cure and put an end to breast cancer.
I join each of you in your commitment to finding a cure. I believe
we can make a difference in the future.
President Bush and I salute the Komen Foundation and Breast Cancer
Care. And we thank Cherie Booth for being here tonight. Thank you.
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