October 21, 2006

WELLER CENTER PROVIDES YOUNG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER AWARENESS AND PREVENTION INFORMATION

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Weller Health Education Center presented BSE: Better Start Early to girls at Catasauqua High School on Wednesday, October 18 and Thursday, October 19. Over 250 girls took part in the presentation between the two day period. The Center developed this comprehensive program for young women grades 9 -12 on breast cancer awareness and prevention.

The program was developed by Weller's master level health educators in early 2005 with a grant from the Women's 5K Classic Committee. The committee continues to fund the delivery of the program in high schools across the Lehigh Valley.

During the 45-minute program, girls receive an overview of reproductive health, learn breast cancer facts and risk factors, study normal and abnormal breast anatomy, signs and symptoms of breast cancer and how to perform breast self-exams.

Since the program's inception, more than 1,300 young women have participated in the potentially life-saving program.

"Before the Women's 5K Classic Committee funded this program, no comprehensive program for breast cancer awareness was available to young women in the Lehigh Valley;" said Melissa Lee, Weller Center president and CEO.

"Because there is little or no way to access large groups of young women after they leave high school, it is vitally important that we reach them with this potentially life saving information on breast health while they're in high school," she added.

Women's 5K Classic Committee was founded in 1993 by a group of women from the Lehigh Valley Roadrunners who volunteered to organize a race to promote fitness among women. In the first race, 250 runners raised just under $5,000 to support breast cancer education in the Lehigh Valley. During the October 2006 event, more than 4,100 women raised approximately $140,000.