Sacramento Valley Affiliate

History

The Sacramento Valley Affiliate started in 1993 with a small group of volunteers committed to fighting breast cancer on a local level. The first Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure® was held in 1997, raising its first grant funds and awarding seven local grant projects. That same year, Donna Sanderson, a volunteer member of the Race Committee was chosen as Affiliate Board President, and in the past fourteen years has steered the Affiliate's growth, currently holding the position of Executive Director. The Affiliate recently granted $1.7 million for the first state-of-the-art, digital mammography unit, servicing our 17-county area.

Global Summit

Donna Sanderson recently served as one of 25 delegates chosen to represent the United States at "Ignite the Promise: Global Advocate Summit" in Budapest, Hungary, held in September. As a 14-year breast cancer survivor and an educational psychologist, Sanderson is passionate about building on and sharing an appreciation and respect for other cultures. "We will not have completed our work in fulfilling Komen's Promise until there is no breast cancer anywhere in the world." said Sanderson. "The Advocate's Summit was an important step toward that goal."

The California Collaborative

Established in 2003, the Sacramento Valley Affiliate provides leadership for the California Collaborative, made up of seven statewide Affiliates, representing a total of over 100,000 California supporters with a demonstrated interest in the issues of breast cancer and breast health. Created as a vehicle to advance the Komen promise by maximizing and leveraging resources through active statewide Affiliate participation, the focus is on coordinated fundraising, education, and public policy issues.

Public Policy

The Affiliate held its first annual California Lobby Day event in 2005. A favorite of each Lobby Day is lighting the State Capitol building PINK to raise public awareness of breast health. This year we're planning the first-ever, statewide Komen California Community Challenge. Statewide advocates and supporters are convening in Sacramento on January 17 and 18 for a two-day event including our Capitol Rally, which will close with the lighting of the Capitol, an entertainment concert and an educational symposium focusing on "The State of Breast Health in the State of California."

Fundraising

Komen Race for the Cure®
In 2007, we celebrated the 11th annual Komen Sacramento Race for the Cure and topped our numbers at over 24,000 participants, raising over $2.5 million! Over 200 teams participated, many that show up year after year, with as many as 300 team members, and over 1,000 on corporate teams. We're busily planning our 2008 Race, taking place on May 10, 2008.

Pony Express Ride to End Breast Cancer
The Affiliate was offered the opportunity to help promote The Pony Express Ride to End Breast Cancer, an annual national event sponsored by the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation. This year, the Community Day Ride, held on September 21, took place throughout Northern California. Our Affiliate was chosen to help plan and coordinate the many event logistics and we were overjoyed to participate in this high-energy and memorable event. More than 200 volunteer riders from across the country joyfully participated, riding a total of 1,000 miles to end breast cancer with a generous donation to the Affiliate.

Black Tie and Boxing
The Annual Black Tie & Boxing Benefit was created eight years ago to help support local charities. Hosted by Prime Time Boxing, a local boxing club committed to "the Quest to Knock Out Breast Cancer," the Sacramento Affiliate was chosen as this year's beneficiary.

Prime Time Boxing has shown a special interest in Komen as the sponsors for one of Sacramento's Race for the Cure's largest teams, RAC-PAC. The more than 200 team members were quite noticeable at this year's Race, all wearing pink boxing gloves! The owners of Prime Time Boxing, Angelo and Cary Williams-Nunez were proud to present proceeds from the event to the Sacramento Affiliate to continue our efforts to end breast cancer forever.

Beale Air Force Base
To celebrate our local Passionately Pink Campaign, the Wives Club of Beale Air Force Base, coordinated a volunteer team and Breast Cancer Education Event. The team of over 250 enlisted Air Force personnel and their families met at the crack of dawn (literally, at 5:00 am, before the start of their workday), in their pink shirts and jackets to acknowledge their commitment and support of the Komen promise. In addition to donating funds to the Affiliate, team members visited with the Affiliate staff at education booths. We share Affiliate Education Coordinator, Lydia Moulin's feelings, "I was awed by the selfless efforts these servicemen showed by taking time to show their support during this difficult time that they're serving our country."

Half-Dome Gals
To celebrate their milestone 40th birthdays this year, a crowd of "old" college friends from Sacramento State College challenged themselves to climb the infamous Yosemite National Park's Half-Dome, and unanimously decided to make a difference in the local breast cancer movement. They braved the 13-hour, 17-mile round trip at a 9,000 ft. elevation and raised a generous donation to the Sacramento Affiliate. Wearing pink tank tops with "Fabulous & 40 - Half Dome for a Cause" across the front and pink gloves, the group was "motivated by both the sisterhood we shared and the comments of support we received from total strangers!"