Four Hundred Individuals Raise $76,000 to Support Breast Cancer Patients at Annual Bosom Buddies Walk

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Despite the rainy weather, four hundred individuals participated in the annual Bosom Buddies Walk held in East Aurora, N.Y. today and raised $76,000 and counting to support breast cancer patients. All of the funds raised will stay local and benefit the Western New York Breast Resource Center and breast cancer research at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park).

“This walk is an annual celebration of all those who have been affected by breast cancer and is a chance for us to honor patients and survivors for their courage, and to remember those we have lost,” said Roswell Park surgeon Jessica Young, MD, who participated in the event. “By raising funds and walking today, our participants — many of whom are survivors themselves — are helping to ensure that no one in our community has to deal with breast cancer alone.”

The Breast Resource Center, located at Roswell Park, is entirely funded by donations and is free and open to the public. The Center provides patients and their families with a wide range of breast cancer information and referrals to services like support groups, financial assistance programs and transportation services. The Center has also provided more than $65,000 in wigs to patients free-of-charge since 2012.

“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was immediately greeted by members of the Breast Resource Center team. I remember feeling like I had an ally. I knew it was going to be hard, but it was so important to know there were other people at Roswell Park, in addition to the doctors, who were there to support me,” said breast cancer survivor and Bosom Buddies Walk participant Megan Colosimo said. “They helped me understand everything, and it made me feel like I wasn’t alone.”

Since its inception in 1995, the walk has raised more than $1 million for the Breast Resource Center and for the most cutting-edge breast cancer research at Roswell Park. The event features three different walking course options – 1.5, 3 and 5 miles.

###

The mission of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, Roswell Park is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or email AskRoswell@Roswellpark.org. Follow Roswell Park on Facebook and Twitter.