We Love… Susan G. Komen! (Part 2)

On MammographyKC.com we celebrate health – women’s health, breast health – and community. As much as we talk about the importance of self-examination and regularly scheduled mammograms, we find it important to elevate others: the people who help us on the journey of good health. These people range from individuals, such as your mammo tech or family members to nonprofit organizations that help rally the strength of a group of people to fight the good fight. We’d like to see an end to cancer.

Recently, we had the occasion to interview Susan G. Komen of Greater Kansas City about who they are, what they’re doing… and what’s to come. Due to the length of the piece, it is divided into two installments. This is part two.

Part II.

What are you most proud of in terms of your work in the Greater Kansas City area?

Komen Kansas City has proudly reinvested more than $10 million back in to the 17 county service area (in both Kansas and Missouri) and impacted tens of thousands of lives over the past 20 years. Our annual events are the reason we are able to gather tremendous support and funds to support the efforts of our local grantees each year … this past year 32 breast cancers were caught thanks, in part, to Komen KC funding to our grantees. Without the generosity of our community and the ground-breaking work done by our grantees we would not have been able to make such a substantial contribution to the cities we serve.

What do you wish more people knew about Komen Kansas City?

Komen Kansas City is not one person, one story, one event or even one grantee. We are collective efforts of a network of supporters, volunteers, grantees, staff and survivors striving to provide the most comprehensive resources for the community. We are proud of our efforts to reinvest funds back to the cities we serve and take pride in our network of resources offered to those impacted by breast cancer.

What are your greatest needs; how can a volunteer support your cause?

Our organization is only as strong as our supporters. On any given day of the year Komen volunteers are positively impacting the community through providing in-kind efforts in our office; serving as ambassadors within the community; or actively working on any of our three main events: The Komen Reveal, The Pink Promise Brunch or the Race for the Cure. Collectively these events generate the funds we give back in the form of grants to nonprofit organizations whose missions are aligned with Susan G. Komen.

What is the most rewarding part of the work you do?

Engaging and interacting with the breast cancer survivor and co-survivor community. They are the reasons we do the work we do every day in every way. Their stories, their challenges, their success are why Susan G. Komen was created and we are honored to continue working on a promise made by one sister to another more than three decades ago.

Originally published 12/4/13 on mammographykc.com.