(L-R) Dr. Adrian Smith, Pink Tie Guy, Steel Magnolias, Susan G. Komen; Christy Moore, Steel Magnolias, Susan G. Komen, Board Member; Nic Lott, Pink Tie Guy, Steel Magnolias, Susan G. Komen; Dave Estorge, Memorial Hospital Foundation, President; Paul Bertucci, Memorial Hospital Foundation, Board Member; Dr. Wilma Mosley Clopton, Steel Magnolias, Susan G. Komen Board President; Michael Davis, Steel Magnolias, Susan G. Komen Board Member; and James Smith, Kroger Store Manager.
GULFPORT, Miss.—The Memorial Hospital Foundation will receive a total of $12,500 in grant funding for the Foundation’s Breast Imaging Special Needs Patient Fund from the Susan G. Komen “Steel Magnolias” Chapter in Jackson, Mississippi. The first installment of $6,250 was presented on June 3, 2013 at a reception at the Hilton Garden Inn formerly the historic King Edward Hotel in downtown, Jackson, MS.
The goal of the Foundation’s Breast Imaging Special Needs Patient Fund is to help women in need of mammograms, MRI’s and Ultrasounds. Women or men who are uninsured or underinsured may apply for funding at Memorial Hospital. With this grant, the Foundation will assist approximately 125 special needs patients by March 2014.
The Mississippi Steel Magnolias’ service area includes 59 counties in Mississippi including the Gulf Coast. “We are fully committed to the coastal community and look forward to holding our first regional event on September 7th,” said Dr. Wilma Mosley Clopton, Board President of the Mississippi Steel Magnolias Affiliate. The Affiliate was established in 1999 as an all-volunteer organization with the mission of creating a world without breast cancer. It has invested $2.6 million in community breast health programs in 30 counties throughout the state.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and nearly 400 women in Mississippi lose their lives to breast cancer each year. The Mississippi Affiliate of Susan G. Komen is more than just a support organization; it funds life-saving mammograms and treatment to uninsured and underinsured people in their service area and promotes positive awareness about early detection. Grant dollars are raised through Affiliate-hosted events, fundraisers and donations collected from businesses, schools, churches and other civic organizations. Seventy-five percent of the funds raised at an Affiliate event remain here in Mississippi and provide breast health research, diagnostic screening, treatment services and education for uninsured or underinsured women. The remaining twenty-five percent supports national research to discover the causes of breast cancer and, ultimately, find a cure.
The mission of the Memorial Hospital Foundation is to assist Memorial in “building a healthier community.” In particular, to develop philanthropic support for Memorial Hospital and to generate a high level of community understanding and involvement in Memorial Hospital’s vision, mission, goals and objectives. “Together we are saving lives”.
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