WGI Spins for a Cure
Mar 24, 2009
WGI Sport of the Arts, the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard competitions, today announced a partnership with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® to declare Friday, April 3, “WGI Spins For A Cure Day” at the 32nd annual Color Guard World Championships to take place in Dayton, Ohio.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, they are working to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, and generous contributions from partners, sponsors and fellow supporters, they have become the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
The partnership with the distinctive worldwide foundation will play an active role in the upcoming championships and WGI is committing to several fund raising projects within the event. WGI is will donate a portion of all ticket proceeds to all world championship events on Friday, April 3. The traditional 50/50 raffle proceeds collected that day will also be donated.
Acclaimed choreographer Mia Michaels, a special guest at the event, has also agreed to participate by hosting a special t-shirt signing event with proceeds donated to breast cancer awareness. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
In a unique challenge for the performers, WGI is sponsoring a fund raising drive for the groups competing at the world championships. Each group has been sent “WGI Spins For A Cure” wristbands to be sold prior to arrival in Dayton. The guard raising the most funds will have a personal “meet and greet” with Mia Michaels and receive tickets to the World Finals on Saturday, April 4. All groups participating will also be recognized in the championship issue of Focus.
“This grew out of a desire to expand our reach outside the normal activities of our largest event this year,” said Executive Director Ron Nankervis. “It is my hope that everyone will join WGI and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in raising awareness as well as necessary dollars. We must end a disease that will affect a significant number of our performers in the future unless a cure is found.”
For more information on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, please visit their website.
United States Breast Cancer Facts
* The most significant risk factors for getting breast cancer are being female and getting older.
* In the U.S., a woman has a 1 in 8 (12 percent) risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
* Except for skin cancers, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States.
* The five-year survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early before it spreads beyond the breast, is now 98 percent (compared to 74 percent in 1982).
* An estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed among women in the U.S. during 2008 (latest available estimate).
* An estimated 1,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed among men in the U.S. during 2008 (latest available estimate).
* An estimated 40,480 women and 450 men were expected to die from breast cancer in the U.S. during 2008 (latest available estimate).
* One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the U.S.
Source: American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2008
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