Over the eight years that the Komen Chattanooga Race for the Cure has been held in Chattanooga, more than $1.8 million has been raised, according to Sarah Bowen, race co-chairman with Darlene Smith.

Where does that money go and who makes those decisions?

“Seventy-five percent of the money stays with the local affiliate,” Ms. Bowen said. “Last year the affiliate funded community grants totaling $193,045 to support breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs.”

Ms. Bowen said grants have provided emergency money to help breast cancer patients pay bills, funded a mobile mammography van and a resource directory for breast cancer patients.

Randall Hebert, Chattanooga affiliate grant chairman, explained the funding process.

“A committee is made up of folks from the medical community and nonprofit representatives. Written proposals are submitted from the community,” Mr. Hebert said.

“The committee takes all proposals, evaluates, scores them, then ranks them. We evaluate them as to how they fulfill unmet needs related to breast cancer.”

The ranked list (or slate) is presented to the affiliate’s board. Once approved by the board, grants are funded in the order in which they are ranked.

The deadline to submit a proposal this year is Oct. 31. Check inside for an overview of three grants among the 11 funded last year.

PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE 2007 RACE

* “The Best for Women of Color Project,” Hamilton County Department of Health

* “Food & Fitness Program,” Memorial Health Care System Cancer Resource Center

* “Breast Health Outreach Program,” Erlanger

* “Resource Directory for Breast Cancer Patients,” Breast Cancer Network of Strength (formerly Y-Me)

* “Access to Mammograms,” Memorial Health Care System Breast Services

* “Promotores de Salud,” Northwest Georgia Helathcare Partnership

* “Breast Cancer Emergency Fund,” Breast Cancer Network of Strength

* “Series of Four Breast Cancer Support Programs,” American Cancer Society

* “The Best Protection is Early Detection,” Friendship Haven

* “Education and Treatment Assistance Program of Uninsured and Under-Insured Women,” Memorial Health Care System Breast Services

* “Breast Health Awareness and Education Program,” Girls Inc.

Source: Chattanooga affiliate of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

THREE PROGRAMS FUNDED BY RACE FOR THE CURE

ACCESS TO MAMMOGRAMS

Administered by: Memorial Health Care System Breast Services

The plan: Using a mobile health coach, this program takes mammography into areas where residents don’t participate in routine breast screenings.

Kathy Dittmar said that use of the van is combined with Memorial’s outreach programs to visit churches, employers, government-subsidized housing, health departments and a variety of health fairs.

“We bill insurance for ladies who have insurance, and for those who don’t have insurance, we use the grant from Komen,” she said. Ms. Dittmar said in a survey of participants, 31.5 percent named lack of insurance for their lack of mammograms.

Number served: 1,633 mammograms this year through Sept. 12. “Our goal was to reach 750 underserved women, so we’ve already doubled that,” Ms. Dittmar said.

BREAST CANCER EMERGENCY FUN

Administered by: Breast Cancer Network of Strength, formerly Y-Me of Chattanooga

The plan: Provide emergency funds to women in treatment to assist with financial hardships until they are back on their feet.

“We give $750 total per person to help pay rent, mortgage, utilities, gas or transportation,” said Lynda LeVan, network executive director. “We also have a relationship with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank so we can provide vouchers, which enables them to spread the money further.”

Ms. LeVan said applicants must provide a copy of the bill or lease, and payment is made directly to the service provider.

Number served: Between 55 to 60 women each of the five years the grant has received funding. Through July of this year: 36

BREAST HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM

Administered by: Erlanger

The plan: “Part of this money is used for free breast health education for the medically underserved. It includes a 45-minute presentation on basic breast-screening information,” said Janet Kramer Mai. The other part helps uninsured women, age 40 and over, with the cost of a mammogram.

Ms. Mai said the program is assisted by Radcare, which reads the mammograms for a discount.

Number served: “Last year, I educated 618 medically underserved women in eight counties and we paid for 56 mammograms. Three of those women were diagnosed with breast cancer,” Ms. Mai said.

“This year, we partnered with the UT College of Medicine’s OB-GYN program, which ensures patients receive a clinical breast exam as well as mammogram. We’ve educated 325 women and paid for 26 mammograms.

Tech Talk