Introducing Susan G. Komen® Missouri
Thursday, November 19, 2015
By: Janet Vigen Levy

Susan G. Komen St. Louis and Susan G. Komen Mid-Missouri Join Forces to Make a Bigger Impact in the Fight Against Breast Cancer

ST. LOUIS AND COLUMBIA, MO – November 19, 2015 – Susan G. Komen® St. Louis and Susan G. Komen® Mid-Missouri announced today they have joined forces to make a bigger impact in the local fight against breast cancer and will operate as one entity: Susan G. Komen® Missouri. The new, consolidated organization will also expand its reach to serve five additional counties not previously served by Komen. Komen Missouri will serve 31 counties in Missouri and seven counties in southwestern Illinois.

Komen Missouri will continue to fund breast cancer screening, breast health education and patient navigation and support services to local women and men who are most at risk and most in need. The consolidated organization will combine staff and volunteer leadership, grant-making relationships and fundraising capacities to strengthen its operations, with the overall goal of maximizing the resources and support available for the entire, now larger, service area.

Helen Chesnut, executive director of Komen St. Louis, has been named executive director of Komen Missouri.

“Our mission drives all we do,” said Chesnut. “We are continuing to put our mission and the people we serve first. As Komen Missouri, we now have greater potential to strengthen our presence and impact in the local fight against breast cancer. We will maximize grant funding to local breast health programs to help even more women and men across Missouri and southwestern Illinois access the best resources to find breast cancer early and then beat the disease.”

Renee Hall, previously board president for Komen St. Louis, will serve as president of Komen Missouri’s board of directors.

“We have a strong commitment to the people of Missouri and southwestern Illinois,” said Hall. “For that reason, it made great sense to us to combine our resources so we can more robustly serve a now expanded service area. Our staff and volunteers will continue to focus on the most important aspect of our work – translating the generosity of the people in our community into funds for programs and resources that will help save lives and end breast cancer forever.”

Komen Missouri will operate from two offices, one in Greater St. Louis, based in Olivette, and one in Mid-Missouri, based in Columbia.

Each local Race for the Cure® will continue. The 2016 Greater St. Louis Race is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, in downtown St. Louis. The Mid-Missouri Race will take place in Columbia in fall 2016.

Komen Missouri’s service area includes Adair, Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Chariton, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Howard, Jefferson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Perry, Randolph, St. Charles, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis City, St. Louis, Warren and Washington counties in Missouri; and Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois.

New counties now covered by the expanded Komen Missouri service area are Gasconade and Monroe in Missouri and Bond, Calhoun and Jersey in Illinois.

For more information, please visit www.komenmissouri.org or call Komen Missouri’s Greater St. Louis office at 314.569.3900 or Mid-Missouri office at 573.445.1905.

About Susan G. Komen® Missouri

Susan G. Komen Missouri is an independent, local nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting breast cancer year-round. Komen Missouri’s mission is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Komen Missouri is dedicated to meeting the breast health needs of the women, men and families in its 38-county Missouri/Illinois service area. Seventy-five percent of the organization’s net proceeds stays in the local community to fund breast cancer screening, breast health education and patient navigation and support services. The remaining 25 percent of net proceeds funds global, cutting-edge breast cancer research. Visit komenmissouri.org. Call 314.569.3900 (Greater St. Louis office) or 573.445.1905 (Mid-Missouri office). Connect with Komen Missouri on Facebook and Twitter.

About Susan G. Komen®

Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Since its founding in 1982, Komen has funded more than $889 million in research and provided $1.95 billion in funding to screening, education, treatment and psychosocial support programs serving millions of people in more than 30 countries worldwide. Komen was founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at ww5.komen.org/social.