February 5, 2003

Contact: Renée Gaines,
Director of Public Relations Against Breast Cancer
Women’s Information Network
South Second Avenue, Suite K
Covina, California 91723
Telephone: 626-332-2255 536
E-mail: mail@winabc.org 

Vons Foothill District Presents $24,649.40
Check to Local Breast Cancer Charity

Covina, Calif. (February 7, 2003) — Vons, A Safeway Company will present the Covina-based nonprofit organization Women’s Information Network Against Breast Cancer (WIN ABC) with a check in the amount of $24,649.40 on February 21, 2003 at noon at the Vons Store located at 932 East Badillo Street in Covina. In honor of “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” Vons Stores sold pink ribbons throughout the stores in its Foothill District. The Vons Foothill District spans from Arcadia to Fontana, California. Each store held special fundraisers in their stores to help raise this money.

“Vons is pleased to continue their long-standing commitment to finding a cure for breast cancer, the second-leading cause of death among women that takes the lives of more than 40,000 women across the nation each year,” said Tom Keller, president of Vons, a Safeway Company. “This devastating disease touches a significant number of our customers, employees and their families, so we are proud to continue our efforts.”

Proceeds from this check will benefit the WIN Against Breast Cancer organization’s Breast Aid™ Education and Outreach Program to help breast cancer patients, their families and the community-at-large in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire. Breast Aid provides educational materials (in English and Spanish). Up-to-date information is quickly disseminated through mail, Internet, community outreach events and telephone support. Services are free of charge and include a toll free line (1-866-2 WIN ABC), informational resources about breast cancer screening and treatment options, referrals to other resources and services for medically underserved and indigent individuals.

“WIN Against Breast Cancer is extremely grateful to Vons, its employees and customers for their generosity and commitment to their communities, breast cancer advocacy and for their vital support of our work. It is through public-private partnerships such as this that WIN ABC can advance its mission to serve a growing number of individuals and communities in the fight against breast cancer,” said Betsy Mullen, breast cancer survivor and Founder, President/CEO of WIN ABC.

Founded in May 1994, the Women’s Information Network Against Breast Cancer organization offers numerous free services to breast cancer patients, their families and the public-at-large. WIN ABC was created to empower breast cancer patients from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to become informed partners with their health care team as they travel through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. A second key objective of this nonprofit is to collaborate with the health care community, policy-makers and the public to address the complex medical and psychosocial issues facing breast cancer patients from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in order to ensure improved standards of care, improved community outreach, equal access to quality care for all breast cancer patients and increased research funding to find a cure and a way to prevent breast cancer. For further information on the Covina-based organization, visit their web site at www.winabc.org.