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May 16, 2008
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE First Lady Recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Promotes Pink PlateJEFFERSON CITY - First Lady Melanie Blunt today helped celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month and promote the Missouri Women's Council Pink Plate Campaign at a Schnucks "Paint the Stores Pink" event. "I am pleased to see so many community partners joining forces during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help more Missourians learn about the threat of breast cancer and the importance of breast cancer screenings," said First Lady Melanie Blunt, who serves as Honorary Chair and Spokeswoman for Komen for the Cure - Mid Missouri Affiliate. "We can all be proud Schnucks, U.S. Bank and the Missouri Women's Council are working together to emphasize this important cause and encourage Missourians to take time for breast cancer screenings." Mrs. Blunt, members of the Missouri Women's Council and Schnucks Event Marketing Manager Jason Schnuck were on hand today to celebrate Schnucks "Paint the Stores Pink" program. "On behalf of the Schnucks Family and our associates across the company, it is a pleasure to be here to thank Mrs. Blunt for her efforts to raise breast cancer awareness for families across our state. Schnucks is a family owned company and a 'company of families' - so we make health and wellness a top priority for our associates and customers. As a community we must work together for the cure," said Jason Schnuck, Schnucks Event Marketing Manager. As part of the "Paint the Stores Pink" program Schnucks has worked with vendors to ask them to repackage their products in pink to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to select Schnucks brand products, participating vendors include General Mills, Campbell's, Frito-Lay, Mars, Nestle, Prairie Farms, Kraft, Ocean Spray, Hershey and Coca-Cola. The Missouri Women's Council is also partnering with Schnucks to display information about their Pink Plate campaign at the Jefferson City location. Since 2002, the Council's pink breast cancer awareness license plate has helped raise awareness and provide life saving breast cancer services. The group will collect donations they will use to provide breast cancer services to underinsured Missouri Women. Also during the month, through its partnership with Schnucks, U. S. Bank will be accepting tax-deductible donations to the Women's Council at its in-store branches and U.S. Bank locations in the St. Louis metro area. "U.S. Bank is teaming up with our in-store Schnucks partner to not only have a place to make donations for this important cause, but also to raise awareness about the importance of regular health screenings and on-going research as we fight breast cancer. We appreciate the First Lady's tireless support to help raise awareness for this important cause," said Frankie Eichenberger, U.S. Bank Senior Vice President and St. Louis Region Manager. In this year's state budget, Gov. Blunt secured a $500,000 increase to expand the number of breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Show Me Healthy Women Program. The Show Me Healthy Women program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to thousands of Missouri women who meet specific residency, age and income guidelines. The additional funding is more than three times last year's state funding and will allow the program to serve approximately 1,225 additional women next year. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month the governor and first lady are offering several special tributes that will serve as reminders of the importance of breast cancer screening. On October 10 for one night, the Arch in St. Louis will be lit pink. The entire month the fountain at the Missouri Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City will also be lit pink. Promoting breast cancer awareness is an important aspect of the first lady's women's wellness initiative. She serves as spokesperson and honorary chair for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Mid-Missouri Affiliate and is committed to encouraging Missouri women to take time for breast cancer screenings and to promoting breast cancer research and awareness. This year Mrs. Blunt led teams in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in both St. Louis and Kansas City. Susan G. Komen for the Cure recommends a 3-step approach to breast cancer screening that includes a combination of mammography, clinical breast exams and breast self-exams:
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