Heidelberg Golf Course hosting tourney in support of breast cancer awareness

By IMCOM-Europe Public AffairsAugust 10, 2009

Heidelberg Golf Course hosting tourney in support of breast cancer awareness
Daniel Hingtgen prepares to drive the ball during the 2008 Rally for the Cure decked out in his pink shorts, pink hat and pink glasses. The Heidelberg Women's Golf Association is hosting its annual Rally for the Cure golf tournament at Heidelberg Gol... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HEIDELBERG, Germany - The Heidelberg Golf Course will host the annual Rally for the Cure tournament Aug. 29.

The day-long outing - which includes the popular "best-dressed-man-in-pink" competition - begins at 7 a.m., with all proceeds from the Heidelberg Women's Golf Association event supporting Susan G. Komen foundations in Germany and the States through the Combined Federal Campaign.

Indeed, thanks to the support of the Heidelberg community, last year's tournament raised more than $14,000, said Cheryl Sweeney, Rally for the Cure chairperson here.

The driving force behind the Rally, said Sweeney, is highlighting and increasing the awareness of monthly self exams, mammograms and a healthy life style as ways to minimize deaths due to breast cancer. Accordingly, representatives from the Susan G. Komen Germany affiliate and the U.S. medical community will be on hand answering questions and distributing health material.

At the 2007 Heidelberg Rally for the Cure, Sweeney said a guest speaker noted that the death rate from breast cancer in Germany is double that of the United States. "This is a statistic our American and German neighbors are taking on each year through this tournament," said Sweeney.

Overall, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure program, which began in 1996, has been a global leader in the fight against breast cancer through its support of innovative research and community-based outreach programs. Via an international network, events such as the Heidelberg Rally support Komen for the Cure's effort in eradicating breast cancer as a life-threatening disease, Sweeney said, "by funding research grants and supporting education, screening, and treatment projects in communities around the world."

Worldwide, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has more than 100,000 volunteers supporting some 100 affiliates, making it the most progressive grassroots organization in breast cancer today, according to program officials. And during the past five years, Komen affiliates have awarded more than $160 million in needs-based community grants to support education, screening and treatment projects.

According to Komen for the Cure Web site, breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 35-54, and also accounts for more than 75 percent of all cancer deaths in women 55 years and older. With this in mind, there are now more than 3,300 clubs in North America, Europe and Africa registered to host a Rally for the Cure event, such as the Heidelberg golf tourney.

For more information on Susan G. Komen for the Cure and breast cancer awareness, visit these Web sites: www.rallyforthecurehd.com; www.komen.org; and www.komen.de.