annual awards

Spirit of Empowerment Awards 2010

Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) presents its annual Spirit of Empowerment awards to recognize the contributions of individuals and organizations that help us educate and support the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer community.

Spirit of Empowerment awards will be given this year in 5 categories:

• Arts & Media
• Research
• Advocacy
• Corporate Commitment
• Individual Commitment

2010 Nominees

The inaugural Spirit of Empowerment awards will be presented on June 26, 2010 at the 5th Annual Joining FORCEs Conference in Orlando, FL. Honorees for 2010 are:

 

Arts & Media Award Recipient: Joanna Rudnick, Producer & Director, In the Family

How much do you sacrifice to stay alive? At 27, filmmaker Joanna Rudnick tested positive for a BRCA mutation. Confronted with the knowledge that her body was a “ticking time bomb,” she faced an unfathomable decision: Live with extraordinary odds of developing cancer or prophylactically remove her healthy breasts and ovaries. At a young age with her life, career and dreams of a family ahead of her, Joanna’s BRCA status forced her to confront the unnerving reality that holding onto her fertility potentially risked her life. By turning the camera on herself, Joanna bared her conflicting emotions about preventative surgery and the potential consequences. Joanna and In The Family give a powerful and moving voice to the hereditary cancer community.

Research Award Recipient:  Timothy R. Rebbeck, Ph.D.

Dr. Timothy R. Rebbeck leads the Cancer Center Genetics, Epidemiology and Risk Reduction Program at Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA.  As the principle investigator in the PRevention and Observation of Surgical Endpoints (PROSE) and MAGIC studies, Dr. Rebbeck is leading groundbreaking BRCA research from 23 participating North American and European medical centers. Funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health, the collaborative approach of these large multi-institutional studies is critical to obtain appropriate sample size and uniformity in participant screening, data collection and analytical methods. These studies are producing valuable results that are unique because they are specific to the BRCA community. Past PROSE efforts confirmed that bilateral prophylactic mastectomy reduces breast cancer risk in BRCA carriers by 90%, and studied the use of short-term hormone replacement therapy in premenopausal BRCA women.

Advocacy Award Recipient: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz has dedicated her public life to working on behalf of the people of South Florida. In March 2009, after announcing her own battle with breast cancer, Rep. Wasserman Schultz introduced the Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act. This legislation directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop and implement a national education campaign to educate young women about the threat of breast cancer and the heightened risks of certain ethnic, cultural and racial groups.

 

Corporate Commitment Award Recipient: Enell, Inc.

Since 2005, Enell, Inc. has donated 10% from the sale of every pink Hope Bra to FORCE. Each of these bras bears a special educational hang tag with the warning signs of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, extending FORCE’s message to thousands of women. Enell also provides special in-store and promotional events related to breast cancer each year, welcoming FORCE members to their shops and helping us increase awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in our local communities.

 

Individual Commitment Award Recipient: Michael Sosin

Artist Michael Sosin creates handblown glass vessels and sculpture influenced by Asian, classical Grecian and Roman motifs. His work has been shown at major museums, galleries and juried exhibitions throughout the United States. A member of the FORCE community, Michael has generously given FORCE years of behind-the-scenes support. In 2009, he organized fellow artists in an art show and auction to kick off our Joining FORCEs conference.

 

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