The fight to save lives and end breast cancer in central Ohio assumed the form of a nonprofit organization 21 years ago.
Today, the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure – the national organization has raised $1 billion for breast cancer research since 1982 – has expanded its reach to 30 counties in central and southeastern Ohio.
As the organizer of the second largest Race for the Cure in the country, Komen Columbus requires the warehouse space that it has in its Eastwind Drive office to support its ever-growing operation, including accommodating some of the 1,000 race volunteers and offices for its seven staffers.
“Race for the Cure is our largest fundraiser,” says Nicolle Racey, director of communications for Komen Columbus. “Seventy-five percent of the money we raise through the race and throughout the year goes to fund community health programs, and the other 25 percent we send to our headquarters to fund breast cancer research.”
Proceeds from the annual race also help support the various third-party events that Komen Columbus coordinates with its corporate partners. Other community programs aimed at heightening the community’s breast cancer awareness include a fall fundraising gala; Volley for the Cure event, for which high school girls’ volleyball teams hold games to raise funds; and a Survivor Steering committee that acts as a focus group to help with programming activities for breast cancer survivors.
The affiliate was run out of someone’s house initially, eventually moving to a bigger office in Grandview Heights. The move to Westerville came in November 2010; the larger, more centralized location helps the organization function more smoothly, Racey says.
“We needed warehouse space to pack together race shirts for our 40,000-plus participants, and we have a lot of educational material,” Racey says. “Our office (in Grandview) was really small and we needed to grow.”
The 2014 Race for the Cure is slated for May 17 in downtown Columbus.
Nen Lin Soo is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
