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Breakthrough Breast Cancer is proud to partner with a number of dedicated organisations and individuals who tirelessly fundraise to provide significant funding for our work. Below are just two examples of these inspirational efforts.
Walk the Walk
Walk the Walk is an incredible supporter of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. To date they have raised £21 million for Breakthrough through their fantastic MoonWalk and many other exciting challenges. Their continued support is invaluable to our vital research.
In November 1996, Breakthrough supporter Nina Barough CBE had the crazy idea of completing the New York marathon wearing a Wonderbra to raise funds for breast cancer research. This she did, with a few friends, only to find that two months later she herself was diagnosed with the disease.
Having fought courageously to overcome breast cancer, Nina was then even more determined to campaign against the disease. Although a full-time fashion stylist at the time, Nina spent all her spare time recruiting women to join her in the London Marathon wearing Wonderbras to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer – her chosen charity.
Her brave story prompted a flood of interest from women all over the country wanting to join her – so much so that she far exceeded the 30 places she had reserved in the London Marathon. So, Nina devised another (crazy) idea – her own marathon! Nina’s 26-mile walk was to be through the streets of London starting at midnight on the eve of the London Marathon. And, of course, all participants were to wear Wonderbras. The idea became a reality when at midnight on Saturday 25th April 1998, 70 women set off from Kilburn on the first ever MoonWalk.
After the success of this first MoonWalk, Nina gave up her career as a fashion stylist and took the first steps to found her own charity, Walk the Walk. Since then, Walk the Walk has encouraged more than 160,000 bra-clad women and men to pound the streets taking part in MoonWalks across the UK and in marathons all over the world. Together they have raised an incredible sum of more than £80 million for Breakthrough and other breast cancer causes.
Walk the Walk’s generous donations have enabled Breakthrough to make substantial advances in our understanding of breast cancer. Breakthrough Breast Cancer want to say a huge thank you to Walk the Walk for their continued support, and to all their walkers for their enthusiasm, commitment and fundraising abilities.
More information about Walk the Walk can be found at www.walkthewalk.org
The Sarah Greene Breakthrough Tribute Fund
The Sarah Greene Breakthrough Tribute Fund was established after Sarah Greene lost her courageous two-year battle with triple negative breast cancer in 2006, aged 44. Her positive attitude throughout her illness was an inspiration to her family and friends, who established Sarah’s Fund to finance research posts at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit, King’s College, London. The Fund team includes Sarah’s husband, Peter, and sister, Alice, along with Simon Halden, Hen Wheatman, Freddie Barker, Gordon Montgomery and Hattie Rooke.
Since 2007, this group has raised money through three long-distance bike rides and a benefit concert by The Straits.
Through their drive and energy, Sarah’s family, friends and all those they have inspired to take up the fight against breast cancer have been able to fund two Sarah Greene Clinical Research Fellows. These outstanding scientists have played a key role in the outstanding progress at the Breakthrough Unit, which includes world firsts in understanding the genetics of triple negative breast cancer.
Sarah’s family and friends have made a commitment to continue their fundraising endeavours in the same vein that mirrored Sarah’s courage in her battle to fight triple negative breast cancer. They hope that through their efforts they will change the future for all people affected by breast cancer.