For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
April 4, 2002

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at Komen Foundation Event in Dallas
Dallas, Texas

Thank you, Nancy (Brinker).

I'm delighted to be back here in Dallas for this international breast- cancer benefit. Many of the people President Bush and I know and love have been affected by this disease, including my mother. I'm proud to join the Komen Foundation, Breast Cancer Care, and Cherie Booth in calling worldwide attention to this important cause.

Cherie, thank you for being here. It is clear from her remarks tonight that the Primer Minister's wife is a leader who inspires hope and courage through her work with Breast Cancer Care in London - and in her many roles as a wife, mother, and professional in the United Kingdom.

Cherie is a great advocate to have on your side, and we're glad to have her avid support for this cause. I first learned about her work with Breast Cancer Care when we hosted the Prime Minister and Cherie at Camp David in February 2000. As we got to know each other, we talked about some of the things that are important to us.

Cherie told me about her work with Breast Cancer Care, an organization that supports more than a half- million people in the United Kingdom whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, and of course, I told her about my association with the Komen Foundation. In fact, when I lived here I enjoyed helping plan the foundation's annual luncheon in Dallas.

Cherie thought it would be fun if she and I worked together to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research in both our countries.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation and Breast Cancer Care can point to a number of milestones they've accomplished individually, but tonight's event is a first - it's the first time that both organizations have joined forces to raise awareness and support for this cause. So thank you, Cherie, for the great idea and for your partnership.

This year alone, some 200,000 American women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Nearly 40,000 women and men will be diagnosed with the disease in the United Kingdom. The disease is random; it knows no geographic, gender, or ethnic boundaries; and it strikes women and men during their most productive years.

That's why every woman should consult her doctor to determine when a breast exam and a mammogram are needed - especially women with a family history of breast cancer -- but the American Cancer Society recommends regular breast cancer screenings for women age 40 or older. If every woman over the age of 50 received an annual mammogram, the number of breast cancer-related deaths would drop by about 30 percent.

All of us here today know and love someone who has had breast cancer. Technology, science, and every survivor give us hope that we will find a cure and put an end to breast cancer.

I join each of you in your commitment to finding a cure. I believe we can make a difference in the future.

President Bush and I salute the Komen Foundation and Breast Cancer Care. And we thank Cherie Booth for being here tonight. Thank you.

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