The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has announced that Revlon spokeswomen Jennifer Connelly and Jessica Alba, along with NBC late night host Jimmy Fallon, will host the 2009 EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York taking place on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
The organization has also announced that Emmy-nominated star of ABC’s “Samantha Who” Christina Applegate will join with Miley Cyrus, her mother Tish Cyrus, Revlon spokeswoman Beau Garrett and “Dancing with the Stars” Carrie Ann Inaba at the Los Angeles event the following week on Saturday, May 9 during Mother’s Day weekend.
EIF’s Revlon Run/Walk event is one of the nation’s largest single-day fundraisers to support women’s cancer research, counseling and outreach programs in New York City and Los Angeles.
The 12th annual New York race starts in Times Square and finishes in the East Meadow of Central Park and attracts nearly 40,000 participants. The 16th annual Los Angeles Race takes place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park and attracts close to 60,000 participants each year. The EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women was launched in 1993 through the combined efforts of Lilly Tartikoff, Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of Revlon, Inc. and EIF. Since inception, nearly $55 million in grants have been made from the combined events in New York and Los Angeles.
“Hundreds of thousands of women and men have come out year after year to support the cause and for loved ones who have been personally affected by cancer. Their devotion and commitment to finding a cure is what has made the EIF Revlon Run/Walk so successful,” says Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of Revlon, Inc., co-founder of the Run/Walk and co-founder of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program. “Through significant advancement in education and research, so many women today are finding resources and treatments made available to them and with that aid they are beating the odds and surviving cancer.”
Proceeds from past EIF Revlon Run/Walks have funded cutting-edge research, contributing to the development of the breakthrough gene treatment Herceptin as well as other targeted therapies, bringing new and innovative treatment approaches to women’s cancers worldwide. Monies raised have also helped numerous organizations in providing education, advocacy and outreach services to those affected by women’s cancers.
“The heartfelt support that we receive each year for this event is overwhelming,” says Lilly Tartikoff, co-founder of the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women and co-founder of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program. “Every single person that participates helps to take us one step closer to a cure. Without our loyal supporters we would not be able to do this.”
“We are truly grateful to the entertainment community for their invaluable support, helping us raise much-needed funds for crucial research and support programs to help the women we love,” said Lisa Paulsen, president and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “Step by step, all who participate in this even bring change and hope to women everywhere, like my cousin Dawn. She heard our message to get screened and went for her first mammogram at age 40 to learn she had early stage breast cancer. While this has been a challenging year for her, she’s going to be okay.”
2009 New York event beneficiaries include: Actors Fund of America, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, CancerCare, Cancer Control Center of Harlem, Cancer Schmancer, Gilda’s Club NYC, Gouverneur Healthcare Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Nassau University Medical Center – The Breast Imaging Center, National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, William F. Ryan Community Health Center, and the YWCA of Brooklyn.
2009 Los Angeles event beneficiaries include: AltaMed Health Services Corporation, Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research & Training, Cancer Schmancer, Citrus Valley Medical Center, Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Program, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Los Angeles Breast Cancer Alliance, Providence Saint Joseph Foundation, Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program, Team Survivor Los Angeles, UCLA Digital Mammography Program, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital, Wellness Community, and Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivors’ Support Project.
Information about the event is available here.
