LOS ANGELES and PLEASANTON, Calif., Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Actress and Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador Marg Helgenberger will appear
in a new public service campaign on behalf of The Safeway Foundation and
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). The campaign is designed to raise
funds and
increase awareness for the fight against breast cancer, which claimed
the lives of nearly 40,000 women in the United States in 2011.
Helgenberger, known for her role as Catherine Willows on the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
will appear in both a print and 30-second broadcast public service
announcement in direct support of the campaign, which will run as the
nation prepares to observe National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in
October.
Debuting the end of September, the public service campaign will
coincide with Safeway's annual in-store Breast Cancer Awareness
fundraiser, which offers customers multiple opportunities to give at
more than 1,600 Safeway stores across the United States and Canada. The
public service campaign will extend through October.
At the center of the public service campaign is a limited-edition,
breast cancer awareness reusable shopping bag. The bag will be available
for purchase at all Safeway locations, including Vons, Pavilions, Tom
Thumb, Randalls, Dominick's and Carrs stores, as well as online at
safewayfoundation.org. Two dollars from the sale of the $2.99 reusable
bag will go directly to breast cancer research. Additionally, Safeway
shoppers will have a chance to make a separate donation at checkout
stands.
"As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I am deeply committed
to the fight against this disease," said Helgenberger. "I am proud to
take a stand on behalf of my mother, and in support of all the women and
families who have been affected by breast cancer."
Safeway Foundation Chair and Executive Vice President Larree Renda
said The Safeway Foundation is honored to join forces with SU2C and Marg
Helgenberger to help take cancer research to the next level. The breast
cancer initiative follows a successful Spring 2012 collaboration
between the two organizations that focused on prostate cancer.
"We can continue to make significant progress and move closer to a
cure for this disease," Ms. Renda said. "The research made possible by
The Safeway Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer, as well as the passionate
message delivered by ambassadors like Marg Helgenberger, can truly help
save lives."
The collaborative campaign represents a continued dedication to
breast cancer research and awareness for both The Safeway Foundation and
Stand Up To Cancer. To date, Safeway and The Safeway Foundation have
raised $102 million. Some of those donations, provided by Safeway's
generous customers, have helped provide support to Stand Up To Cancer
and the transformative cancer research it funds, like the SU2C Breast
Cancer Dream Team. The team – led by Dennis Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., and
Joe W. Gray, Ph.D. – is hard at work developing more effective, less
toxic medications for the three major breast cancer subtypes and
addressing cancer cells' ability to become resistant to therapies that
are initially effective, which is one of the primary obstacles to
successful treatment. Understanding resistance opens the door to
developing new therapeutic agents to overcome this critical problem.
"The Safeway Foundation has long been a prominent supporter of breast
cancer awareness and research," said Lisa Paulsen, co-founder of Stand
Up To Cancer and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. "Stand
Up To Cancer is honored to join forces with The Safeway Foundation to
work together to help combat a disease that takes the lives of too many
women."
For more information on the campaign, visit www.SafewayFoundation.org.
