| Women Touched By Breast
Cancer Go to Great Lengths to Help Others
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Word Count: 658
(ARA) - Laughing, telling stories and just enjoying each
other’s company. That’s what people do when they
gather to celebrate a promotion, a new job, a new baby or
… getting word that they are cancer free.
People who work at the Sutter Home Family Vineyards in St.
Helena, Calif., are a happy bunch these days. They feel very
fortunate to have several breast cancer survivors in their
midst. Among them, the winery’s corporate secretary
and one of its owners, Vera Trinchero Torres, another woman
who works in the guard shack, one in production, another in
administration, and Senior Vice President Terry Wheatley,
who says, “I’m sure the reason we’re all
alive today is because we had the smarts to schedule our regular
mammograms.”
Since Wheatley has a family history of breast cancer, she
had been getting annual mammograms since she was a teenager.
Her grandmother died of the disease at the age of 58 and her
mother had a double mastectomy at 38. Wheatley learned she
too had the disease in May of 2000 at the age of 48. Doctors
found cancerous lumps in both of her breasts and performed
a double mastectomy. Around the same time, Torres underwent
a single mastectomy.
Both women returned to work after their operations and while
talking with co-workers realized they had the power to make
a difference in hundreds if not thousands of lives. “Since
more than 60 percent of the people who buy Sutter Home’s
White Zinfandel table wine are women, we decided to use the
bottle as the mechanism to reach them,” says Wheatley.
The message they wanted to get out: that nearly all breast
cancers can be treated successfully if detected early (according
to the American Cancer Society).
They immediately went to work formulating an awareness campaign.
In 2001, Sutter Home put out a bottle necker letting consumers
know a portion of the money earned through sales of White
Zinfandel would benefit City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer
center near Los Angeles; the next year, a pink cork and bottle
necker explaining how consumers can get involved in the fight
against breast cancer appeared on the bottles; in 2003, they
put pink ribbons on the label to promote awareness; and this
year are offering customers an avenue to make a difference
themselves through the Capsules for a Cure campaign. For each
bottle capsule sent in between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2004,
$1 will be donated to the fight against cancer.
In addition to devoting space on its bottles to breast cancer
awareness, Sutter Home also sponsors City of Hope walks around
the country, and sells special, limited edition pink-themed
items on its Web site, made by friends and family of Sutter
Home. Among the items for sale, a pink hand-crocheted scarf,
a black umbrella covered with pink roses, a pink tote made
by Sutter Home’s graphic designer, and a pink ribbon
bracelet made of rose quartz, pink speckled round glass and
sterling silver beads. It was designed by Sutter Home Brand
Director Wendy Nyberg.
“I’ve been making jewelry for several years now
as kind of a creative outlet, and I’m glad to know that
something I get so much enjoyment out of is going to benefit
others as well,” says Nyberg. One hundred percent of
the proceeds go to cancer research causes.
“Since the program began in 2001, we have received
80,000 personal letters from consumers expressing their appreciation
and loyalty to our wines. It’s hard to think of another
winery promotion that has touched people so deeply,”
says Wheatley.
You can help Sutter Home reach its goal of raising another
$250,000 for breast cancer research this year by returning
the capsule from each bottle of White Zinfandel you buy to:
Sutter Home for Hope, Department 7375, P.O. Box 42903, Mesa,
Arizona, 85274-2903. Be sure to include your receipt as proof
of purchase. For information about the program, log on to
www.sutterhomeforhope.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Sidebar:
Take Steps Toward Prevention
1) Know your risk factors:
* Do you have a family history of breast cancer?
* Do you know your personal medical history?
2) Decrease risk through diet and exercise:
* Exercise regularly and lose excess weight
* Eat a balanced diet high in fiber and low in fat
* Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables
* Drink alcohol in moderation
3) Take steps toward early detection:
* Monthly breast self-exams
* Periodic exams by doctor
* Annual mammograms beginning at age 40 at a facility accredited
by the American College of Radiology
(Source: City of Hope)
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