In 1982, Haute 100 Miami member Nancy Brinker swore to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would fight to end breast cancer – thus Susan G. Komen for the Cure was formed. Although the cure has not yet been found, a huge step toward that goal has recently been achieved with $1.4 million in grants to local South Florida organizations.

The South Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, one of 123 global Komen affiliates, granted $300,000 for screening and treatment to Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, $125,000 to the H.O.P.E. Project of Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties, and $38,000 to the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach. The remaining funds were donated to various other South Florida organizations.

This year, the focus of the donated funds was on the medically uninsured and underserved in South Florida, including donating funds to organizations in Boynton Beach that offer breast cancer programs for uninsured and low-income women.

Tina Jacobs, director of mission initiatives for Komen South Florida, explained, “Even though incidents of breast cancer are lower in African-Americans and Hispanics, the mortality rate is higher. It is because of their lack of access to care.”

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets. To see the entire Haute 100 Miami list, click here.