Wilson Sporting Goods Supports BCRF with Record Donation

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — Wilson Sporting Goods Co. and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder to support clinical and translational breast cancer research, have been partners in the fight against breast cancer for ten years. In the past fiscal year, Wilson donated a record $250,000 to the foundation in the fight against breast cancer. In keeping with Wilson’s goal of supporting clinical research that will lead to a cure, those funds will be used to support a specific grant being led by Dr. Walter C. Willet of Harvard.

Dr. Willett is Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Willett is investigating the relationship between diet in childhood and adolescence, adult diet, levels of body fat, and hormonal influences, as these factors may contribute to breast cancer risk. The grant will be presented to Dr. Willett and his team as “made possible with generous support from Wilson Sporting Goods, Co.”

“When we first started looking at ways we could help in the fight against breast cancer, we sought a partner that was committed to funding research and finding a cure,” said Chris Considine, President of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. “The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has done a tremendous job of funding cutting edge research and Dr. Willett’s study is the latest example of that. We are extremely proud of our long standing relationship with BCRF and we look forward to funding more research until a cure is found.”

When the partnership began in 1998, Wilson donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of all its women’s sporting goods products to the Foundation. In 2004, Wilson expanded the partnership by making an annual donation based on the sales of all Wilson products and raised awareness about BCRF by launching Hope, a line of sporting goods equipment created exclusively for women. With the Hope line, Wilson makes an additional donation to BCRF with the sale of every Hope product. Wilson is the Official Sporting Goods Equipment Sponsor of BCRF and to date has donated more than $1.3 million dollars to the Foundation.

“All of us at The Breast Cancer Research Foundation are tremendously appreciative of our colleagues at Wilson who work so hard to raise funds to advance our mission,” said Myra Biblowit, BCRF President. “The ability to fund a specific research line — like Dr. Willett’s — is one of the things we believe will lead to finding a cure in our lifetime.”

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. The Foundation supports scientists at top universities and academic medical centers worldwide conducting the most advanced and promising breast cancer research that will lead to prevention and a cure in our lifetime. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. In October 2008, nearly $35 million will be awarded to 166 scientists across the United States and in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. And for the seventh consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99% of the evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades. For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE.

Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods Co., a division of Amer Sports, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sports equipment. The company designs, manufactures and distributes advanced equipment that helps players improve their performance. Wilson’s core categories include Baseball, Football, Basketball, Softball, Bats, Volleyball, Soccer, Youth Sports, Uniforms/Apparel, Golf, Footwear, and Racquet Sports (Tennis, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton and Platform Tennis).

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