History

Susan G. Komen fought breast cancer with her heart, body and soul. Throughout her diagnosis, treatments, and endless days in the hospital, she spent her time thinking of ways to make life better for other women battling breast cancer instead of worrying about her own situation. Moved by Susan’s compassion for others and commitment to making a difference, Nancy G. Brinker promised her sister that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer.

Though Susan lost her battle with the disease, her legacy lives on through the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the organization Nancy started in her honor. Komen for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested nearly $1.9 billion since its inception in 1982. Komen’s promise is to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Across the country, that promise is upheld by a network of more than 120 local Affiliate offices. At the heart of each Affiliate is a person or group of people who, like Susan, wanted to make a difference.

The San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure 

In 1987, the San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate was founded by Joanne Horning and her husband, Rick, in honor of Joanne’s mother’s fight against breast cancer. We have the distinction of being the first local Affiliate of what is today a network of 125 affiliates in the United States and 3 International affiliates. The San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure—along with those who generously support us with their talent, time and resources—is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in our community. We join more than 100,000 breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer.

The San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate is proud to have invested over $13.0 million in local breast health and breast cancer awareness projects at hospitals, clinics and other nonprofit organizations in the nine Bay Area counties of Sonoma, Napa, West Solano, Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara since our inception in 1987.  We accomplish this through the Race for the Cure®, the Komen Shopping Card campaign, donations from individuals, corporate contributions, benefits by community partners, and other fund-raising efforts. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the San Francisco Bay Area Affiliate stays in the Bay Area through our annual grants program to local tax exempt organizations providing breast cancer education, screening, support and treatment services to underserved women and their families. A minimum of 25 per cent of our annual income is directed to the national Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program for energizing science to find the cures.