Milestones

1 in 9: The Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition was the first breast cancer grassroots advocacy group in New York State. It was founded on November 27, 1990, reflecting the anger and frustration of Long Island women concerned with the high incidence of breast cancer on Long Island and the lack of progress that had been made in addressing this issue. 1 in 9's concerns about how environmental factors may be related to the cause and development of breast cancer helped change the role of women in the fight against breast cancer from inactive to pro-active.

Members of 1 in 9 advocate for increased funding for breast cancer research, seek to promote community and legislative awareness of breast cancer issues, promote legislation beneficial to breast cancer issues, and seek to improve access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and care. We have organized and participated in trips to Albany and Washington to educate our legislators about the need for action that will help prevent the breast cancer epidemic.

1 in 9 holds seats on the Boards of the National Breast Cancer Coaltion in Washington, D.C., the New York State Department of Health Cancer Registry (Tumor Registry), and Environmental Advocates in Albany. Its scientific symposium on the impact of the environment on breast cancer helped spearhead the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project, coordinated by the National Cancer Institute, which 1 in 9 will continue to monitor. In conjunction with the Michael Scott Barish Memorial Sand Soccer Tournament, the organization has established an ongoing grant to Cold Spring Harbor's Human Cancer Research Fund.