Pennsylvania Physician General, Dr. Robert Muscalus is the keynote speaker at the opening reception of "67 Women - 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania," Thursday, May 11, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. at the Guthrie Clinic in Sayre. The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the PA Department of Health sponsor the exhibit.

The reception, open to the public at no cost, features musical entertainment and guest speakers: Charlotte Asherman, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition; State Representative J. Scot Chadwick; Dr. William Friedenberg, Chief Oncologist of the Guthrie Health System and Helen Carlin, the Bradford County exhibit participant.

"67 Women - 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania" is a traveling photo exhibit that showcases at least one woman from each county in the state. It is a tribute to breast cancer survivors that serves as a reminder of the emotional and physical toll of breast cancer on women and their families, and encourages women to learn about early detection.

The traveling exhibit has visited 34 communities across the state. This is its first trip to Bradford County. It will be on display, free of charge in the main lobby of the Guthrie Clinic from 7 a.m. till 9 p.m., May 11th through May 21st. Local support for this event is provided by Guthrie Clinic, Guthrie Healthcare System, Memorial Hospital and Troy Community Hospital.

First Lady Michele Ridge, Honorary Chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition views the exhibit as a message of hope. "More women are surviving breast cancer now than at any time in our history. As we look at the photographs in this exhibit and see the faces of those who are currently battling breast cancer, we celebrate the hope that we are moving closer to finding a cure," said Mrs. Ridge.

Pat Halpin-Murphy, President and Founder of the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition encourages all people to visit the exhibit, "Breast cancer is not a rare event separate from the fabric of our lives. It is our mothers, our daughters, our friends, ourselves. We must educate ourselves about this insidious disease, and we must fight to find a cure now .so our daughters won't have to. Our battle is to make certain we are the last generation that ever has to fear this disease," said Halpin-Murphy.

The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, founded in 1993, is a non-profit organization. It serves each of the state's 67 counties though programs such as the Income Tax Check Off program, Mother's Day Mammograms®, the Keystone Breast Cancer Conference and "67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania." The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition's mission is to find a cure for breast cancer and to improve the quality of breast cancer education, outreach and research in the state.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition or the exhibit call 717-738-9567.