NASHVILLE, TENN. (January 29, 2008) — The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation is proud to announce a $25,000 grant from the Kroger “Giving Hope A Hand” Pink Tag campaign fund. Melissa Eads, Kroger community relations manager, officially presented the award Tuesday, January 29. The gift will enable The Foundation to offer screening and diagnostic mammograms for breast cancer patients who have no insurance or who are underinsured. 
A 2007 survey conducted by The University of Tennessee’s Center for Business and Economic Research estimated that approximately 609,000 Tennesseans or 10 percent of the state are uninsured with thousands more underinsured. Due to The Foundation’s nonprofit status, independent of any particular treatment facility, free services are offered quickly and effectively to anyone in need. With clients throughout Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, The Foundation is able to serve many rural areas where available medical resources and services are often lacking.
“We are absolutely thrilled with Kroger’s generous grant,” said Susan Gregory, oncology social worker at The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. “This assistance will underwrite approximately 106 screening mammograms or 70 diagnostic mammograms, an invaluable resource for many women who often are forced to forego personal medical needs for financial reasons.”
A diagnostic mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that is used to check for breast cancer after a lump or other sign of cancer is found and for follow-up after surgery or treatment to detect if there is any cancer tissue still present. Diagnostic mammography is different from screening mammography in that additional views of the breast are usually taken, as opposed to two views typically taken with screening mammography.
Thus, diagnostic mammography is usually more time-consuming and costly than screening mammography.
For information on how to apply for a free mammogram, please visit www.minniepearl.org.
The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to funding programs that provide the greatest benefit to cancer patients and their families. By supporting new programs in cancer research, education, and patient and family services, we honor the memory of Sarah Cannon, a cancer patient herself, who created the beloved character “Minnie Pearl.”
Kroger is one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains. The company operates 59 stores and 30 fuel centers in Middle Tennessee. Women's health issues, specifically breast cancer, along with feeding the hungry and K-12 education, are the company's primary areas of giving. For more information, visit www.Kroger.com.