September 8, 2004
Fund-raiser driven to find a cure
BMW test rides benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Miles equals dollars equals cures.
That simple, hopeful equation brought 169 people to the local BMW dealership Friday to participate in the Eighth Annual Ultimate Drive event. Those participants took 364 test drives totaling 2,155 miles and raising $5,972 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
The foundation funds research toward a cure for breast cancer, which affects one in every eight women in the United States. The organization is midway through 230 Ultimate Drives at locations around the country this year. Last year, all of the Ultimate Drive events together raised $7 million.
"BMW of North American takes this fleet all over the country for us," said Deborah Price of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, who was in Traverse City Friday for the Ultimate Drive event. "We work with a variety of companies and organizations to develop opportunities for individuals to get involved."
Pam Roddy of Traverse City became a breast cancer statistic in December 2002. Designated as the Local Hero for this year's Ultimate Drive, Roddy, 45, found a lump during a breast self-exam. Always a believer in preventive care, Roddy had had annual mammograms since she turned 40. However, she said that both mammograms and self exams are critical to women in detecting cancer.
"It's very important to do both," she said. "I wonder why the lump was there one day when it hadn't been the day before."
Roddy, who works as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines, had surgery in January before completing a course of chemotherapy in April. She considers her relatively fast course of treatment and positive outcome 'lucky.'
"I'm doing very well, no lymph nodes were involved," she noted, adding that she was helped through this challenge by friends, family and co-workers. "Support is so important and that's one area where I had so much."
Roddy's experience with cancer tied directly into the work of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. After her doctor gave her the diagnosis, he pulled out a card to see if she qualified for any clinical trials. These trials reflect ongoing research into a cure, which is funded in part by the Ultimate Drives.
"There's new drugs and different types of breast cancer that can be targeted a little better," Price noted.
Contributing to this effort brought William Hoff of Suttons Bay to the BMW dealership Friday afternoon. His first wife died of cancer, which motivated him to drive the 5.7 mile course through Traverse City and boost the dollars raised.
Hoff took a minute to sign a special BMW that held thousand of signatures from Ultimate Drives in other cities. One of the highlights of the campaign, this car winds up covered in signatures and also features the photo of every stop's Local Hero.
"My first wife died of cancer so I want to support this any way I can," he said.
Tom Klinefelter, new vehicle sales manager at Grand Traverse BMW, has volunteered his site for the event every year since the Susan G. Komen Foundation inaugurated them in 1996. Over the eight years, the local Ultimate Drive has raised approximately $40,000 for the foundation.
"This is the best year we've ever experienced, we've always tried to top $5,000 and we did it," Klinefelter said. "We don't view it so much as a selling event but to bring awareness to breast cancer."