A Community with a Heart

Another exciting work was during the 12 annual work held on 13th June 2015. Close to half a million was raised during the event. The walk followed a spectacular 5 km route across Smith Point Park and concluded with a celebratory march across Smith point Bridge with breast cancer survivors. During the twelfth annual walk, LI2DAY offered $17,500 of the money raised to the Maurer Foundation. The Maurer Foundation is a non-profit breast cancer foundation based in Long Island with a mission to educate young men and women in Long Island about breast cancer. The Maurer Foundation had organized a group of about a dozen volunteers, as well as fifteen walkers to take part in the two-day event and help raise much-needed funds for breast cancer patients. The foundation offers free educational programs to community groups and high schools across Long Island. The Workshops are primarily geared towards the prevention of breast cancer, including ways to reduce risk factors (anything that decreases or increases the chances of developing breast cancer) through healthy exercise and diet routines. The participants also learn about the importance of early detection and are taught how to carry out breast self-exams.

Research and Scholarships
LI2DAY has funded several cancer-related research programs and scholarships. Every year, LI2DAY supports breast cancer research efforts at the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. The organization’s continued support of research at the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory is part of its mission to fund research, outreach services, and educational programs to benefit female cancer patients and their families in Long Island.

LI2DAY also runs a scholarship program in partnership with Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. The scholarship is designed for high school seniors in Long Island who have survived breast cancer or any other women’s cancers or live with a guardian or parent who has had any women’s cancers including breast cancer.

LI2DAY also administers the Maria Sciara and LI2DAY Scholarship. The scholarships are designed for students who are cancer survivors. The Maria Sciara scholarship is a $2500 scholarship awarded to three graduating seniors in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The LI2DAY scholarship is offered to five graduating seniors in Suffolk and Nassau counties.

With the help of various community-based organizations (like the Credit Management Company you’re thinking of), LI2DAY has been able to achieve significant progress in helping women breast cancer patients. Since 2004 LI2DAY has helped Long Islanders with education, research, counseling, retreats, programs for nutrition and exercise, direct financial payments, child care, physical therapy, wigs, prosthetics, transportation, and medical expenses. Long Islanders are now more aware of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. LI2DAY continues to focus on its mission of raising the much-needed funds to help breast cancer patients in Long Island today. In its wake, LI2DAY has led to the success of several community-based breast cancer organizations and has inspired the birth of countless others. LI2DAY will forever be in the hearts of Long Islanders, not just for the exciting annual walks, but also, for the wonderful work they have done to help breast cancer patients.…

Beneficiaries of LI2DAY Walk

Lorraine was concerned that the chemical that had been dumped underground since 1932 was affecting the groundwater. She sought the support and help of Dr. Michael Feinstein, Michael Lo Grande, Reverend Thomas Arnao, Good Samaritan Hospital, Mary Hibbard, Pat Nichols, and Maria Diario to Begin a breast cancer survey on the west Islip neighborhood. Within one and a half years Lorraine and her team had covered more than eight thousand homes in her zip code. Soon after word of her work spread both nationwide and abroad leading to the start of the breast cancer environmental movement.

Members of the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition Board of directors include president Margarete Campice, vice president Evelyn Demers, Treasurer Lori Monteith, Cathy Weingarten, Diane Vaughan, Jo-Ann Rivera, Dr. Jonathan Landon MD. P.C., Mary Anne Iannizoto, Mae Blum, and Diane Fontana. Members of the advisory council include Bryan Berson, Angie Carpenter, Dr. Anthony Capizzi, Ilene Gewirtz, Dr. Stephen Harris, Dr. Johnny Kao, and Dr. John J. Loscalzo.

Supporters of the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition include Women of West Islip, West Islip School District, West Islip Wines and Liquors, WBAB, RTM Forklift Brightwaters, The Bella Vie, Loves Bake Shop, People’s United Bank, Sunrise Tools, SweetSpot Marketing, Sal’s Pizza, Sterling National Bank, Plessers, PinkAid, Nicky’s On The Bay, Our Little Italy, Lion’s Den, New 12 Long Island, John’s Crazy Socks, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Elizabeth McNamee Memorial Fund, Island Acoustics, Fox’s Plumbing, Good Samaritan Hospital, Fire Island Ferry, ACF American Family Care Urgent Care, Dignity Memorial, CTE Electric, Clare Rose, The Bohlsen Family, and Atlantic Automall.

LI2DAY Walk
The annual Long Island two-day walk is uplifting as it is inspirational. Participants of the LI2DAY not only get the opportunity to lend a helping hand to breast cancer patients, but they also enjoy exciting walks. One of the most exciting walks by LI2DAY was during the organization’s 16th anniversary. The 16th annual LI2DAY walk was held from Saturday 8th June to Sunday 9th June 2019 at Smith Point Park, Shirley.

Registration for the event was $63 for early birds (1st October to 31st December 2018), $75 for registration between 1st January and 15th May 2019, and $80 for registration between 16th May and 2nd June. To help raise funds for cancer patients in Long Island, participants of the LI2DAY walk were required to make an individual commitment of $500. People participating as a group of five were allowed to pull their fundraising efforts together and raise $2500. Early birds were also provided a t-shirt, and medal or bag.

The uplifting and inspirational Saturday event featured a 5 km walk through local neighborhoods with a scenic and beautiful water view. Walkers signed in and had breakfast at the Dare Area between 6 am and 7 am. The opening ceremony followed shortly after 7 am at the Day Area, and the walk began at 7:30 am. Other highlights of the Saturday event included the flower ceremony held at the Day Area at 1:30 pm where survivors walked across the Smith Point Bridge, concluding the walk. Sunday 9th June featured an equally exciting event with a kids fun run at the Day Area at 8 am, followed by a five-kilometer walk at 8:30 am and an awards ceremony later on.…

Who are behind Long Island 2 Day Walk?

Founded in 2004, LI2DAY (Long Island two day walk) is a non-profit organization committed to raising funds and creating awareness of breast cancer. Since its inception in 2004, the organization has raised more than seven million dollars from its annual LI2DAY walk. The walk aims to raise funds to assist cancer patients in Long Island. All the funds raised by LI2DAY stay in Long Island, and are distributed among fifteen organizations to further LI2DAY’s cause. One of these organizations is the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, which offers services to patients with breast cancer and their families. West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition also promotes education, awareness, and research in breast cancer. LI2DAY also funds local research labs, the LI2DAY Scholarship Fund, and local breast cancer organizations.

The creation of LI2DAY in 2004 was inspired by a growing need to raise funds for local organizations in Long Island that offer help to breast cancer patients. Since then, LI2DAY’s mission has expanded to include all types of cancer, with the funds allocated to the organization’s scholarship fund as well as community-based breast cancer organizations, breast cancer organizations, and other cancer organizations for women. Through organizations such as the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, LI2DAY has helped Long Islanders with education, research, counseling, retreats, programs for nutrition and exercise, direct financial payments, child care, physical therapy, wigs, prosthetics, transportation, and medical expenses.

West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition
One of the organizations that have been central to LI2DAY’s success is the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition is a volunteer non-profit organization established in 1992. Their mission is to decrease the severity and incidences of breast cancer diagnosis by increasing awareness of early detection and possible means of prevention. It is also part of the organization’s mission to offer support services to people diagnosed and undergoing treatment for gynecological or breast cancers through the Lending A Helping Hand program. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition was directly responsible for the premier comprehensive cancer cluster survey in the county of Suffolk. The comprehensive cancer cluster survey subsequently led to a multi-year breast cancer study in Long Island that was mandated by Congress in 1993. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition also supports advocacy and research as it pertains to the eradication of breast cancer.

The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition Traces its roots back to 1992 during Lorraine Pace’s breast cancer diagnosis. Lorraine discovered that twenty people she knew from our neighborhood also had a similar condition. This inspired Lorraine to launch a relentless, very public crusade to increase awareness of breast cancer in the county of Suffolk. Together with her husband, John Pace, who was responsible for all the legal work, Lorraine started theWest Islip Breast Cancer Coalition.…