Nancy Partridge gives a presentation to local Rotarians entitled ‘Taking Action For Breast Cancer’. Photo by Linda Hull
BY LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
Donning angel’s wings bearing the names of survivors and those lost to breast cancer, Los Alamos native Nancy Partridge spoke to the Rotary Club of Los Alamos on May 3rd about her active support for breast cancer awareness in a presentation entitled Taking Action for Breast Cancer.
“It’s all about why,” Partridge began. “Breast cancer research, community, patient care services, and advocacy.” Partridge’s dedication is reflected in the miles she has walked to raise funds for such highly respected organizations as Susan G. Komen (SGK), the Avon Foundation, and the American Cancer Society over the past 22 years. Since beginning in 2000, she has raised “more than $50,000 for breast cancer research, treatment, and awareness.”
With a PowerPoint, videos, and an impassioned presentation, Partridge described how she has walked more than 1,000 event miles. Preparation for the walks, some of which span three days and 60 miles, requires regular training. To date, Partridge has walked almost 16,800 training miles and has “worn out at least 80 pairs of shoes.”
Partridge does not walk alone, which is also a message of hope for breast cancer patients whose personal journeys may seem lonely and isolated. She trains and attends fundraising walks as part of the team she has established, Mountains and Molehills. “We have had a variety of members over the years.” So far this year the team includes five people all of whom have connections to Los Alamos—either they live here or they grew up here, and one PhD Cancer Researcher from Arizona.
In 2021, Partridge was selected as an Advocacy Ambassador for the SGK Center for Public Policy, “working on legislation at Federal and State levels.” Of more than 200 Advocacy Ambassadors nationwide, she is the only Advocacy Ambassador representing the state of New Mexico. The Center “accelerates research, ensures access to affordable, high-quality care for all patients, and alleviates patient burden through the development of public policies that address protecting patients from financial ruin and reducing bureaucratic obstacles.”
Partridge is particularly concerned about the lack of insurance coverage for patients who need basic diagnostics. She cited data that show 16% of women screened with modern digital mammography require follow-up diagnostic imaging which insurance is not required by law to cover. Most people do not have $3,000 to pay for the tests. “In 2022, 44,000 women and men in the United States will die of breast cancer.”
With such alarming numbers, the SGK has funded $1.1 billion in research in the last 40 years. All of New Mexico’s 33 counties are served by SGK breast cancer services; more than 250 New Mexicans seek help and information from the SGK Breast Cancer hotline each week. The toll-free number is 1-877-465-6636.
Partridge ended with these words, “There’s more hope than there used to be.”
If you would like to join Partridge in training and walks, sponsor a walker, or learn more about Mountains and Molehills, please contact her at n4partridge@gmail.com or donate at https://the3day.org/goto/NancyP
More information about breast cancer is available at
–Susan G. Komen Foundation, https://www.komen.org/
–The Avon Foundation, https://www.avonworldwide.com/supporting-women/breast-cancer
–The American Cancer Society, https://www.cancer.org/search.html?q=breast+cancer
Partridge is a graduate of Los Alamos High School and has a Master’s degree in management from Colorado State University. She lives in White Rock with her three Huskies.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, through its Club Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit and one of over 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary, which now has 1.5 million members, was founded in 1905; the local Club was chartered in 1966. Rotary areas of focus include promoting peace; fighting disease, particularly polio; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; supporting education; saving and enhancing the lives of mothers and children; growing economies; and protecting the environment.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets in person Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00, in the Community Room, Cottonwood on the Greens, at the golf course. A Zoom option is available by contacting Linda Hull, Rotary Club vice-president, 505-662-7950. Hull is also happy to provide information about the Club and its humanitarian service.