ATLANTA-October 5, 2002 - Faculty, staff and students at Morehouse College will lace-up their walking shoes for the College's third annual 2K walk to raise money for breast cancer.

The theme for this year's walk is "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer".

The walk was organized three years ago by staff-member Sandra Walker, after three Morehouse staff-members were diagnosed with the disease. Walker says she organized the walk to inform the community and the College family of the rising number of minorities who are diagnosed with the disease.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October, 1999," said Walker. "Chandra Price, Mary Peaks and I had been diagnosed within a three-year period. There are a number of survivors on campus, but the three of us were very vocal about our diagnoses. One day in chemotherapy the idea just came to me to ask the administration if the College would support a breast cancer walk."

Walker hopes that organizing the walk will increase awareness in the minority community and the Morehouse family about breast cancer, diagnosis, treatment and survival.

"The number of men who are diagnosed increases each year. More whites are diagnosed, but African-Americans have the largest number of deaths from breast cancer, as well as all cancer," Walker said. "I am often asked why Morehouse College, an all male college, is sponsoring a breast cancer Walk. My answer is - Morehouse is unique, we are a Family, what affects one affects us all. We are lead by our President, Walter E. Massey, who has made Morehouse a "global house".

The walk will begin at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at 8:00 a.m. Registration is $20. A brief program will take place at King Chapel after the walk.

Proceeds from the walk will be presented to the American Cancer Society in memory of former Morehouse staff-member, Chandra Price.

Over the past two years, Morehouse College has donated more than $25, 000 to the American Cancer Society.

What: Morehouse College 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness 2K Walk

When: Saturday, October 5, 2002, 8:00 a.m.

Where: Morehouse College
Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel
830 Westview Drive, S.W.

Ranked the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, Morehouse College is the nation's largest, private liberal arts college for men. Founded in 1867, the College enrolls approximately 3,000 students and confers bachelor's degrees on more black men than any other institution in the world. The College offers 26 majors in three academic divisions: Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Mathematics, and Business and Economics. Morehouse offers a number of programs and activities to enhance its challenging liberal arts curriculum through the Leadership Center at Morehouse College, Morehouse Research Institute, and Andrew Young Center for International Affairs. Morehouse is the only Historically Black College or University to produce two Rhodes Scholars, Nima A. Warfield, who was the first African-American Rhodes Scholar from Historically Black College or University, and Christopher Elders who received the honor in 2001.

Prominent alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civil rights leader; Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General and director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine; Sheldon "Spike" Lee, filmmaker and president of 40 Acres & A Mule Productions; Maynard H. Jackson, president of Jackson Securities and the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.

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