Mayte Prida Joins Ford To Fight Breast Cancer.

Ford Motor Company has long been a major supporter in the fight against breast cancer, and is deepening that commitment by partnering with a new ally who will help bring breast-cancer awareness to Hispanics. Successful author and Hispanic television star Mayte Prida has joined Ford in the fight against breast cancer.

Prida, who recently wrote “A Difficult Journey: My Battle with Cancer” about her battle with breast cancer, will be instrumental in Ford’s Hispanic Breast Health Awareness campaign. She will appear in Ford breast cancer awareness communications and champion Ford’s commitment to the cause throughout the tour for her book, which was recently released in English.

“Ford is proud to support Mayte Prida’s efforts confronting this disease,” said Connie Fontaine, Associations & Alliances Manager of Ford Motor Company. “We recognize the courage of brave women across the nation suffering from this terrible illness. Mayte is an inspiration to all, and we hope her story will motivate and inspire the Hispanic community to join the fight against breast cancer.”

According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Hispanic women have lower occurrences of breast cancer than the general population, yet they are more likely to die from the disease. That’s because they are less likely to participate in mammography screening and are therefore more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of breast cancer.

Mayte Prida: The Right Spokesperson for the Cause

At 38, Mayte Prida was diagnosed with breast cancer. After researching the disease and not finding any personal or inspirational literature in Spanish, she felt the need to help the Hispanic community and began to write and document “A Difficult Journey: My Battle with Cancer.” The book and documentary, which first appeared in Spanish in 2002, received positive feedback from the public and press as a motivational and inspiring story. After her recovery, she promised to help others cope with the emotional distresses associated with breast cancer. Prida has become an outspoken advocate within the Hispanic community appearing at conferences and symposiums on breast cancer throughout the United States.

“While battling breast cancer, I decided that I wanted to use my own experience to serve as a tool of guidance, inspiration, hope and comfort for others. So far I am winning the battle, and I want to thank Ford Motor Company for this opportunity to educate our community about breast cancer prevention and treatment,” said Mayte Prida.

Ford is the exclusive sponsor of Mayte’s book tour in 2004, which will visit Miami, San Antonio, Houston and Los Angeles during the summer months. As part of the tour, Mayte will participate in community events and book-signing opportunities.

Mayte will also appear in several television public service announcements alerting the Hispanic community about the dangers of breast cancer. The spots also direct viewers to the www.fordenespanol.com/saluddelseno website for more details. They will air on the Telemundo and Univision Networks in July and August, targeting 20 major markets across the country.

Ford Distributes Spanish-Language Breast Cancer Self-Examination Shower Card

Studies show early detection of breast cancer saves lives – and timely mammograms for women 40 or older could prevent 15 to 30 percent of all breast-cancer-related deaths. Early detection is crucial for the battle against this illness because it saves lives and increases treatment options, especially when cancer is confined only to the breast. Self-examination is an easy and effective early-detection method that takes less than five minutes.

A breast self-examination shower card is one of the most convenient ways to explain and remind women to remember to perform the exam, but the majority of these cards appear in English only. To address this issue, Ford developed a Spanish language card to help Hispanic women become more aware of the exam and how to perform it.

Ford Debuts Dedicated Spanish “Salud Del Seno” Website

Ford is launching a special Spanish-language section on the company’s website that is available for those who would like more information on breast cancer. The website address is www.fordenespanol.com/saluddelseno. Visitors to the site can order a free Spanish-language breast self-exam shower card for themselves, friends and family members.

Komen Race for the Cure® Series/ The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation This year marks the tenth anniversary of Ford’s support of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in its mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment. Since 1995, Ford has been a national series sponsor of the Komen Race for the Cure® Series, the Foundation’s signature awareness and fundraising event. The Komen Race Series began in Dallas in 1983 as a local Race drawing 800 participants and has grown into a series of more than 100 Races with 1.5 million participants expected this year.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Goodman Brinker in memory of her sister, Susan Goodman Komen, who died from the disease at age 36.

More than 20 years later, the Komen Foundation is a global leader in the fight against breast cancer and is the world’s largest private funder of breast cancer research and community outreach programs.

Ford Division, its dealers and employee groups have contributed more than $80 million toward breast cancer awareness, education and research. For more information about the Komen Foundation, visit http://www.komen.org