Long Island Breast Cancer Mapping Project
Documentary Video (7:46)
In 1994, a small group of men and women living on Long Island, New York came together to face the widespread national tragedy of breast cancer. They set out to find the correlation between breast cancer and the environment and to change the way the public thinks about this terrible disease. They refused to accept the chronic under-funding of breast cancer research and the silence and indifference surrounding the disease. Breast cancer now claims the lives of 46,000 Americans each year and has become one of the leading killers of women between the ages of 32 and 52.
With vision and perseverance, these community-minded men and women on Long Island formed Breast Cancer Help, Inc., an organization with a focus on action and advocacy to eradicate breast cancer. Its founding President, Lorraine Pace, is a nationally known breast cancer survivor. Breast Cancer Help's Co-President, Reverend Thomas Arnao, who is currently a Vice Officialis for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, has had the opportunity to counsel many women faced with the battle against breast cancer. Breast Cancer Help has built a grassroots network of advocates across America and abroad focusing on the goals of:
• Increasing research into the cause, treatment, and cure of breast cancer.
• Improving access for all women to high-quality breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Encouraging other areas in the United States and throughout the world to conduct mapping surveys to help better understand the relationship between our environment and breast cancer.
Since its inception, Breast Cancer Help has taken a multi-pronged approach to combating breast cancer on Long Island. The organization has worked to mobilize citizens into breast cancer coalitions leading to breast cancer mapping projects; it has worked to bring cancer education into our schools; served as advocates to change state and local laws to preserve our environment; and worked to strengthen the rights of breast cancer patients and survivors.
The members of Breast Cancer Help are survivors, as well as the children, parents, spouses and friends of those who have survived and those who have not. Our supporters and member organizations encompass the universe of groups that care about this issue, including physicians, nurses, scientists, legislators, and many others. The organization is proud to be an active member of the Suffolk County Breast Health Partnership, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, and the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. Among its many different activities, Breast Cancer Help advances change by disseminating information about how to do breast cancer mapping, which is now sought by our nation's lawmakers and prestigious medical research institution.
Breast Cancer Help, Inc. Board Members
Chairman of the Board
Reverend Thomas V. Arnao, JCD *
Co-President
Allen G. Meek, M.D. *
Co-President
Lorraine Pace, M.Ed. *
Senior Vice President
Alex Fezza *
Recording Secretary
Crystal Pace
Assistant Secretary
John Pace, Esq. *
Board Members
Lillian Meek *
Edward Diorio *
Kathleen Giamo *
Janet Rodgers *
Thomas Rodgers *
Fundraising
Event Kings of Deer Park, NY
Advisory Board Members
Lauralee Bennett
Maria Diorio
Medical Advisor
Dr. Stephen U. Harris, M.D., FAC
Executive Director,
Long Island Cancer Help and Wellness Center
Alex Fezza *
Public Relations
John Zaher, PRMG
* Member, Board of Directors
Board Members' Biographies
Reverend Thomas Arnao, Chairman
Dr. Allen Meek, Co-President
Lorraine Pace, Founder and Co-President
Alex Fezza
John Pace
Edward Diorio Jr.
Reverend Thomas Arnao - Chairman
As a canon lawyer and tribunal judge, Father Tom Arnao focuses mainly on annulment at the Tribunal Diocese of Rockville Center. In 1997 he was sent to Rome to pursue a doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Father Tom's involvement with breast cancer started through his ministry as a parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in West Islip. As a priest he counseled many men and children who lost their loved ones to breast cancer. He saw firsthand the devastation caused by this disease. It was there that he became acquainted with Lorraine Pace, first as a parishioner, then as a friend. In 1992, Lorraine called him to tell him that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and asked for his help. At that point Father Tom committed himself to the fight against breast cancer. Determined to find the possible environmental causes of this dreaded disease Lorraine then founded Breast Cancer Help, Inc. Father Tom became Vice President of this organization and currently serves as Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Allen Meek, Co-President
Dr. Allen Meek is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook, New York. Widely published, he has focused much of his research on optimizing treatment regimens for breast cancer. A popular guest lecturer to various scientific and community groups throughout the country, Dr. Meek is instrumental in promoting vital breast cancer research and care.
Dr. Meek has also volunteered many hours to the breast cancer cause. He has participated in the Walk for Beauty in Stony Brook since 1994 and the American Cancer Society breast cancer walks. He is the Co-President and Treasurer of Breast Cancer Help, Inc. Dr. Meek also is the Treasurer of the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc., a not-for-profit organization which raises money for research and education for the University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook. This organization which has only been in existence since 1996 has already given young investigators grants totaling $1,000,000. These are just a few of the ways Dr. Meek so selflessly devotes his time to the breast cancer cause.
In 1999 he was named Village Times Man of the Year in Medicine and Suffolk Life's "Person of the Year" award in medicine. Dr. Meek was also honored by Suffolk Life Newspaper in March 2000. He was named "Person of the Year" in the medical category for the Town of Brookhaven. He also received the environmental preservation award from Promote Long Island in May 2000.
Lorraine Pace, Founder and Co-President
Lorraine Pace is a former Breast Cancer Education Specialist at the University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook. As a breast health instructor certified by the American Cancer Society, the main aspect of her job was teaching high school students about breast cancer. She did this by showing videos on how to do self breast exams and distributing breast molds to teach the students to feel for lumps. She discussed the importance of mammography, in addition to breast self exam, in early detection of breast cancer. Besides high schools, she also taught at community groups, such as churches and temples. The teaching of breast cancer education helps raise awareness in the community, which is so important. Through teaching she helped to alleviate the fears of the students and women to whom she spoke and addressed the many myths about this disease.
Lorraine worked with Senator Kenneth LaValle to pass his bill which made breast cancer education a part of the high school health course description in New York State. This bill has been signed into law by Governor George Pataki. Lorraine has also met with other elected officials regarding breast cancer legislation. She supported the passage of the Pesticide Registry. She also worked with Senator Owen Johnson on the check-off on income taxes to donate toward breast cancer research. Lorraine has met with Senator Kemp Hannon to amend the Tumor Registry to include occupational and residential history. It is now signed by Governor Pataki into law. Lorraine has worked with Geri Barish of One in Nine on the Neighborhood Notification bill.
Another one of Lorraine's accomplishments was to help initiate the breast cancer awareness stamp. She did this by getting many petitions signed, writing letters and appearing on television shows.
Ms. Pace is a two time breast cancer survivor who initiated the mapping project in West Islip, NY shortly after she was diagnosed in 1992. She has many friends and neighbors in West Islip who were also diagnosed with breast cancer which prompted her to mail a survey to residents in her town and an overwhelming 63% responded to the survey. Dr. Roger Grimson, a biostatistician from Stony Brook, oversaw the project.
The mapping project lead Lorraine to start many breast cancer coalitions. The first one she started was the West Islip coalition. She has started many across Long Island, statewide, nationwide and even abroad. She is founder and Co-President of Breast Cancer Help, Inc.
Ms. Pace has tirelessly devoted her life in the fight against breast cancer. She has achieved this by working with the community, scientists, doctors and elected officials. She is a survivor, an activist and an advocate. She has dedicated her life to finding the cause of this horrific disease.
Alex Fezza
Alex Fezza graduated from West Babylon High School and received a degree in business administration from the New York Institute of Technology. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve.
Mr. Fezza is a retired Manager of Customer Service for the United States Postal Service. As a federal worker, Mr. Fezza began an aggressive campaign for changes in insurance coverage for stem cell infusion for federal employees and their spouses; ultimately he was successful in effecting a change in the regulations prohibiting such payment for treatment to women.
He has been a board member of Breast Cancer Help, Inc. for the past 12 years, and most recently held the position of Senior Vice President. A resident of Smithtown, NY, Mr. Fezza became involved with Breast Cancer Help, Inc. when his late wife Mary, a breast cancer patient, became active in the breast cancer advocacy movement in 1992.
Mr. Fezza has given lectures to many groups about Breast Cancer Help, Inc., speaking about the mission and goals the members of the organization share. His never ending drive to raise awareness about this disease is unmatched. His efforts have resulted in helping those at risk become aware of the risk factors related to breast cancer. He continues to strive to help educate the public about those risk factors and continues to try to get everyone involved to eliminate those risk factors. He now serves as Executive Director of our Long Island Cancer Help & Wellness Center.
John Pace
John Pace, Esq., a practicing attorney and successful businessman, first became familiar with the breast cancer movement in 1992 as he accompanied Lorraine throughout Long Island in her quest to find a possible environmental cause of breast cancer and in particular the alarmingly high rate of this dreaded disease on Long Island. The following is some background information about the breast cancer movement. In 1992 there were numerous articles written about the incidence of breast cancer in Nassau County. Even though there was a high mortality rate of breast cancer in Suffolk County, many women had a false sense of security because of the lack of awareness. Shortly after my diagnosis of breast cancer, Lorraine founded the West Islip mapping project. The mapping showed that many of my neighbors in a small radius in West Islip were also diagnosed with this disease. This then prompted Lorraine along with volunteers to mail breast cancer surveys to the women of West Islip. Many women who completed the survey and did not have breast cancer then made appointments for checkups. Some of these women were later diagnosed with breast cancer. The mapping and survey started a movement of breast cancer awareness in Suffolk County. Robert Gaffney, Suffolk County Executive was instrumental in forming the Suffolk County Breast Health Partnership, an organization where breast cancer coalitions and other health agencies meet to discuss women's health and exchange information. Minority breast cancer groups have also been formed. The National Cancer Institute is now doing a GIS (Geographic Information System ) to determine if there is a correlation between breast cancer and one's environment and occupation. Suffolk County never had breast care centers before this movement. Now there are many of these centers, one being the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center which is affiliated with the University Hospital and Medical Center in Stony Brook.
John graduated Brooklyn Law School in June of 1958, where he had been a staff member of the Brooklyn Law Review from September, 1956 to June, 1958. He also served as Book Review editor of the Brooklyn Law Review from Sept. 1957 to June, 1958. Admitted to practice in all of the courts of New York State, as well as federal courts, John became a partner with his brother, Anthony Pace and in 1958 joined the law firm of Pace & Pace. This law partnership continues to date. In addition, John participates with brothers Anthony and Frank in many business endeavors.
Lorraine needed help in start-up breast cancer activities. She asked John to form a not-for-profit organization in Oct. 1992 as Breast Cancer Coalition of Long Island, Inc. which was soon legally amended to West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition for Long Island, Inc. in Nov. 1992. He, thereafter, obtained federal tax exempt status for this group. All of this was done on a pro bono basis. In addition, John's personal residence almost became an office building as numerous meetings were held there in doing the extensive map study. Breast cancer meetings at his home continue to date.
Another not-for-profit was needed; it was in the formation of B C Help, Inc. in January of 1994, whose name was thereafter changed to Breast Cancer Help, Inc. in 1996. All of this legal work was done by John from his Pace & Pace law firm on a pro bono basis. He continues to serve as Board Member. Federal income tax and New York State tax exemptions were also obtained through the efforts of John Pace.
In Sept. 1996, there was a call for another 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. John became a charter member in the creation of Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc. and once again did all of the legal work in its creation pro bono. This included reviewing contracts, obtaining Federal income tax and New York State sales tax exemption as well as fund raising. John served as general counsel, board member and secretary for this organization. During John's tenure this corporation raised one million dollars exclusively for breast cancer research at the University Hospital and Medical Center at the State University of Stony Brook.
All of John Pace's pro bono work continues to be a great asset to the breast cancer movement.
In March 2000 John was honored by Suffolk Life Newspaper. He was named "Person of the Year" in the law category for the Town of Islip.
Edward Diorio Jr.
Edward Diorio Jr. is a graduate of West Islip High School, where he met and married his wife Pamela. They both have been involved in Breast cancer awareness since Pamela was stricken the first time in 1996 and have a longstanding relationship and involvement in awareness and fundraising activities to help find a cure. Mr. Diorio has been an advisory board member for several years and his contributions have been well received and appreciated.
Mr. Diorio, a Business Development Manager for UPS, has been a leader in fundraising efforts to benefit both Breast Cancer Help and The United Way of Long Island, where he was recognized for his organizational and goal orientated successes.
