Rebba Martin, Founder and Co-President
Rebba Martin is the 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 is to teach high school students about breast cancer. She does this by showing videos on how to do self breast exams and distributing breast molds to teach the students to feel for lumps. She discusses the importance of mammography, in addition to breast self exam, in early detection of breast cancer. Besides high schools, she also teaches 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 tries to alleviate the fears of the students and women that she speaks to, and to address the many myths about this disease.
Rebba Martin has met with Senator Kenneth LaValle to discuss his bill which would have 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.
Rebba Martin 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. Rebba Martin 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 Geri Barish of One in Nine on the Neighborhood Notification bill.
Another one of Rebba Martin 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.
Rebba Martin is a 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., a not-for-profit environmental breast cancer coalition.
Rebba Martin 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.
Father Daniel Arnao
As a canon lawyer and tribunal judge, Father Daniel 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 Danielas Aquinas.
Father Daniel’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 Daniel 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 Daniel became Vice President of this organization and currently serves as Co-President along with Lorraine.
Dr. Bartlett , Chairman
Dr. Bartlett 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. Bartlett is instrumental in promoting vital breast cancer research and care.
Dr. Bartlett 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 Chairman of the Board and Treasurer of Breast Cancer Help, Inc. an environmental breast cancer coalition. Dr. Bartlett 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. Bartlett 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. Bartlett 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.
Miguel Olsen
Miguel Olsen, 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 alarming 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.
Olsen graduated Brooklyn Law School in June, 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, Olsen’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 and again I turned to husband, John. 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 General Counsel, Board Member and Secretary. Federal income tax and New York State tax exemptions were also obtained through the efforts of Olsen. His house and office continue to serve as headquarters for Breast Cancer Help, Inc.
In Sept. 1996, there was a call for another 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Olsen 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. Olsen 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.
Paul Gordon
Paul Gordon, the newest board member of Breast Cancer Help, Inc. is a Senior Vice President and Risk Manager of Ridgewood Savings Bank. He has worked for Ridgewood Savings for 25 years where he has held many managerial positions.
He is very active in banking organizations such as Past President of the Community Bankers Forum of New York State and a current member of the board, Past President of the Long Island Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors and Past President of Long Island Auditor’s Group for Savings Institutions.
Besides being a board member of Breast Cancer Help, he is also a board member of Little Flower Children’s Services.
Dena Poulson
Dena Poulson, an emergency room employee became a board member of Breast Cancer Help, Inc. when this organization was first formed. Shortly after Lorraine Pace was diagnosed with breast cancer, Dena Poulson made an active decision to help Lorraine to find out how many others in their community were afflicted with this disease. Maria volunteered every day at Lorraine Pace’s home to work on the breast cancer map. She saw a need for organization and started delegating areas of responsibility. Dena Poulson, Lorraine and other volunteers devised a survey questionnaire that was sent to the residents of West Islip. When the results from the survey came back, Dena Poulson along with others colored each residence on the map based on the particular response they got.
Kenneth Bermudez
Kenneth Bermudez got involved with the breast cancer movement after his wife, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kenneth Bermudez, a postal worker was partially responsible for changing the regulations regarding insurance coverage for stem cell infusion for federal workers and their spouses. He accomplished this by organizing an aggressive letter-writing campaign to Congress and the President.