Dan's Papers - August 15, 2008 - Ellen's Run, For Your Own, and Other's, Health

The event named "Best Event of 2007" by Dan's Papers is back to do more good for the community. It's not a chic party and it has nothing to do with the hottest new club. Rather, Ellen's Run is the event of the summer because it's about bringing members of the community together in the fight against a great evil: breast cancer. Everyone seems to have a story of someone they've lost to this widespread disease. It's an epidemic in our country, and it demands attention, awareness, and funding.

The Ellen's Run 5K in East Hampton is the legacy of a woman who, like far too many of our loved ones, lost her battle with breast cancer. It was in 1995 when Ellen Hermanson's six year fight with cancer ended. But during that long struggle, Ellen stood up to advocate for all the thousands of women who have been afflicted by this epidemic. And her voice continues to be heard, through her family who won't forget her and her foundation that won't give up on the other women battling cancer today.

Ellen's older sister, Julie Ratner, was inspired by her sister's determination throughout her battle with breast cancer. Even as she suffered through painful treatments, Ellen used her struggle as a platform to advocate for her cause. She spoke up about the physical pain that often went untreated as doctors focused on prolonging life. Ellen insisted that "people in my position don't have time to have their days compromised by pain." Ellen was a fighter and a writer who believed in the power of the pen. Throughout her illness, she wrote about the issues that affected breast cancer fighters. When she died, it was up to her sisters, Julie and Emily, and her daughter, Leora, to take the torch.

And take the torch they did. Julie and Emily founded Ellen's Run in 1996 to keep Ellen's voice alive and to show her daughter what a powerful woman her mother had been. And Leora's involvement with the run grows every year.

Ellen's Run is a grassroots organization that places a heavy emphasis on staying local and giving to communities that need assistance. Therefore, much of the money raised goes to Southampton Hospital so that the women of the East End, our own sisters and daughters, will have the best care possible if they ever have to go through this painful process. In 2000, funds from Ellen's Run helped Southampton Hospital purchase a Mammatome Breast Biopsy System to facilitate more accurate biopsies, aiding in the early detection of breast cancer. We all know that early detection is key when it comes to cancer. It is treatable, but once it gets past a certain point, cancer can infect the whole body.

In 2002, Ellen's Run proudly funded the purchase of a High Capacity Mammography Viewer and Mammography Chair, which improves the interpretation of mammograms.

Over the years, as Ellen's Run has grown to over 1,000 participants, the foundation has donated over $1.7 million in grants.

Other beneficiaries have included East Long Island Breast Cancer Resource Center, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Shinnecock Indian Health Services.

Another branch of the foundation devoted to Ellen's memory is called Ellen's Well. This offers psychosocial support to cancer patients. Through social workers and support groups, the trying emotional demands of this disease are met. There is also an educational outreach program that is fully utilized in low funded areas, which teaches women how to self-administer breast exams.

Over a thousand participants are expected to join in the efforts this weekend, from accomplished runners to people just looking to walk for a good cause. "While most entries sign up as individuals or groups of two or three, this year we are encouraging affiliated groups of five or more to sign up to participate as teams," said Julie. "Running as part of a team is fun."

And really, that's what the day is all about. It's about forming bonds and working together to accomplish something difficult. The struggle against breast cancer has taken many lives, and here on the East End, women are more affected than in most other places in the country. But by working together, and by not giving up, even in the face of death, we can keep up the fight that began with so many inspirational people like Ellen Hermanson.

The 13th Annual Ellen's Run begins at East Hampton High School at 9 a.m. on Sunday, August 17. It is a 5K, or 3.1 miles, and is open to people of all ages and skill levels. In the past, participants have ranged in age from 7 to 86, and they all had one thing in common: hope.