Results tagged “cancer”

The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program will have to cut more than half of its services if an income tax increase does not occur, reports Chi-Town Daily News. The state and federally funded program gives free breast screenings and mammograms for women over 40, cervical exams for women over 35 and cancer treatment to eligible women. With expected budget cuts, the program stands to lose $9 million. More than 36,000 uninsured women in Illinois, a third of which are from Chicago, benefit from the program; more than 21,000 would no longer receive services.

• There might be good left in the world after all -- The Windy Citizen tells the tale of the Pittsburgh Samaritan who set out to Chicago to do good deeds for strangers he found on Craigslist.
• A husband and wife were arrested after they were caught at a South Barrington theater recording the Hannah Montana movie with a video camera. Authorities claim a subsequent search of their house turned up over 44,000 bootleg DVDs and CDs. Fortunately we were able to get a copy for our private collection before the bust.
• It might get a whole lot riskier to drive on a suspended license -- Alderman Tom Allen (38th) is pushing an ordinance that would allow police to impound your vehicle if you get caught.

Fran Drescher (most memorably from The Nanny) will be honored at Carnivale on Tuesday, May 5 and all proceeds from the evening will benefit Cancern Schmancer, Drescher's foundation dedicated to ensuring early diagnosis in women with cancer. Drescher battled cancer and continues the fight through her Foundation. If you are unable to attend this event for any reason but would like to donate, please click here. At the event will be lots of food and drink and, if you take out the big guns, dinner with Fran, herself. Tickets available here.

We were just informed of another local connection to National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: the Chili’s at 2 E Ontario St. is participating in the restaurant chain’s fifth annual Create-A-Pepper campaign, running now through the end of September. Chili’s has pledged to raise $50 million over a 10-year period for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. The campaign will culminate with an all-day event on Monday, September 29, when Chili’s will donate 100% of the profits from the day’s restaurant sales to St. Jude’s. Last year’s Create-A-Pepper campaign raised more than $5.2 million for the hospital.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and there are a few local events coming up in support of pediatric cancer awareness. If you can't attend any of the below events, but still want to help with the fight against leukemia -- the most common cancer among children and teens -- consider making a bone marrow donation or registering to become a donor at the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak was diagnosed over the weekend with a brain tumor. Novak was with his wife in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on Sunday visiting his daughter when he fell ill. He was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital where the diagnosis was made. Novak issued the following statement following the diagnosis:

On Sunday, July 27, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have been admitted to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where doctors will soon begin appropriate treatment. I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period.

Former Bush Press Secretary Tony Snow has died Saturday of colon cancer. He was 53.

Tortoise are playing a benefit show for Stella Ackerman -- daughter of Lustre King's Craig Ackerman -- at the Empty Bottle Saturday night. Stella has an undiagnosed blood disease and the benefit is to raise money for the Ackerman both the family's medical bills and cancer research in general. If you want to buy tickets, you have to get 'em at the venue.

Anxious to work off those Memorial Day grill-outs before Beach Season? We can't think of a more perfect opportunity than this weekend's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk will cover a marathon's worth of ground (26.2. miles) on Saturday and then cover an additional 13.1 miles on Sunday. The event begins at the crack of dawn Saturday morning with the Opening Ceremonies at Soldier Field. The route winds its way along the Lakefront and the North Side before spending the night at Warren Park, then working its way back to Soldier Field for the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday afternoon.