Tax Checkoff Helps Breast Cancer Research

For the tenth year in a row, income tax payers in Pennsylvania who are due a refund can give money to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Fund. Last year the Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Fund took in $164,000 through the check off program found at the bottom of the PA-40 form. The fund is run by the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. President Pat Halpin-Murphy says the coalition focuses on issuing research grants, offering free treatment and launching public awareness campaigns. Halpin-Murphy says only the research portion of the organizations mission is supported by the check off. In the last ten years the fund has received $2-million dollars making it the most popular program ever. Halpin-Murphy says Pennsylvania is blessed with a large number of research institutions and many of them are delving into finding better treatment methods and eventually finding a cure. Each grant handed out by the fund is for $50,000. Halpin-Murphy says the goal of the fund is to “find a cure for breast cancer so our daughters don’t have to.” She reminds those thinking about giving to the fund that one in 8 women will be the victim of breast cancer and nearly everyone has been touched by the disease in one way or another.