HOW TO HELP:
To help support the Glimmer
of Hope Foundation, “Brace
Yourself for Change” bracelets
may be purchased for $65.
Proceeds will fund 3-D breast
imaging equipment.
The “Brace Yourself for
Change” and other Glimmer
of Hope Foundation costume
jewelry and fundraising
items can be ordered at
the foundation’s website:
symbolofthecure.com.
Photo Gary Yon Photography
Julie Faneca and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Heath Miller and his wife, Katie, graciously
co-hosted the event along with the Fanecas.
The event raised over 1.8 million dollars
for the pre-menopausal program that
the foundation funds at Magee-Womens
Hospital. The event included a meet-andgreet with Steelers players and many other
sponsors. Pitch for Hope takes place in
association with the Pittsburgh Pirates
and is hosted by Clint Hurdle and Frank
Coonelly. A national campaign with rue21
that takes place in October also joins these
events in raising the funds necessary for the
foundation’s great work.
This year will be a another one bustling
with events for Napper and the Glimmer
of Hope Foundation, and includes Pitch
for Hope in the summer, Bid for Hope
in October and approximately 15 other
scheduled events throughout the year.
Napper and the foundation’s future
plans include becoming a better advocate
for young women battling breast cancer.
Napper believes that metastatic breast
cancer disease is extremely underfunded
and therefore plans to become more vocal
in the community, giving the women of
Pittsburgh — and women nationally —
options for better treatment.
“The Glimmer of Hope Foundation
has received tremendous support because
of the transparency of the programs we
support,” says Napper. “Most people
have ‘ownership’ in their donations. The
satisfaction of seeing their contributions
at work is rewarding to them.” This
year Napper and the Glimmer of Hope
Foundation will distribute over $500,000
in Western Pennsylvania to breast cancer
programs and equipment purchases, but
most importantly to the research that they
“Hope” will get closer to the cure. n
Photo Gary Yon Photography
“I decided to design a pin that would
capture the pain and emotion that Carol
and I had gone through,” says Napper.
She designed “A Glimmer of Hope” — a
teardrop Swarovski crystal pin — and
later designed several other pieces to fund
the research so important and dear to her
heart.
As time went on, Napper decided that
she could not imagine opening a hospice
center for women after all. Instead, she
made it her mission to create a venue that
would support breast cancer patients and
their loved ones. And so, the Glimmer of
Hope Foundation was born.
The Glimmer of Hope Foundation was
created in 1994. It is a 501c3 nonprofit
organization, with a strong staff of 50
volunteers, that helps to fund breast
cancer research and programs and, more
specifically, studies in pre-menopausal
breast cancer, as breast cancer tends to
be more aggressive in younger women.
Additionally, the foundation raises
funds for the purchase of state-of-the
art technology and machines, like the
tomosynthesis machine, that help to detect
breast cancer earlier and more safely. The
foundation works hard to benefit the
women of Pittsburgh and all funding stays
local, supporting multiple Pittsburgh-area
hospitals including Allegheny Health
Network, Magee-Womens Hospital of
UPMC and the UPMC Hillman Cancer
Center.
Napper and the Glimmer of Hope
Foundation work hand in hand with the
Allegheny Health Network and closely
with Dr. William Poller, who oversees
the tomosynthesis machine each day.
The machine feels the same as other
mammogram machines but image results
are clearer and it uses 40 percent less
radiation. Most women are shocked at how
easy the process is. The unit is used to test
any woman with a strong family history of
breast cancer or women with very dense
breast tissue, as well as those whose earlier
mammograms showed abnormalities.
To come up with the funding for
these machines and advanced studies,
the foundation holds several events
throughout the year including “Bid for
Hope” and “Pitch for Hope.” Bid for Hope
was started in the year 2000 with Alan and
For more information or to get involved with the Glimmer of Hope Foundation, visit symbolofthecure.com or call 1.800.454.6746.
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