Founded in 2004, LI2DAY (Long Island two day walk) is a non-profit organization committed to raising funds and creating awareness of breast cancer. Since its inception in 2004, the organization has raised more than seven million dollars from its annual LI2DAY walk. The walk aims to raise funds to assist cancer patients in Long Island. All the funds raised by LI2DAY stay in Long Island, and are distributed among fifteen organizations to further LI2DAY’s cause. One of these organizations is the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, which offers services to patients with breast cancer and their families. West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition also promotes education, awareness, and research in breast cancer. LI2DAY also funds local research labs, the LI2DAY Scholarship Fund, and local breast cancer organizations.
The creation of LI2DAY in 2004 was inspired by a growing need to raise funds for local organizations in Long Island that offer help to breast cancer patients. Since then, LI2DAY’s mission has expanded to include all types of cancer, with the funds allocated to the organization’s scholarship fund as well as community-based breast cancer organizations, breast cancer organizations, and other cancer organizations for women. Through organizations such as the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, LI2DAY has helped Long Islanders with education, research, counseling, retreats, programs for nutrition and exercise, direct financial payments, child care, physical therapy, wigs, prosthetics, transportation, and medical expenses.
West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition
One of the organizations that have been central to LI2DAY’s success is the West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition is a volunteer non-profit organization established in 1992. Their mission is to decrease the severity and incidences of breast cancer diagnosis by increasing awareness of early detection and possible means of prevention. It is also part of the organization’s mission to offer support services to people diagnosed and undergoing treatment for gynecological or breast cancers through the Lending A Helping Hand program. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition was directly responsible for the premier comprehensive cancer cluster survey in the county of Suffolk. The comprehensive cancer cluster survey subsequently led to a multi-year breast cancer study in Long Island that was mandated by Congress in 1993. The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition also supports advocacy and research as it pertains to the eradication of breast cancer.
The West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition Traces its roots back to 1992 during Lorraine Pace’s breast cancer diagnosis. Lorraine discovered that twenty people she knew from our neighborhood also had a similar condition. This inspired Lorraine to launch a relentless, very public crusade to increase awareness of breast cancer in the county of Suffolk. Together with her husband, John Pace, who was responsible for all the legal work, Lorraine started theWest Islip Breast Cancer Coalition.