October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Honor Breast Cancer Activist Susan Hester with a gift to the
National Women’s Health Network Annual Fall Benefit
35 Years:  Standing Strong

Join the NWHN and special guest speaker Byllye Avery for a cocktail reception as we present this year's Barbara Seaman Award for Activism in Women's Health to Susan Hester, whose groundbreaking work has touched the lives of women everywhere.  

Susan Hester founded the Mautner Project in 1990, after her partner, Mary-Helen Mautner, died of breast cancer.  Shortly before her death, Mary-Helen asked Susan to start an organization that could help other lesbians facing the overwhelming challenges of life-threatening illnesses.  The Mautner Project was established to work towards achieving a health care system that is respectful of and accessible to all, without regard for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  Susan went on to co-found the National Breast Cancer Coalition, which works to eradicate breast cancer by focusing the administration, U.S. Congress, research institutions and consumer advocates on breast cancer.  

Susan continues her advocacy through her service on the Board of SAGE, the largest organization pioneering programs and services for LGBT older adults.   

Fushena Cruickshank will also be presented with a Barbara Seaman Award for Activist in Women's Health for her work as the Leadership Development Manager for Metro TeenAIDS.  Under Fushena’s direction, the Peer Education program tripled in size, enabling widespread outreach and education of different youth populations throughout DC.  Fushena continues to impact the lives of women and families nationwide by supporting sustainable effective programs to help women overcome substance abuse without losing their children through her work at JBS International.  

Guest Speaker

Byllye Y. Avery, founder of The Avery Institute for Social Change and the Black Women's Health Imperative, has been a health care activist for over 25 years focusing on women's needs. A dreamer, visionary and grassroots realist, Avery has combined activism and social responsibility to develop a national forum for the exploration of the health issues of Black women.  Avery has received many honors and awards, including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for Social Contribution and the Essence Award for Community Service.  She has also served on the Charter Advisory Committee for the Office of Research on Women's Health of the National Institutes of Health and as a visiting fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health.   

Event Details:

Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Busboys & Poets, 5th & K Streets, NW in Washington, DC
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Please RVSP by October 15th: www.nwhn.org/event2011

For sponsorship and more information contact Victoria Heckler, Director of Individual Giving, at 202-682-2640 or vheckler@nwhn.org

Thank you,


Cindy Pearson
Executive Director