Komen Central Virginia was started in 1998 by Jennifer Norvell Saunders, in memory of her mother, Joanne. Joanne lost her battle with breast cancer after a second reoccurrence of her disease. To honor her mother's life, Jennifer, her family, and friends planned the first Race for the Cure in Richmond with the hope that fifty people would join them. To Jennifer's surprise over 1,200 gathered at the starting line that Mother's Day weekend.
The Komen Central Virginia Affiliate was established in 1999 to support Komen's vision of a world without breast cancer and promote the promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality of care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Our Board of Directors work to fulfill the vision and promise in 74 cities and counties in Central Virginia.