Lee National Denim Day raises $4.5 million

As the 2009 ambassador for Lee National Denim Day, Emmy Award-winning actress Christina Applegate wants to bring a new face to the disease.

Applegate, 37, who was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2008, is the first ambassador to return for a second time and the first to be a breast cancer survivor.

“I really felt like it would have more of an impact and I really appreciate them asking me back,” Applegate said. “I’m trying to launch my foundation and they are donating such a great amount of money. It’s just a total blessing. I don’t appreciate the reasons why, but I hope that it makes an impact and I hope that it opens people’s eyes to the fact that this isn’t a disease only for women over 45.”

Lee National Denim Day, which encourages people to wear jeans on the first Friday in October in exchange for a $5 donation, is the country’s largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer, benefiting the Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Applegate attended the Denim Day reception held Oct. 2 in the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City. The event, typically private and held at Lee Jeans headquarters in Merriam, was moved to a public venue this year to include the whole community.

Applegate took to the KC Live! stage to speak to the large crowd about her involvement with the campaign.

“I was the ambassador for Lee Denim Day in 2003 and I’ve always been very outspoken because of my mom’s battle with breast and ovarian cancer,” she said. “I am also a breast cancer survivor now, so when EIF asked me to be a part of this, I didn’t even hesitate for one second. My fight has taken on a whole new meaning; it’s about bringing a new face to this disease. It’s a disease that women are being diagnosed with in their 20s.”

With the help of a few area breast cancer survivors, whom Applegate called her “sisters in boobs,” she unveiled a check for $4.5 million.

Since its inception in 1996, Denim Day has raised more than $75 million to fight breast cancer.

“Back 14 years ago, people weren’t really talking about breast cancer. So today we’re proud to say that in over 14 years, we’ve raised more than $75 million not only to raise awareness, but to also start fighting this disease,” Liz Cahill, Lee Jeans marketing and communications vice president, said. “We’re really proud to be able to work with the Women’s Cancer Programs of EIF.”

Money raised through the campaign will help:

• Support Lee Laboratories nationwide, which work to find more effective, less toxic treatments for breast cancer and increase patient access to some of the most significant clinical trials in the nation.

• Fund EIF’s Breast Biomarker Discovery Project, a multi-year effort led by world-class scientists to develop a blood test for earlier detection of breast cancer.

• Create resources with the National Breast Cancer Coalition to offer individuals with breast cancer evidence-based information, and train advocates nationwide.

This year, funds also will support Applegate’s new foundation, Right Action for Women. The foundation educates “high risk” women and encourages them to talk to their doctors about appropriate screening.

Right Action for Women also will provide aid to women at increased risk for breast cancer who do not have insurance or the financial flexibility to cover high costs associated with breast screenings.

“I went to get an MRI, which ended up being the MRI where I found out I had cancer,” Applegate said. “The woman at the imaging center said ‘… We’re going to launch a campaign to spread the word that MRIs are a great type of screening and that women are opting to not have them because of the cost and because our health care system is such that they don’t cover it most of the time.’

“I thought if I can find it and catch it at this early stage, where treatment is not going to be chemotherapy and tons of surgeries, I want to make sure I can give that opportunity to other women.”

Instead of toxic treatments, Applegate chose a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

“I’m alive because of an MRI. I’m alive because of the diligence of my doctor. Because of my great health care and insurance I was able to do it, but a lot of people cannot afford it,” she said.

“We’re not just helping EIF with women’s cancers, we’re also helping my foundation, and in turn we’re going to save an incredible amount of lives.”

Along with Denim Day, Applegate also led a campaign in which actors, musicians and athletes designed and autographed “I Love …” T-shirts, which were auctioned off Oct. 2. Proceeds benefited Applegate’s foundation.

Applegate’s “I Love Life” T-shirt embodies the spirit and power of the campaign, she said.

“It encompasses everything,” she said. “I love this life and I love being me. I love my friends, I love my animals, I love the ocean … I can’t get specific about one thing. It’s the whole shebang.”

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