Zero Breast Cancer is excited to share that our Program Director, Catherine Thomsen, is a featured guest on the November 360BayArea podcast. Titled Beyond the Pink, the episode explores the breast cancer topic from unique angles that go beyond the pink ribbon in order to understand genuine and diverse personal experiences of women who are diagnosed or had loved ones who have had breast cancer.

From left to right: Britt Thal, Janice Barlow, Roni Peskin-Mentzer, Fern Orenstein, Francine Halberg, Rochelle Ereman

Fern Orenstein was a founding member of Marin Breast Cancer Watch (which became Zero Breast Cancer in 2006). She retired from the main board at the end of 2015 as term limits finally caught up with her after 20 years! We are grateful that Fern remains a very active and engaged member of the ZBC Scientific Advisory Group. You can read more about this group here.

Fern has embodied the mission and passion of Zero Breast Cancer with every ounce of her soul and every inch of her petite but mighty body. She served in every conceivable capacity and in every volunteer role during her tenure as a Director of the Board, including serving several years as Treasurer and President.

As a Dominican University student pursuing a degree in Global Public Health (GPH), I wanted to engage in work outside my school environment. I am not from Marin County. I was born and raised in the San Mateo County, specifically in Redwood City. In my second year as an undergraduate, I was presented the opportunity to intern with Zero Breast Cancer. They were seeking a bilingual intern, and with only one day to spare I decided to apply and hoped for the best.

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Zero Breast Cancer materials have made their way to Washington, DC via a request from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – Xi Omega Chapter.

ZBC educational fliers were shared with over 100 attendees at their Pink Table Talk: Breast Cancer Risks and Realities panel with speakers Dr. Regina M. Hampton and Dr. Carolyn B. Hendricks. The event took place on October 7th and was livestreamed on Facebook. Check out the recording of this very informative talk here.

Sixteen years ago, Zero Breast Cancer’s Dipsea Hike was founded in memory of Andrea “Annie” Fox. Annie worked for the county, was an active athlete—a member of the Tamalpa Runners—and she loved Mt. Tamalpais. She was a founding board member of Marin Breast Cancer Watch, which is now Zero Breast Cancer. Annie was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31 and died of her disease at age 35 in 2002 just before the first hike. Amongst others, Annie was survived by her mother Marjorie Bonner and her significant other at the time, Chris Stewart—a tireless organizer and volunteer who makes our annual hike possible.

Marjorie was a donor to Marin Breast Cancer Watch since 2001, she founded the Andrea Fox Fund managed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors and continued to support Zero Breast Cancer for over 15 years.

Dear ZBC Community,

The events of the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. We have seen yet more systemic, racist violence adding George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery to the long list of black lives taken, which has caused grief, anger, and public action in the form of national - and even global - protest.

Reducing stress is a key component in helping manage daily tasks. It doesn’t matter if you are in high school, college, or an adult, it can always be a battle to deal with stress. Specifically, the stress that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis can be the biggest battle of them all.

One of the best things to do is to take your mind off of whatever is bothering you. For example, when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, she would attend weekly yoga classes and would go to any seminars offered at the hospital in order to gather information and meet others going through the same battle as her. She felt that attending weekly events really helped her through her treatment and post-treatment stages.

There are many different ways to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, one of which is living a healthy lifestyle. One factor of a healthy lifestyle includes having daily exercise. Anyone can reduce their risk at any age, but it is especially encouraged to have an early start to prevent breast cancer.

Cristine was introduced to ZBC in 2016 by Molly Schmidt, Community Engagement Coordinator, at the Center for Volunteer and Non Profit Leadership (CVNL). Cristine has an impressive track record in non-profit volunteering. She has served on boards, raised funds, engaged communities and led outreach efforts. She is no stranger to business either and brings her strategic consulting skills to for profit and non-profit clients alike. Cristine is currently enjoying a new career experience working with grade schools students in their classrooms while still keeping up her volunteer activities.

As well as volunteering, Peter is an engaging writer and blogger and his writing is at its finest and most impassioned when it gets most personal. It doesn't get more painful than the story of how his mother died of breast cancer when he was 10 years old and how he came to understand her death. With his permission, we have his piece titled "Mom's Gone" here:

An avid advocate and a talented writer, Ruth Baillie has dedicated her time to helping survivors of breast and other cancers navigate the emotions, challenges, and treatment decisions associated with overcoming the often overwhelming disease. In September 2016 Ruth reached out to ZBC to volunteer as a blogger.

Did you know that teens’ actions impact lifelong health and wellness? Puberty is a particularly important time for either increasing or decreasing lifetime breast cancer risk. Breast development can continue into the early 20s, making high school students’ actions particularly significant.

Zero Breast Cancer (ZBC) offers health and wellness materials for many different audiences to reduce breast cancer risk and the risk of recurrence. With each description, we have noted what is currently in stock and available for free. If you want materials not in stock or a large amount, we can let you know the cost for ordering or provide you with print-quality files you can order yourself. Fill out the Printed Materials Request Form online to let us know how much you would like, or email us for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..