WICHITA, Kansas, May 8, 2008 – The Mid Kansas Komen affiliate announced this week they would spend more than $313,000 this year fighting breast cancer in Kansas.

In addition to the annual grants doled out to make breast cancer screenings more accessible, the Komen advocates are busy working on another project called I Vote for the Cure. They want you to do the same.

State Representative Judith Loganbill is a breast cancer survivor.

“In January of 1996 I was relocated to St. Francis,” Loganbill said. “I had a stem cell transplant and got home. I waited five weeks of radiation and never looked back.”

Komen advocates expect her to fight for breast cancer research and screening dollars when she’s working in Topeka. But do they expect other politicians to do the same?

“I know breast cancer doesn't care about political parties and I know breast cancer doesn't care about red versus blue,” said Secretary of State Ron Thornburg. “And I know breast cancer doesn't respond to empty sound bites.”

Thornburg believes we can’t just expect politicians to take a stand. We must make sure they do.

“It's going to take you registering to vote, it's going to take you asking the questions, it's going to take you letting public officials know what's important to you and making sure they understand  expectations when they go to legislature or to Congress,” Thornburg said. “When they go to legislature or they go to congress.”

The I Vote for a Cure campaign is mobilizing Komen activists during this campaign season to set the stage for breast cancer activism in the months and years ahead.

“Every two years I don't know here and don't know which race, every single election cycle there has been a race decided by fewer than five votes,” Thornburg said.

You can expect to be asked to vote for the cure at events leading up to and including Wichita’s Race for the Cure this fall.

To Vote for the Cure, click on News Links.