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Superstar Athlete Billie Jean King Partners with Fox Chase Cancer Center in Cancer Prevention Campaign
PHILADELPHIA (July 24, 2007) — Billie Jean King, one of the world's most celebrated social pioneers and athletes in history, is bringing her passion for excellence to bear once more as a spokesperson for Fox Chase Cancer Center. King has partnered with Fox Chase to deliver a message about a future free of cancer.
"I've met many dedicated physicians, scientists and nurses at Fox Chase in the last couple of years and the work they do is impressive," said King. "We have much in common - the pursuit of excellence and the desire to make life better for all people. At Fox Chase, one strategy in the fight against cancer is to reduce the burden through prevention and I am honored to be part of this new awareness campaign."
In a television commercial to air this summer in Philadelphia, King appears with one of the nation’s leading cancer prevention researchers, Mary Daly, MD, PhD, senior vice president at Fox Chase.
"It's a pleasure to work with someone like Billie Jean who believes in the cause and truly shares our passion for reducing the burden of cancer," said Daly.
King, who doesn’t have cancer but has lost a young aunt and uncle to the disease, has witnessed the devastation that comes with losing a loved one because of cancer.
"My father was always troubled and often wondered aloud about why cancer took his sister and brother. I know he always felt guilty to have somehow lived without developing the disease. But we live in an era now where there are things we can do to prevent cancer. I hope people will not only hear our message but act on it."
King is no stranger to tough matches. She won 39 Grand Slam titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon championships, 13 US Open titles, four French Open crowns and two Australian Open championships. She was ranked No. 1 in the world five times between 1966 and 1972 and was in the Top 10 a total of 17 years (beginning in 1960).
King's most memorable moment on the courts is also one of the most historic events in sports history. In 1973, King defeated Bobby Riggs in a tennis match known as the Battle of the Sexes.
King continues to promote equality in women’s sports and she advocates for health, fitness, education, environmental awareness and social change.
To learn more the risks of cancer and how to decrease the risk of developing the disease, visit our web site at www.fccc.edu.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase also was among the first institutions to receive the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious comprehensive cancer center designation in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has achieved Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research and oversees programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE (1-888-369-2427).
