Special to The Leader

Through the generous support of AT&T Pioneers, a contribution of $5,000 was presented to the Gift of Life for its free breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests for medically underserved Southeast Texas women.

Joining in the celebratory check presentation were AT&T Pioneers: Ethel Jones Johnson, Angel Jones, Tonya Holmes, Grayland Viltz, Martha Viltz and Sharla Viltz, Winners for Life representatives: Haneefah Abdullah, Yhana Comeaux, Wilma Haliburton, Vickey Carter, Paula Chavis and Elvira Narcisse, as well as Gift of Life Officers: The Reverend Dean Calcote, Marty Craig, Alberta Jones, Charlotte Mains and Nell Morris.

“We are deeply grateful for this wonderful gift that will advance the Gift of Life’s ability to provide critical medical care for women who cannot afford or access essential breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests,” said Gift of Life Executive Director Norma Sampson. “Our alliance with AT&T Pioneers and Winners for Life strengthens our deliverance of preventative care and furthers our organization’s mission of saving lives.”

AT&T Pioneers is a benevolent volunteer network that has served the nation since 1911 with the support of Alexander Graham Bell, American inventor and one of the first 100 Pioneers in America. The organization strives to give back through community service, while also meeting the tangible needs of local individuals.

The AT&T Pioneers South Texas Chapter/San Jacinto South Council has demonstrated an enduring commitment to battling breast cancer. The Pioneers elected to support the Gift of Life and its longtime partner Winners for Life for their years of making a difference in the health and wellbeing of thousands of women and to help continue these lifesaving services and education for medically underserved Southeast Texas women.

Winners for Life was formed in Port Arthur in 2003 by Father Larry Gutierrez as a small subcommittee with Sacred Heart – Saint Mary Parish’s education program. The group of more than 50 members strives to educate women about breast cancer, raise funds to help provide free Gift of Life mammograms and serve as a support system for women battling the disease.

For more than 10 years, dedicated Winners for Life members have participated in grassroots fundraising for the Gift of Life Breast Cancer Program. In 2015, Winners for Life was honored with the Gift of Life’s prestigious Georgie Volz Shine a Light Award for its extraordinary commitment to illuminate the lives of those battling cancer.

With the support of benevolent organizations like Winners for Life and AT&T Pioneers, the Gift of Life has made available more than 30,000 free mammograms and helped extend the lives of nearly 200 women through its local medical care.

For information regarding the program’s free breast cancer screenings or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please call Gift of Life at (409) 860-3369 or toll-free at (877) 720-GIFT (4438).