The Community Challenge will ratchet up the fight against breast cancer in Pennsylvania.

Let’s make breast cancer a priority in Pennsylvania and “Close the Gap” in policy and funding that keeps thousands of women from receiving lifesaving breast cancer care. Contact your legislator Now.

Tonya and Emily both live in Pennsylvania. They've never met. But Tonya has breast cancer. And so does Emily. Tonya's kids are scared they'll lose their mom. So are Emily's. Tonya's friends have done a lot of crying. So have Emily's.

Tonya has insurance and access to early detection services. Emily doesn't and she received a late stage diagnosis.

What would you do if you couldn't afford a mammogram, but you knew something was wrong?

Fortunately, in Pennsylvania we have the HealthyWoman Program - a program that provides free mammograms to low income and uninsured women. But because of lack of funds the program can only reach 10 percent of eligible women.

That's why the Komen Community Challenge is coming to Pennsylvania and urging our state legislators to help "close the gap" in access to lifesaving early detection services.

Join us by urging your state legislators to ensure that all women in our state have access to quality health care that could save their lives.

When breast cancer is detected early, patients have more treatment options and a greater rate of survival. Yet many Pennsylvania women do not have access to early detection services, and because of these gaps in the American health care system, a breast cancer diagnosis can be much deadlier for low-income women with little or no health insurance. These women are 41 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer and they are three times more likely to lose their battle with the disease.

Right now, our state elected officials can help improve these statistics.

By funding the Pennsylvania HealthyWoman Program and expanding coverage of the program to include digital mammograms, the state legislature will ensure that more women, including those most disproportionately affected by breast cancer, will receive early detection and treatment services that can save their lives.

Please join me in urging the Pennsylvania legislature to support funding for this critical program.

Together we can save lives and end breast cancer forever.