Susan G. Komen Pittsburgh Affiliate Office Permanently Closing

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Susan G. Komen affiliate offices in Pittsburgh and Scranton are permanently closing.

The organization says it is centralizing all operations and eliminating the need for local affiliates.

The Greater Pennsylvania affiliate, covering the Pittsburgh area and 53 other counties, raised $46 million for community education, screenings and treatment initiatives and $10 million for national breast cancer research.

The Komen organization says much of the national research funding was re-invested to the region, supporting local research initiatives as well as two Komen scholars at the University of Pittsburgh.

Komen Greater PA Chief Executive Officer Kathy Purcell said in a news release, "For three decades, the community has helped us to deliver services to individuals who were touched by breast cancer. Every contribution helped, in some way, to ease the journey of family, friends and neighbors, and we are enormously grateful for the heartfelt support shown to our affiliate over the years. Your support of the Greater PA Affiliate of Susan G. Komen saved lives."

It is unclear how the Komen national headquarters will handle local events like the Pittsburgh Race for the Cure.

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