Members of Ashley County Cares present a donation to (front row from left) Issam Makhoul, M.D., Peter Emanuel, M.D., and Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D.

Nov. 26, 2012 | Nov. 26, 2012 | A determined group in south Arkansas’ Ashley County has become a powerhouse in the fight against breast cancer.

Since 2005, Ashley County Cares has raised $215,000 for breast cancer research and programs at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

“We can’t fully express our gratitude to the members of Ashley County Cares for everything they have done. They have empowered their entire county by giving them a tangible way to join the fight against breast cancer,” said Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., breast cancer surgeon and professor in the UAMS College of Medicine.

Representatives of the group traveled to UAMS on Nov. 14 to present their most recent donation — $30,000 to be split equally between research and the UAMS Cancer Control Program. President Donna Shields presented the check to Henry-Tillman and Peter Emanuel, M.D., Cancer Institute director and a professor in UAMS College of Medicine.

“Grassroots efforts like this play such an important role in helping us reach women all across Arkansas. What this group has accomplished over the past eight years is truly remarkable, and we are very grateful to them,” Emanuel said.

The money was raised through T-shirt sales and at the group’s annual dinner and auction.