Video: The Story of the Button Chair
 For decades, the National Cancer Institute has calculated that within the state of North Carolina breast cancer is the number one killer among cancers for African-American women and the number two killer among cancers for Caucasian women. With that discouraging statistic in mind, in 1998 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) created the Breast Health Project.
Since 2001, the BCBSNC Foundation has coordinated the Breast Health Project, promoting good health, early detection and breast cancer awareness.
This initiative evolved out of a project by a young college student, Brooke Kolconay Bryand. Brooke was inspired to design a chair incorporating buttons she had collected from women who had battled breast cancer. Her efforts help tell a very important story about the absolute necessity for all women to engage in breast self-exams, clinical exams and mammograms. The Button Chair has become an inspiration for breast cancer victims and victors.
The Button Chair is the focal point of the Breast Health Project. It has evolved into a traveling exhibit made available to organizations working to educate the public about breast health through training, fund-raising events and awareness campaigns. North Carolinians of many races, religious backgrounds and geographic regions have contributed to The Button Chair, and behind each button is a personal and unique story. We believe these stories should be shared with all of North Carolina.
In November 2002, the BCBSNC Foundation expanded the Breast Health Project through a partnership with the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education. Together, they developed a program that targets Health Occupation Education students interested in pursuing careers in health. The program utilizes a train-the-trainer model, empowering Health Occupation students to go out into their communities and train community members on breast health.
Since its inception, more than 125 Health Occupation Educators have been trained, prompting 46 student outreach projects and promoting important breast health information.
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