Hundreds of women from across the tri-state area are expected to "Walk for Prevention" in Huntington on Sunday, Oct. 7. The "Prevention is the Cure" campaign is designed to publicize cancer prevention and the positive steps women can take to reduce their risks of breast cancer. The walk and rally will also promote research being conducted on the environmental causes of this disease.

"We're out to shift the focus of the breast cancer movement in this country; instead of learning how to cope with the disease once diagnosed, we should be concentrating on the causes," says organizing committee member Karen Miller, breast cancer survivor and founder of the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition. "Scientists are beginning to close in on the link between environmental toxins and breast cancer, but most of the national focus remains on drug treatments rather than prevention. That needs to change."

Despite the fact that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, organizers stress that this new campaign heralds a significant break from the traditional breast cancer establishment. Participants in the walk have been asked to leave their pink ribbons at home. A newly designed ribbon emphasizing prevention will be available at the start of the walk.

"The 'Prevention is the Cure' walk is designed to educate women on the positive steps they can take to significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer," says Laura Weinberg of the Great Neck Cancer Coalition. "These are things all concerned women can do for themselves and their families."

The organizers of the event suggest five steps:

* Support research into the environmental causes of breast cancer

* Avoid exposure to pesticides and toxic cleaning products

* Store food in glass, ceramic or safe plastic containers

* Avoid synthetic hormones in dairy and meat

* Eat organic fruits and vegetables (without pesticides)

Specific information and supporting scientific documentation will be made available to all walk participants, and will be posted on the website which has been set up for the walk: preventionisthecure.org.

Supporting organizations include the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, the Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition, Brentwood-Bayshore Breast Cancer Coalition, West Islip Breast Cancer Coalition, Children's Health Environmental Coalition, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Earthsave New York, Grassroots Environmental Education, Healthcare Without Harm, Long Island Neighborhood Network, Long Island Organic Horticultural Organization, Long Island Sierra Club, New York Audubon, Northfork Environmental Council, Students Putting an End to Cancer (SPEC), and Women Electing Alternative Cancer Therapies.

The four-mile walk will begin on Sunday morning, Oct. 7 at 9 with a short statement from Karen Miller and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the "Arbor of Hope," a 15-foot high flower-covered arbor which will visually and symbolically represent the entrance to "a new pathway" for breast cancer survivors, their families, friends and advocates.

Pre-registration is available at the website, along with driving directions. A donation of $15 ($20 on the day of the walk) includes a T-shirt, button and a complimentary brunch at Coco's Waterfront Cafe. Fifty percent of the net proceeds are being donated to the American Red Cross for World Trade Center Disaster Relief Fund.

More information call Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition at (631) 547-1518; Doug or Patti Wood: 883-0887.