The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Brevard/Space Coast is a partner member of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance in Washington DC.  We are also part of FOCAS (Florida Ovarian Cancer Alliance Speaks) which brings all of the groups in Florida together to achieve common goals. These organizations provide an opportunity to act on national and statewide levels as we monitor legislation and cancer budget funding and to promote nationwide Ovarian Cancer awareness activities.

 We here in Brevard County are a grass roots group of Survivors, all in one stage of survivorship or another; some are in remission, some are in treatment or just finishing treatment, and we are all strongly committed to our mission statement:  “Our mission is to educate and spread awareness of Ovarian Cancer in Brevard County and to provide comfort and hope to all gynecologic cancer survivors and their families.”

We are 100% self-supporting.  We do not receive financial help from any cancer organizations, so we must make our own way, find contacts and seek sponsorships and donations from friends, co-workers, churches our doctors, dentists, banks, grocery stores, local vendors, restaurants and the community-at-large. To date our major contributors have been the Andre Family, who lost their daughter, Rachel to Ovarian Cancer in 2004, and our local gynecologic oncologist, Dr. John Bomalaski.

We have a Support Group for survivors and their families, which meets on the last Tuesday of each month at the Eau Gallie Library at 5 to 7 PM. (Visit our Support Group page)

We meet for an informal Lunch Bunch on the second Saturday of the month at different restaurants throughout the county. (See our Calendar for the schedule)

We provide a Speakers bureau for women’s groups throughout the county free of charge, to raise awareness and provide information. We provide New Patient Bags to newly diagnosed women.

Our major annual awareness activity and fundraiser is has been The Sister Run 5K Run/Walk which will be held this year on September 7^th.

Our History:

The “Space Coast Ovarian Cancer Advocacy Group” was organized in 2001 by Alice Spinelli Culbreth, MSN, ARNP, Clinical Oncology Nurse Specialist, Alice Robbins Fox, RN, Marquita Fuchs, RN and Terre Luce, MSN, ARNP.  As it evolved the name changed to “Ovarian Cancer Alliance of FL/Space Coast”, and functioned as a part of Ovarian Cancer Alliance of FL, Orlando, where Alice Spinelli Culbreth served on the Board of Directors. 

The first Support Group meeting was held at the Eau Gallie Library in January 2002 and as the meeting flyer states, “We are so glad you’re here!  This support and education group is designed to assist women with the many challenges they may face as a result of their cancer diagnosis.”

The support group has never stopped meeting and their goal as it was stated at the first meeting still holds true.  Survivors and their families continue to benefit from the faithful, gentle care of these, “Founding Nurses”.  Their kindness and knowledge guides us through hard times and their positive attitude gives us hope.

The Sister Run - The Sister Run became part of our identity, when in 2005 the race founders and organizers, the Loveday Family announced that they would not be able to continue the race in 2006 and asked us to continue the tradition.  We accepted, and for the past 2 years we have produced The Sister Run, making it the longest consecutively run Ovarian Cancer Awareness race in FL.  Our goal to have ALL the FL races held in September by our sister organizations be named, “The Sister Run” in honor of the Loveday Family and their daughter/sister Theresa who lost her life to Ovarian Cancer at age 29. (See Sister Run)

New Organization - In 2007 we became a Partner Member of Fl Ovarian Cancer Speaks (FOCAS) and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, (OCNA) and accepted the responsibility of becoming an independent awareness, educational and legislative entity in Brevard County, known as the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of FL/Space Coast.

If you would like more information, have something to offer, or want to “get involved” please contact us.