After Joe and Jennifer Bartolotta, of the Bartolotta Restaurants, organized a team of 225 walkers at last year’s Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure, they took their involvement in the race this year a few steps further.
The Bartolottas are serving as the official race chairs for the 14th annual event, set for Sunday, Sept. 23.
“As a pretty active member of the community and a company that has a very large visual footprint, I believe it’s fundamentally important for businesses to somehow give back to the community and try to make the community that they live in a better place for everybody,” Joe said.
Their decision to chair the race partially stemmed from the prevalence of breast cancer.
“You’re unlikely to find anybody who has not been touched in some way by somebody who has breast cancer,” Joe said. “Unfortunately, it’s that common, and it’s a horrific situation.”
Joe said the charity event also fulfills the Bartolottas’ company mission statement focused on community outreach and support.
Both Joe and Jennifer are proud of the fact that proceeds raised from the race will stay in the greater Milwaukee area. They emphasize supporting organizations locally.
Last year’s race funds benefited southeastern Wisconsin breast cancer-related initiatives such as the Screen Out Cancer in Time Program through Milwaukee Health Services, Inc.
The Bartolottas’ personal fundraising and awareness efforts have joined their family, friends, employees and customers. In addition to forming a Komen committee of employees to organize fundraising, they painted the spots on their North Point Custard Stand pink to promote breast cancer awareness, changed North Point employees’ uniforms to pink, served “Komenade” drinks at North Point to add to their funding, and crafted pink drinks and desserts at their restaurants to generate more funds.
This year, their team will include more than 250 people.
Jennifer is looking forward to walking with survivors who have a particularly positive outlook on life.
“Life is short, and they get it,” she said. “They really get it. We talk it, but they get it. They walk it. And how cool to walk with so many people who live what we should all be living every day.”
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will begin at 9:15 a.m. Sunday at Discovery World and the Milwaukee Art Museum campuses, 500 N. Harbor Drive. To make a donation and learn more about the mission of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure movement, visit http://www.komensoutheastwi.org/.
