Rockdale Citizen

Bryan Dearing

CONYERS -- The Kimberly Chance Atkins Foundation received a $5,000 grant from Rockdale Medical Center through a foundation operated by the hospital's parent company, LifePoint Hospitals.

The announcement was made Wednesday by RMC CEO Bryan Dearing and Jeffrey Seraphine, president of the Delta Division of LifePoint Hospitals, of which RMC is a part.

The grant will be used toward the Atkins Foundation's goal of raising $35,000 during its annual tennis tournament on Aug. 27-29.

The woman for whom both the tennis tournament and the KCAF are named, Kimberley Chance Atkins, worked as a Rockdale County school teacher and was named Memorial Middle School teacher of the year in 1998. In 1999, Kimberley died of breast cancer at age 32, leaving behind a then 4-year-old daughter Abbey and husband Benny Atkins.

The KCAF was formed to promote early detection and education about treatment options for and recovery from breast cancer.

"We deeply appreciate the contributions the Kimberley Chance Atkins Foundation has made to our community," Dearing said in a press release from the hospital. "Rockdale Medical Center is very supportive of their mission to promote early detection of breast cancer and educate the public about breast cancer prevention, treatment and recovery,

Atkins, president of the KCAF and chief operating officer of National EMS, said he and foundation members were "very grateful for this contribution" to the Kim Atkins Memorial Tennis Tournament, now in its fifth year.

"The money from this and other fundraising events will be used to purchase a mobile mammography unit with digital mammography equipment for outreach in our community," Atkins said.

The KCAF is in the beginning stages of reaching its $500,000 goal to purchase a mobile mammography unit, complete with digital mammography machine, transport vehicle and other for breast cancer screenings.

The KCAF hopes to partner with Rockdale Medical Center and other local hospitals for staffing.

The mobile mammography unit would serve Rockdale County and those counties east of Rockdale such as Newton, Morgan and Greene. The unit would visit locations such as businesses and schools, providing ample opportunity for women to get screened for breast cancer.

In addition to the tennis tournament, the KCAF has also sponsored a Kick Up Your Heels For a Cure run at Kennesaw State University, which raised $2,500, and a Bachelors and Bras event, which yielded $13,000. Breast cancer awareness activities such as Pink Parties and Pigs with a Purpose are planned for October.

For more information on the Atkins Tennis Tournament or the KCAF, call 770-364-3575 or visit www.kimatkins.net.

Citizen Features Editor Karen Rohr contributed to this story.