KHI NEWS SERVICE



KANSAS CITY, KAN., May 29 A month after a bill was signed into law creating a breast cancer research license plate, about 100 people have requested the plate.



Royalties from the specialty plates, which read "Driven to Cure," will support a statewide coordinator for the Midwest Cancer Alliance at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. The coordinator will serve as a liaison between the cancer center, hospitals, physicians and clinics across the state to share the latest information on cancer prevention, early detection and treatment.



Funds also will be used to help the cancer center obtain National Cancer Institute designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.



The license plates will be available Jan. 1, 2008 for a $50 annual fee, plus vehicle registration costs. The law, signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in late April, requires that 500 commitment forms be secured and $10,000 raised from private sources to cover start-up costs before the first plate is struck, said Erica Brown, a spokeswoman for the cancer center. Fundraising efforts for the private-sector match haven"t begun, Brown said.



"We are delighted women and men throughout Kansas will have the opportunity to purchase this license plate to show their support and raise awareness for breast cancer," said Senator Barbara Allen, R-Overland Park, a breast cancer survivor and the legislation"s sponsor. "I am confident the specialty plate will be a significant and permanent source of funding for breast cancer research and outreach for years to come."



As efforts continue to collect commitment forms, more information on the plates" availability will be made public on the Kansas Department of Revenue Web site - www.ksrevenue.org/vehicle.htm - and on the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute Web site, at http://kmcri.kumc.edu/ .