Each year, nearly 200,000 people in America receive the life-altering diagnosis of breast cancer. In Maryland, more than 4,000 families cope with that reality annually. Founded in 2009, Saving Second Base is a 501 (c) (3) organization based in Maryland whose mission is to raise funding to support the research for a cure and help improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their families. WHO ARE WE AND WHAT DO WE DO?Since 2009, Saving Second Base has raised over $10K to support local Breast Cancer families and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Treatment-related costs are among the barriers to early and effective treatment for many patients. Families living with breast cancer soon discover the financial burden can be substantial, even among those with comprehensive health insurance policies. Out-of-pocket expenses for low-income and uninsured patients can drain 98% of their monthly income. For those with moderate- to high-incomes, those expenditures represent 41% and 26% of their monthly income, respectively. While estimates of the economic burden of breast cancer on families vary by stage at diagnosis, out-of-pocket expenditures and lost income costs average about $1,800 per month per family. To assist those families, Saving Second Base has a goal to raise funds and give them to the local families in need.