Representing a wide range of male leaders who live in the Chicagoland community and have a personal connection to breast cancer or dedication to philanthropy, the debut class of Pink Tie Guys includes:

Richard M. Daley Of Counsel to the firm Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Larry Wert President and General Manager, NBC 5 Chicago

Stephen Bonner CEO and President of Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Greg Harris Illinois State Representative

Juan Rangel CEO of UNO - United Neighborhood Organization

Michael Racenstein MD, FACR Department Chairman; Medical Director, Women's Imaging

Center, Alexian Brother's Center

Kambiz Dowlat MD Professor of Surgery at Rush University Medical Center

Paul Lambert Regional Managing Director, Private Banking and Investment

Group at Merrill Lynch

Michael Alter President of the Alter Group/Owner of Chicago Sky WNBA Team

Alan Greenfield Attorney, DLA Piper, LLP

Ryan Baker Lead Sports Anchor, CBS 2 Chicago

Christopher Frederick "Brotha Fred," Morning Show Host on 103.5 KISS FM

"We are thrilled to extend this honor to these outstanding leaders in the Chicagoland community working to fulfill our mission of a world without breast cancer," said Ruth Todd, Board President of Susan G. Komen for the Cure — Chicago. "While traditionally a woman's disease, the reality is, men can get breast cancer and men are deeply impacted by the effects this disease has on their mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and other loved ones."

The inaugural class of Pink Tie Guys will be recognized officially at Tribune Media Group's Pink Tie Gala, an event that will take place on Thursday, October 13, at the Tribune Tower from 6-10pm. The event will feature award-winning Chicago cuisine, cocktails and live music. Event and ticket information can be found by visiting KomenChicago.org . The Tribune Media Group will be making a donation to Susan G. Komen Chicago in honor of the Pink Tie Guys. The Pink Tie Guys will serve as ambassadors for Komen Chicago for a calendar year, attending the Affiliate's signature events, including Dancing with Chicago Celebrities on March 9, 2012 and the Komen Chicagoland Race for the Cure® on September 22, 2012.

About the Chicagoland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

The Chicagoland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® was established in 1997 and held the first Susan G. Komen Chicago Race for the Cure®. The Chicagoland affiliate is one of only two affiliates that operate two Race for the Cure® events and has awarded nearly $11 million towards the fight against breast cancer by funding grassroots breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects, as well as national research. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Komen Chicagoland Affiliate stay in the metropolitan area while the remaining twenty-five percent supports the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Grants Program for research. In April 2011, Komen Chicago was awarded the Affiliate of the Year by Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and on September 24, 2011 the affiliate will host the fourteenth annual Race for the Cure in Grant Park. For more information please call 773-444-0061 or visit www.komenchicago.org .

About the Pink Tie Guys:

The Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is proud to introduce our inaugural class of "Pink Tie Guys". This exclusive group of KoMEN were nominated by the community and selected by the Komen Chicagoland Board of Directors. They are leaders in the corporate and philanthropic sector, groundbreaking physicians, elected officials representing communities possessing the greatest need, as well as other individuals with spheres of influence that create change, getting us closer to finding the cures. For more information please call 773-444-0061 or visit www.komenchicago.org .