A local non-profit group will not be deterred from its commitment to the community to fight breast cancer by the arrest Monday of its executive director on theft and forgery charges, a tearful board president said Monday.

"We're survivors," Linda McGraw said. "We're going to survive."

Mary Guinard was terminated as executive director of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Boise Affiliate on Sunday for breach of policy, McGraw said. Guinard had led the organization for about 2 years.

Boise police arrested Guinard on Monday on charges of grand theft and forgery in an investigation of the embezzlement of approximately $74,000 from the nonprofit organization.

This is not a lot of money for the organization, McGraw said, and it won't affect operations this year or next year's Race for the Cure.

The Boise affiliate plans to bring in auditors from the national office to go over the books for the length of Guinard's employment, McGraw said.

Detectives arrested Guinard, 35, at her Meridian home Monday afternoon. She was booked into the Ada County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The board found out about the possible embezzlement on Friday, McGraw said, and worked over the weekend to try to find out what happened. Members of the board of directors contacted police Monday morning.

The foundation provided detectives with evidence reportedly uncovered during internal bookkeeping that showed multiple instances of possible misappropriation of checks beginning in June, Boise police said.

"Most embezzlement cases build up over months, but this foundation caught it quickly, and their books were very organized," said Boise police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower. "Detectives saw immediately what they needed to see."

McGraw will serve as interim executive director while the organization searches for a new director.

"This is an organization founded on a promise," McGraw said. "And we'll keep that promise to the community."

Bethann Stewart: 377-6393