Ask SAM June 24, 2008

If you didn’t catch Ask SAM in the Winston-Salem Journal yesterday, make sure you visit http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2008/jun/24/ask-sam/?community-askSAM and read about Ronda’s return from her breast cancer treatment. She offers us honesty, and hope, and shares her experience with the community that cares so much about her.

 

 

 

Thank You for a Great Day!

The weather was perfect, even at 5 am when the site was buzzing with last-minute pre-Race preparations. As the sun started to rise, more and more people began to stream in to the 9th Annual Race for the Cure. 

We won’t have final numbers on the money raised for a few days, and I’ll certainly let you know as soon as I do, but there were some sure signs of success!

I had the great good fortune to be on the lift in front of the starting line on Saturday. As start time approached, we heard over our headsets “We still have people coming in. We’ll have to delay.” News started filtering in from the Registration tents that we had run out of registration forms. The sea of people queing up down Salem Avenue continued out of sight. It was truly something magical to behold.

Senator Richard Burr and his wife, Brooke, one of our Race Founders, started the Race. (Our apologies to all for the non-firing starting pistol). On my right, the timed runners were by in a blur. On my left, a stream of pink as survivors began their walk. And the people kept coming. Lora Songster announced Teams as they passed, the huge Pit Lizards group and the more than 750 members of the WFUBMC Teams, clad in bright orange. The small family teams, the company teams, the teams from churches, and neighborhoods, schools and old friends. 

For many minutes, there were Racers as far as the eye could see in both directions, and the air was electric with the spirit of those who were walking and running below. 

Then back to Tent City, for awards and family fun at sponsor tents and the Chik-Fil-A Kids Area. Sue Wade once again provided us with the best selection of pink ribbon merchandise available anywhere. Native Sound entertained with live music. (Find out more about the band on their Myspace page.) Survivors enjoyed the Energizer Spa. The sponsor booths were alive with activity, and the giving continued at the SecurePointe giving kiosk.

And the 10,000+ crowd quieted as the ladies in pink, our local breast cancer survivors, walked to the stage in procession. 

It was all over too quickly. The site was cleared by a handful of hard-working volunteers. For another year, the Race is done, but our fight continues. The money we raised on Saturday will go to fund local breast cancer screening, education and treatment support programs in the Triad. 25% is earmarked for the National Komen Research Grants program. And next year, we will walk and run again. And the next year, and the next, until we realize our vision of a world without breast cancer. 

Thank you.

 

Race for the Cure Tomorrow!

Yes, it’s 4:30 a.m. and I’m up blogging for Komen. Our great friends at Fox8 will be on the Race Site very early this morning with live feeds during the morning news, so it’s an early morning for me. And I’ll admit I’m pretty excited about my first Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure! Finally, the day is almost here! The 9th Annual Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure is tomorrow! 

I’ve been out to the Race site several times this week, and the excitement is building. The tents are up, and today the decorating begins. If you’re in the neighborhood of Old Salem, you’ll begin to see signs that something big will happen in the Triad tomorrow. 

The Race Office at Hanes Mall has been rocking, as well, with hundreds of Racers dropping by to register and pick up t-shirts. If you haven’t been by, try to stop in today to try out our new giving kiosks provided by SecurePointe Technologies.

After long months of planning and preparation, with thousands of volunteer hours and incredible support from our local sponsors and donors, we are ready for a record-setting race. There will be more teams in the Race this year, and our long-time Teams continue to grow. We expect to have more Race participants than ever before, and to raise more money for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment support! 

What’s new this year? The 5K starts first, at 8:30, with the 1-mile to follow. We’ll have food and water at the start line. And those who drop by to support the Race as spectators will have the opportunity to donate securely onsite through our new giving kiosk! We’ll be taping a special message to send to the National Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in DC in June. Local Band Native Sound will provide Celebration Entertainment. New National Race Series Sponsor Fuze will be on site with a giant inflatable video screen. 

For the 5K walkers, keep your eyes peeled on 4th Street for the pink Komen Rally Car! We will be represented in this month’s Big Apple to Big Easy Rally, and our drivers will be taking donations as local supporters sign the car. It’s not every day that two guys drive thousands of miles in a pink car, so you’ll want to get a peek tomorrow morning and around town over the next few weeks.

The Survivor Tent is larger this year, as is Susan’s Garden, where we honor those who are fighting the disease and remember those whom we have lost. 

I hope you’re planning to join us. There’s still time to register — stop by our Hanes Mall location today from 9 – 6, or sign up tomorrow morning at the Race. You don’t want to miss it!

 

GINA Passes US Senate

As we gear up for our Susan G. Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure next Saturday, May 3, it’s important to take a minute to think about why we do this. The fight to eradicate breast cancer has many fronts, and one of the most vital is public policy. We must advocate support not only for breast cancer research, but also support for those who have been diagnosed and those who are at especially high risk of breast cancer. I received this email from Diane Balma of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance regarding GINA – the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act – which if passed would make it illegal to discriminate based on genetic information.

This protection is critical, since testing for a specific genetic mutation commonly associated with breast cancer can lead to early detection and treatment – saving countless lives.

Now we have great news. More than 16,000 of you sent letters to your Senators in support of GINA, and it paid off!

Thanks to your support, the Senate unanimously passed GINA last night (Thursday, April 25) and now the bill just needs approval from the House and the signature of the President – both of which are expected to happen quickly. 

GINA prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers on the basis of genetic information. So now, thanks to GINA, women who would otherwise have avoided genetic testing because they feared discrimination – thus being denied information that could help them manage their health or their family’s health – will have protections under federal law.  

The passage of GINA is an important step that presents a great opportunity to promote personalized medicine and the use of genetic information in healthcare. This will lead to better research and development for new targeted drugs and treatments, which will save lives.

GINA will become the law of the land.  And you helped make it possible.

I encourage you to visit the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Alliance website and learn more about the issues that are facing us today, and join the ranks of supporters and advocates. This election year is a great time make our voices heard!

 

I just had to share this message of hope ….

I hope you saw the great wrapper in the Winston-Salem Journal this weekend. You may have noticed the picture on the front — a breast cancer survivor waving proudly from the finish line. I thought the photo was so representative of our Race and especially our Survivors. I received the following email from the Survivor pictured, which I wanted to share.

Hi!

 

My name is Wanda and I am the tearfully ecstatic lady on the front of the Race for the Cure insert in the Winston-Salem Journal on Friday, April 18th.  I had finished chemo and radiation about a month prior to last year’s Race for the Cure, and my hair was just beginning to grow back.  Last year was my fourth year of running the race, but my first since having been diagnosed in July of 2006 with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. I knew I could walk the 5K last spring, but never dreamed I’d be able to run the whole race.  With my daughter, Jennifer, running at my side I was able to complete the race, slowing when I tired but still finishing in just over 36 minutes!  I didn’t know my name would be called when I crossed the finish line, and when it was, I felt a lump rise in my throat and tears welled in my eyes.

 

I removed my ball cap, and looking up to locate the announcer, waved to them with a tearful smile.  That’s when that picture was taken!

 

This morning, when a fellow teacher at {my school} came into my classroom, holding the insert out for me to see, I again felt all of the emotions that I experienced as I crossed the finish line last May – hope, joy, pride, accomplishment and a special bond with all of those running the race.  This afternoon I shared the insert with our third, fourth and fifth grade girls who are participating in Girls on the Run for the first time this year.  I had run their first three miles with them on Friday of last week, and wanted to share the insert with them and tell them a little more about the Komen Race for the Cure.  Many of them are planning to participate this year, as am I.

 

This will be my fifth race.  I look forward to many more chances of candid shots of me as a breast cancer survivor, crossing yet another finish line.  I’m inviting everyone to have such a photo op with me!  Thanks to all of the organizers of the race and all of the related events for their hard work and support of such a worthwhile cause.

 

That’s what it’s all about, ladies & gentlemen. We’ll see you on May 3.

 

Breast Cancer Updates

I’ve seen some interesting articles lately on the web regarding breast cancer research. Here are a few highlights I wanted to share:

The big news this week is the announcement of this year’s slate of National Research Grants by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

We are awarding more than $100 million in research grants, representing the largest single-year investment in research in our 26-year history and a 30 percent increase over last year’s award total of $77 million. The 2008 grants slate moves us  closer to accomplishing our goal of investing another $2 billion in breast cancer research and community health programs by 2017.

With this year’s slate of 143 grants, Komen for the Cure has fully activated new funding mechanisms designed to speed the discovery and delivery of the cures for breast cancer. The 2008 slate funds projects designed to promote breast cancer research collaboration and cost efficiencies, arrive at reliable and replicable research results more quickly, motivate bright young investigators to commit to breast cancer research careers and keep career researchers intensely focused on breast cancer.

komen.org

And in other news…

from Breast Cancer News From Medical News Today  An experimental vaccine that triggers the immune system to fight HER 2-positive breast cancer could reduce the risk of death for most patients, according to a study presented Sunday at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in San Diego, Reuters reports.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) announced on a recent episode of the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” a proposal that would provide an additional $300 million in annual federal funds for breast cancer research, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.

 

Thanks to our Sponsors and Volunteers

This past Monday night we held our Annual Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure Sponsor & Volunteer Appreciation Party at Allegacy Federal Credit Union. I continue to be overwhelmed by the support we receive from the Triad community and the passion that so many have for joining Komen in our fight to eradicate breast cancer.

I especially enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with people I had only met via phone or internet, and to meet some of our most dedicated and valued supporters. I finally met face-to-face with my blogging buddy, Jayne Byrne (visit Jayne’s Cancer Blog here), one of our favorite Guilford County volunteers and a great spokesperson and advocate for breast cancer and Komen.

Much thanks to Sheila and Angie for the great party, and to our evening’s sponsors: Allegacy Federal Credit Union, Outback Steakhouse, and First Horizon. And thanks to our 2008 Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure Sponsors (oh please please don’t let me leave anyone out!):

Allegacy Federal Credit Union

Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center

Derrick L. Davis Forsyth Regional Cancer Center/Sara Lee Center for Women’s Health

88.5 WFDD

99.5 WMAG, 104.1 WTQR,  105.7 KISS-FM, 94.5 La Preciosa

Forsyth Woman Magazine & Forsyth Family Magazine

Natural Triad Magazine

The Triad’s News Radio AM 600 / 1200 WSJS

Time Warner Cable

WGHP Fox8

Winston-Salem Journal

Salem Academy and College

 

Komen NC Triad supporter on Today

I received a call from Carol Dehart, a local Triad breast cancer survivor, the other day. I had heard about “a survivor from Winston-Salem on tv”, but was thrilled to hear from Carol and get the first-hand account of her Today Show experience.

Carol is a 25 year survivor who has participated in every Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure, and she’s gearing up for the 9th Annual Race on May 3. Much thanks to Carol for using her time on camera to promote breast cancer awareness. Great job, Carol! You’re an inspiration to us all.

 

Sweet Success!!!

What a wonderful time we had yesterday at the Dessert Auction at Hanes Mall! Thanks to our auctioneer Fred Mock for his entertaining and inspiring us. Thanks to the volunteers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Allegacy Federal Credit Union, and Komen NC Triad for thier hard work preparing and running the event. Thanks to our supporters who came out to bid, watch, and support the Komen NC Triad Race for the Cure. Thanks to the local bakeries, restaurants, businesses, celebrities and supporters who donated the fabulous cakes and other goodies auctioned off. Thanks to Fox8, WXII, WSJS, the Winston-Salem Journal, and our other media partners who helped get the word out. Thanks to Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines for joining us to make our special Race announcement, and for baking a cake for auction. And thanks to Flossie Johnson for helping him!

We raised more than $5,000 yesterday morning! What a great way to kick-off our Race Activities.

 

An Evening with some Amazing Women

Last Thursday night, I had the great pleasure of attending a reception for Professional Women for the Cure hosted by Affiliate Founders Pam Versaggi and Brooke Burr at their gorgeous West End LRB offices.

Truth be told, right at 5:30 the skies opened and the rain came crashing down! I want to thank all the women who braved the elements to attend, and remind those who couldn’t make it that there’s still time! When you see the big “Professional Women for the Cure” banner at the Race on May 3, I hope you’ll take some time to thank those you know and work with for their support.