Tag Archives: cancer

January 18, 2012 · 10:39 am

We’re Walking for Life!

You know on the movies when wives spend a ton of money on shoes or shopping and their husbands get the credit card bill and freak out? Well, we have that similar situation. Except Kyle finds random print outs or gets emails– donation receipts and I hear, “What did you donate to NOW?!” I’m addicted. I can’t stop. But I consider it the best possible problem I could have. Minus that I also really like shoes… It doesn’t take much, a sweet little puppy face and we are fostering, a child with diabetes and we are spending our weekends fishing and crafting, a group of Mom’s who have children with cancer get to go on a shopping spree and I think, they’ll probably need champagne (Kyle doesn’t know about that one yet), or this…

All it took was this line…

Help the American Cancer Society create a world with

less cancer and more birthdays.

I was sold. Cancer affects so many lives and it is guaranteed to affect your life at some point whether that be a friend, a family member or even yourself. No one is safe, not the young, not the old, it doesn’t stay away from the otherwise healthy or even babies. Cancer is a major issue and if we can help do our part to create more birthdays, especially for the people we love, we’re going to do it! Right, Kyle?! He agrees, don’t worry.

We’ll be walking for 12 hours to represent the fact that cancer doesn’t stop or sleep, those 12 hours are from 6pm-6am. But it seems like a small sacrifice really. Our goal is to raise at least $1,500. If you’ve been touched by cancer we’d love for you to donate in someone’s honor or memory and we’ll walk for them too.

You can help support our team here. All donations are tax deductible. You may also want to see if there is a Relay for Life event in your area.

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September 4, 2011 · 6:00 am

Sunday Spotlight: Shadows Foundation

I hope you are spending the weekend soaking up the sun! For those of you that have been without power since Irene, I sure hope that it is back on at this point and you can use running water again!! I was introduced to a wonderful organization last weekend and I wanted to take a bit of time to share it with you.

The Shadows Foundation knows that disease doesn’t discriminate. Whether you are rich, poor, black or white, disease can hit at any time. Being diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, or any other debilitating disease can do way more than ruin your health, it can have a devastating affect on your finances. People have lost their jobs, homes, cars, and everything else simply to try to pay for their medical bills. That is where the Shadows Foundation comes in to offer assistance whether it be to pay your utility bill or to help with medical costs. The foundation founders know that when disease strikes, you have enough to worry about and finances should not be one of them. The Shadows Foundation is relatively new and currently serves Northern Arizona however they have hopes to expand at some point.

Kyle and I were asked by Kim Duncan, if we would be willing to volunteer at their recent fund raising event. We made the trip up to Flagstaff and had an incredible evening. The first major fund raiser for the organization involved a celebrity golf tournament and dinner event. I snapped a few photos at the event to share with you.

That heart was made up of 200 light bulbs. Those attending the event had the opportunity to “buy” a light bulb for a donation of $50 in hopes of lighting up the entire heart. Within ten minutes, the entire heart was lit up and then some!

My favorite part of the evening involved the show by David Garibaldi. If you have never heard of him or seen his work, you will be absolutely amazed. The best part of all is that David has a major passion for giving back. Through his performances and art he has raised over $700,000 for various charities and will raise 1 million dollars by 2013. After he finished his paintings, he auctioned them off to raise money for the Shadows Foundation. Of course this is WAAAY more amazing live but here is a little preview of what he does, to music, in a matter of minutes.

Cue a Beatles Song…

Cue a Frank Sinatra song…

You can see a gallery of more of his work here.

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January 24, 2011 · 11:37 am

How I Stay Grateful.

How cute is my group?!

On Saturday I spent a good 15 minutes in a shower with a giggling 4 year old. Why you ask? It was the Oncology Family Retreat for Camp Soaring Eagle and I was the unit leader for the youngest group. We were in the shower because we were playing Hide and Seek of course. Except that it turns out that I am MUCH better at hiding than 4 and 5 year olds which meant finding me and my hiding buddy proved to be exceedingly difficult. Actually I spent the first several minutes telling my buddy to be quiet so that we wouldn’t be found which I soon realized was not only an impossible request but also a mistake as I kind of wanted to be found. So I suggested we yell out, “We’re in HERE!” to at least give them a hint. However she quickly and sternly told me no and “that is not how you play hide and seek.” So there we stayed. Until finally I decided to go against her authority and scream out which was met by high pitched squeals from the three girls now on the hunt for us. They did pass us several more times before one shouted I bet they are in there and flung open the shower curtain. Every time after that, the girls wanted to hide in the shower. In addition, they made me be “It” every time after that so apparently I ruined it for myself. Although while my ability to hide is impressive, my ability to seek, especially 5 yr olds is even better. If it wasn’t their giggles giving them away, it was a moving table cloth, a shaking plant, or simply a leg sticking out from underneath a table. For some reason they all enjoyed hiding together in the same spot which made finding them even more obvious. Luckily for them I am also incredible at pretending I can’t find children when in fact I see them clear as day and we actually made eye contact. Eye contact means nothing to a 5 yr old.

That's my arm, helping little girls shoot arrows. I walked away unscathed.

We also made cookies. One little girl decided to make a little man cookie and told me that you have to be careful when making man cookies because they have a tendency to get up and run away. I was instructed to be VERY careful while they were baking, she didn’t want to lose him. This was a lot of pressure because I’ve seen Shrek also so I know it can happen. Luckily for me the transfer from the table to the cookie sheet was disastrous and the poor man lost his cookie legs leaving no possibility for him to escape from the oven. She was upset for a minute but once I convinced her that cookie men can fly, she was totally cool with the fact that he had just lost two limbs. She even shared his arms with me when all was said and done.

I also fully appreciated when one little girl “tested” a straw before putting it in my drink, just to be sure it worked. Although she returned the favor when she asked me to “test” her hot chocolate before she tried it and then encouraged me to drink more to “stay warm.” Another was disappointed when she spent 5 minutes blowing a cups worth of saliva into a balloon and could not get it to inflate and then asked me to try and I had to politely decline. I tried hard to laugh at the joke, “Why did the skeleton cross the road?” “Because when he got to the middle he got hit by a car.” I learned if you stand with your arms in the air, you are a statue. Statue Rule: You can breath but you can’t move. I also was taken back to a time when a dollar had major value. Luckily inflation has not hit the 5 yr old market. The little girl that won the dollar in the bow and arrow contest told me she had plans to save up for a Bop It.

The Camp Soaring Eagle Family retreats are especially fun because the entire family gets to spend the weekend away having fun. One family had spent the previous two months in the hospital as their son was recently diagnosed with cancer. All but two families have had a child diagnosed just since this past October. My sister and a team of cosmetology volunteers were on site to give free haircuts and manicures to the parents and any child who wanted one. Two massage therapists gave the mom’s a heavy dose of relaxation creek side. They were extremely grateful for this reprieve from daily life and for the opportunity to focus on themselves just a bit. What they may not have realized is that we were grateful too. Grateful to spend the day with their children,  playing hide and seek, telling jokes that didn’t make sense, and getting glitter every where. We were grateful that we had the opportunity to show them that people care about them. I was grateful to spend the day laughing as I usually do when I go to Camp. I was even grateful that the kids kept calling me teacher. Even though I promise you, I taught them nothing. My favorite part- when a kid you just met asks you to sit by them at lunch. Kids sure know how to make you smile. Above all else though is that these families remind me to be grateful, for my health, for each and every day, for little moments, and for all the good things in my life. These families help keep my bad days in perspective and that lesson is invaluable.

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August 9, 2010 · 10:36 am

Let’s Kick Cancer’s Ass

A beautiful letter ended up in my inbox this weekend from Linda James, wife of Camp Soaring Eagle founder, Max James. In it she details their experience at the recent family camp session at Briar Patch Inn. It would be a lie to say I didn’t have big tear drops in my eyes as I read through it, but even more, a big smile on my face. She sums up the reason we are doing this perfectly, this is the “why” behind The Charity Wedding. I wanted to share it in an effort to let everyone who is involved know that what they are doing matters and it is making a difference. Even more so, I wanted to share this with the people who don’t quite understand the concept just yet. I wanted them to read exactly why we wanted our wedding to be structured in this way.

I also have some adorable wedding photos (so you can start blending the idea of wedding and charity!) from a farm style wedding in Wisconsin shot by Melissa Dunstan. Enjoy!

Good morning Everyone,

I wanted to send you my thoughts about my experience this week at Briar Patch.  We hosted 8 children with cancer and their families. The children ranged in age from 2 to 10 years old.  Most of the children are still going through some pretty tough treatments to fight their battle with cancer.

When Max and I arrived the children were involved a lot of activities. Some were in arts and crafts making airplanes and some were outside playing kick ball. They were having a ball and there were lots of  smiles and laughing all around.  The Moms and Dads and siblings were playing right along with them.

A woman  came right up to me and gave me a big hug and thanked me for allowing her and her family to attend such an incredible camp.  She told me that her son was diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of 3.  He had the most common form of childhood cancer, Retinoblastoma, cancer behind the eye.    He had gone through some pretty tough treatments for over 2 years and last year was found to be cancer free. Then, this year in March, it came back. He is now going through Radiation and Chemotherapy to stop the spread of the cancer.  He is her only son and it looks like she may be having to make a really tough decision. That decision will be whether to take out his eye in order, to perhaps, save his life. I don’t’ know about you, but I can’t imagine having to make that decision about my child. She told me that this week has been the best week in a long time. The stress and pressure of having to deal with a sick child is overwhelming. They spend most of the time in the hospital and when they are not in the hospital, she is dealing with her son being extremely sick.  She told me that this week has given she and her husband a chance to just have fun and forget for a moment about the illness he has.  She then told me something that honestly, I had to fight back the tears while she was speaking.  She said, “how do I tell my son that he may lose his eye?”.   At that point, her son ran up and told me what a great time he had this week with everyone and gave me a hug.  He then told his Mom that he was very tired and he looked really pale and that he needed to rest.  She told me that he is like that most of the time.  He then noticed my cowboy boots and so did she.   He shared with me a story that I would like to share with you.  Last year, the family when to Houston for one of his treatments and they found a card that had cowboy boots on them and it said, “Let’s kick cancers ass”.  She told me that they say that all the time and it is the only time that he can use that bad word. I told him that every time now when I put on my boots , I am going to think of him and repeat that saying.   How about if we all do it?

We had a great dinner and one of the Dads who was there, told Max that this week is the best he and his family had eaten in a very long time and he thanked Max profusely.  I assume that most of the money these families have is going to help their sick child and there is not a lot left over for what we take for granted, like food. You could tell that these families have really bonded together during this week and will stay friends forever.

We then had a camp fire and gave the families an opportunity to share their thoughts with the group.  One of the Dads got up with his two year old daughter, who has cancer.  He told the story of he and his family were getting ready for vacation when she got sick. They found out that she has Leukemia.  He was crying so hard and stated that since May, they have spent most of their time in the hospital. He thanked everyone for allowing his family, he has a another small child as well,  time this week to just have fun. He said, I cannot thank the staff enough for that they have done for my family. Now if that does not tugged on your heart strings, I don’t know what will.

Rob Olsen, Owner of Briar Patch  was there as well and he stated this was the best week he had as well. That these families and their struggles has so touched him, that he is  going to donate a week next year as well.   WOW!!!! What an incredible man.

During the week, the children and their families painted a real Totem Pole. They put their handprints on it and drew things that related to their individual families.  The pole is now cemented in at Briar Patch and you could not find a dry eye in the house during that ceremony.  The families stated when they continue to have rough patches, they will all gather at the Camp Soaring Eagle Totem Pole, whether in person or in the dreams!!!!  By the way, the log for the totem pole, Rob had cut down on his property for us. WOW.

We then had a sing along and the kids were playing instruments and boy was everyone having fun. So were the rest of us, by the way.  Then, Juan brought all the kids up and had them hold hands and make a circle and then the parents and the rest of us formed a circle around them. Juan then stated that this was the circle of love and all the love was to protect the children. What an emotional ceremony.

There were many, many more stories that came from this week, so watch our Facebook page as well as notes from the team. They are all as touching as the ones I shared with you.

At the end of the evening, all the parents were so appreciated of having this week to spend with their families that they could not thank us enough.

This experience for me was  a very emotional one and made me go back to what my friend, Marlo Thomas always says, “Give thanks for the healthy children in your lives and give to those that are not”.

Thank you for sharing our vision.

“If you can change the live of child, you can change the world”.

Linda

(Names were removed to protect the privacy of the families.)

For that little boy and all the children fighting, Let’s Kick Cancer’s Ass. Bringing a little joy and happiness to these families is just a small step but one they will never forget. We are so honored and blessed to be a part of the process.

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June 17, 2010 · 5:45 pm

Smiling Faces

Last week 26 children packed their bags and headed to Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camp in Connecticut thanks to Camp Soaring Eagle. The children had the opportunity to meet children from other states and even other countries during their week long stay at the camp. Days were packed with fishing, arts, sports, and various games. The kids had the opportunity to just be themselves and have fun as they are supposed to. As they say, laughter is the best medicine and these kiddos got a full dose this past week! The campers on this trip had some form of cancer or blood disorders. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a smile is priceless. Enjoy!

From a parent: "Thank you all for everything you do...you really don't know how wonderful it is to receive from you. My son will have someting to remember for a very long time...thank you"

Looks like a beautiful day at camp. I love the pics. Thanks so much for Camp Soaring Eagle. Our kids are having the experience of a lifetime. Can't wait to hear their stories.

"He asked me what day it was and how many more days we had, I told him and he said can we stay longer I am going to miss this so much."

From a child: "Do things that others will write about or write things that others do and leave your mark on life"

"I love camp so much because it let me be me, the inside comes outside"

"Every single camper received some type of medal award, they all will leave feeling like the winners that they are."

"Our sight impaired camper has come out of his shell and is doing really well, having a lot of fun."

Here are a few picture taken when the kids arrived back home:

Are you smiling as big as I am? Maybe crying a little… Those faces are what makes this whole process worth it and we couldn’t be more grateful to have the opportunity to help bring more smiles to more children. The next group of campers leaves July 6th! Join the Camp Soaring Eagle Facebook page to stay up to date on all the fun the kids are having at camp! We are still trying to collect $1000 at the Red Rock Cafe in order to help send a kid to camp this summer! In addition donations can be made anytime on the Camp Website.

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June 1, 2010 · 7:54 am

Let’s Send a Kid to Camp!

A new month is here and thus we have a new fund raising/awareness effort to work on. If you are like me, you are still in shock that it is June already. If you have children I am sure you are even more baffled as it means your kids are now out of school with the entire summer ahead of them. When I was a kid I looked forward to going to camp, whether it was with a church group or an actual camping trip with friends and family, it definitely signaled summer. Camp is often the only time that children spend a significant amount of time away from their families. This experience teaches kids independence, it builds bonds between peers, and it may even build confidence as camp is generally filled with new experiences and new people. Like many things in life, the ability to spend a week away from home and go to camp is something many children take for granted. There is often one major unspoken prerequisite to attend camp; you have to be healthy. Not only for your sake but for the sake of the other children and the staff. Therefore many children who are living with serious and terminal illness do not get the opportunity to participate in this childhood staple. Of course the inability to attend camp is probably low on the list of things children with serious illnesses and their parent’s worry about, but it is just one more thing that disrupts their childhood. I also know the value of having something super exciting to look forward to. For many kids, the chance to go to camp can mean they have to get better grades while they are in school, perhaps do more chores, who knows but for children with serious illness, having something to look forward to might just be the difference between life and death. Positive thoughts are crucial to everyone’s well being and many kid’s began to feel like a burden to their family and become overwhelmed by their illness. The opportunity not only to attend camp but to attend with other children in similar situations to their own can really be life changing. They will feel accepted, they will feel comfortable, and most importantly, they will just feel like a kid. The ability for a child with a serious or terminal illness to attend camp is complicated. The camp not only needs to have a sophisticated medical team and awareness of the specific conditions of each child, but they also need to be accessible to a hospital in case of emergency. It is costly to run such an operation. However, Camp Soaring Eagle, is taking on the challenge in order to bring desperately needed hope into the lives of children. All children attend camp free of charge and so they rely on donations in order to make that possible. Right now, 200 children are awaiting a scholarship. No child will be turned away, the Camp will find a way but they need help to get there. So to commemorate the start of summer, we are trying to raise $1000 to send one kid to camp. We are trying to change one kid’s life forever. Here are the details:

  • We will be collecting donations at the Red Rock Cafe in the Village of Oak Creek.
  • You can donate cash or check. Make checks payable to Camp Soaring Eagle.
  • You can also donate online at the Camp Soaring Eagle website.
  • The fund raising event will run throughout the month of June! We are on a time crunch as camp season is in full swing, so lets get a kid to camp!
  • Find out other ways you can help out the camp here.

*The May Food Drive was a success, thank you to everyone who contributed.

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April 21, 2010 · 6:20 pm

Camp Soaring Eagle Update

As many of you know Camp Soaring Eagle is one of the beneficiaries of the Charity Wedding. Kyle and I were asked to be a part of the Steering Committee which is a group of volunteers who will help lead the grassroots effort to raise money, awareness and support for Camp Soaring Eagle and it’s mission. This is one of the reasons we know we made the right decision to do the wedding the way we are and what makes it worth all the extra effort. We are so honored to be a direct part of this Camp’s mission and to help change children’s lives. Had we decided to plan our wedding traditionally I do not believe we would have gotten this opportunity or had the opportunity to meet the amazing people that we met today and continue to meet throughout this process. We had the opportunity to hear from founder, Max James about why he decided to create this camp and why he is passionate about this cause in particular. He said one thing that I will never forget: “In life I have often regretted greed, generosity never.” We hope to live by that thought and leave little space for regret. By the end of his speech and the meeting in general I was holding back tears. Executive Director Jennifer Perry shared a story about a camper. Last year the child was unable to attend Camp because he was too sick. When enrollment time came around this year Juan Morales, Director of Facilities, made him a top priority and called to make sure he would be attending. His parent’s said they didn’t think the child would attend because he (the child) did not think that he would be around this summer. It’s heart breaking to hear a child losing hope as children are generally free spirited and optimistic. Juan called again and encouraged the child to enroll. About ten days later his enrollment form came through on the fax machine creating much joy in the office. Word has it that the child is extremely excited and has a new sense of infused hope to make it to Camp. As we all know attitude is everything, and giving a sick child something to look forward to instead of worrying about dying, can mean the difference between life and death. (Yes, that story had me crying too.)   Anyway there are several upcoming events that you can get involved in to help the Camp fulfill their mission.

The Ryan Thomas Foundation 5K

  • May 8th
  • Tempe Kiwanis Park
  • Begins at 8:30 am

Eddie Money in Concert

  • Cliff Castle Casino, Camp Verde
  • Friday May 21st
  • 7:30 pm
  • Cost: $20, $25, $50 or $150 for a VIP ticket including a reception with Eddie Money himself
  • For Tickets
  • They are working on getting a “Party Bus” to drive up from Phoenix, if you are interested let me know and I can contact you if I hear any more info in regards to that

Golf Classic

  • Monday May 3rd, 2010
  • Tonto Verde Golf Club
  • $200 per person or $600 per foursome
  • Begins at 11:30am and finishes with a barbeque at 5:30pm
  • Cost includes box lunch, range balls, and the after golfing BBQ
  • Contact Maria Bassler for more information or to register 602-206-1256

Tiles for Smiles

  • Ongoing event
  • Imagine Art in Sedona and various Phoenix pottery painting locations
  • $10 to paint a tile
  • What: An opportunity to paint a tile that will then be used to create mirrors which are hung in camper cabins or they are auctioned off to raise funds for the Camp
  • A great activity for the family, a group of friends, or a team building experience for businesses

You can also make a difference by sponsoring a camper

  • $500 to sponsor a camper for the weekend
  • $1500 to sponsor a camper for a week
  • $10000 to underwrite Camper Weekend
  • $20000 to underwrite a Traveling with CSE Program

*I have access to posters and information that you can hang in your businesses or pass out to people who may be interested in helping. If we could find 100 people to donate just $5, we could send a kid to camp for one weekend. The joy that the child would receive would be immeasurable. Let me know if you would like any information or have any ideas of fund raising opportunities.

In addition there is an upcoming Camper’s weekend for children with severe Asthma. It is open to children ages 7-15. There are some additional spots available which they would like to fill. If you have or know a child who has asthma and would be interested in attending a camp with other kids who suffer from Asthma contact Juan Morales 702-218-7034.

I’d like to take a moment to thank our vendors for making this process possible. While we often get the credit for the idea, for us it was just an idea. Without the help and support of our generous vendors this wedding would not be possible. You are the ones that deserve the credit. So thank you, you are changing lives.

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April 19, 2010 · 7:06 pm

How Weddings Could Save the World

Well maybe not the world, but they could change a few lives. Weddings are something that aren’t going away, ever. Regardless of the economic state of the country or various other trends, weddings are pretty stable. People may scale back in times of economic slump but weddings none the less still occur. (Some people are still spending upwards of $1mill on them.) An average of 2.3 million couples get married each year in the United States adding up to around $72 billion spent on wedding festivities. According to The Knot, the average wedding cost is nearly $30,000. Imagine if couples scaled back by just 10% and donated that amount to charity instead: weddings could raise $7.2 billion dollars. Imagine what that could do for sick children, hungry families or homeless individuals.

According to the Feeding America website it would cost approximately $4 billion dollars to end hunger in America. That accounts for the food and distribution of it. They say not addressing the problem accounts for $90 billion dollars spent as a result of hunger due to illness, crime and lost productivity to name a few. If couples scaled back, weddings could essentially end hunger and we would still be left with $3.2 billion dollars.

Cancer accounts for 23% of deaths in this country with the prevalence rising each year. In 2009 the National Institutes of Health estimated that $93.2 billion dollars were spent in 2008 on medical costs associate with cancer. The cost of cancer screenings like pap smears, mammograms and colorectal exams cost about $4 billion. If more money were donated to fund programs that provide these services free of charge we may be able to prevent cancer deaths and the costs associated with the disease in general. Medical costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy in this country and many people die because they can’t afford proper care and preventative treatments.

The average cost of tuition at a 4 year public university is around $7,300. Meaning if we are working from the $7.2 billion generated from a 10% reduction in wedding costs, we could send 1 million kids to college for one year. Or send 250,000 kids to college for the full 4 years. Imagine all the kids that give up on college at an early age because they know they can’t afford it. Imagine the reduced crime and the increased productivity in this country if that many more young adults went to college.

Weddings are a celebration of love and agreeably one of the happiest days in a couple’s life. I don’t denounce their importance or mean to suggest they should be eliminated. However if each of the 2.3 million people that get married each year agreed to scale back and donate just a small portion of their budget to charity or make choices that benefit charity, there is no question that lives could be changed or even saved. By purchasing items like One Hope Wine or supplies from the I Do Foundation, couples can contribute to change without any sacrifice. Like I said weddings are going to continue to occur and money will continue to be designated for the purpose and spent accordingly. If you are willing to spend money on imported orchids, would you be willing to put some of that money towards cancer research, the local food bank or a favorite animal shelter instead and settle for local roses? Instead of the memory of your wedding fading quickly once the night was over, the impact could live on through the lives you touched. Pretty awesome thought in my opinion. Imagine the impact if everyone just made a small step to incorporate charity into their wedding. It’s just a small shift in perspective, really. Would it change the world? I don’t know but I would be interested in seeing what it could change.

Let us know how you are incorporating charity into your big day!

*”You may say that I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, And the world will be as one.”

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