Us Fighting Cancer Together

OK, I'm asking for something. But also being honest. As you all know, I think CANCER SUCKS. To FIGHT BACK I pledge some of my time and money to fight it. Can you help me? Here's my crazy pitch, I'd love it everyone would give me donations, but some folks don't feel like they can generously and the time spent to make small donations is too much. How about $5, but not just from you, but also from people you know? You might not have $20 personally, but if you ask a few people and 3 more say yes to $5, you do have $20. And I think that rocks, and that is you, me and all our friends making a difference! A HUGE difference.

Margot and I are participating in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Manchester, NH on October 21st. 

This is the first NH cancer event I participated in, in 2003. This is where my involvement in Relay For Life (in 2004) was hatched, and for many years I participated in and helped with logistics and setup for this very event. I'm back at that this year, as well as walking with Margot Cote Phelps and Melissa Woodside Prunier, after a few years making a difference with both of them and the Northeast Delta Dental Team in Concord. 

Online donations are the easiest way using the link below.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY13NE?px=1344507&pg=personal&fr_id=47478

For interested local folks, Margot and I are hosting a wine tasting to celebrate the 2011 Finger Lakes Riesling Launch on September 22nd. If you would like to receive the invite send me your address in a private message.

Cheers!

Jason

Thank You

( Thank you from Margot and I for all the support. We didn't do this, WE all did! )

I owe a lot of people thanks after my Relay For Life this weekend. And those of you who are receiving them, you know who you are, you are just going to have to sit back and take what is coming to you. I am nowhere near as awesome as the honors I have recently accepted might suggest, and I am certainly not even notable without acknowledging all the people who have helped me achieve them. This was always a team effort anyway.

The most urgent thanks go to my team members. Margot, Donna, Missi, Melissa, Jen, Derek, Shirley, Scott, Linda and Kathy, you guys rock. Past team members Bob, Tim, Abby, Alice, Celeste, Amy, Betsy, Ashley, Emillie, Geoff, Kevin, Caryn, Sam, Cyndi and Terri, this is for you as well. Family members of all of my teammates, thank you so much for allowing your loved ones to spend this time; it is worth more than you know. We all did this and we should be so proud of what our efforts have amounted to.

( Team Survivors Rule! with the planning committee post-closing. )

Team Survivors Rule! finished with its best year ever in terms of fundraising AND with an overall sense of joy with what we had done and the apparent example we have set.

The big milestone looming in 2012 was when we would reach the $100,000 mark. We started this mission in 2003 and with less than ten years behind us, we’ve done it. We knew we did it on Friday afternoon. There were happy dances and high fives all around. We are going to get a banner that says “The Next $100,000 Will Be Easier” to symbolize the sweat that went into putting that mark on the world.

Taking the field (of battle if you will) we then had eyes on the $13,000 yearly goal we had set back in February. Could we hit that? Yes, yes we could. With final campaigning to people at Relay and beyond we eclipsed that mark in the early AM hours Saturday. Wow, the team-work and drive right to end was overwhelming!

I finished with a personal best, and my first year above $3000. To all my individual donors past and present, thank you so much for placing you hard earned dollars with me and the American Cancer Society. Those dollars are a direct pipeline to programs, services and research that is an “all-in” bet on hope. You are my hero and we are all heroes to so many people who will be helped by our efforts.

( Rituals like team sock and shoe changes at 1AM really bring people together! )

The weather at Relay was reasonable, we did have a T-Storm around 9pm, and the team put many miles in on the way to our 10am finish. Several of us eclipsed marathon distance (26.2) miles again, personally having done this (and then some) eight years running.  Five of us banded together to run a final lap as a more potent example that we are here and fighting. Man was I tired! A few small blisters and a gentle reminder to drop a few pounds were the only lasting scars.

( A few crazy team members before running a final lap! )

( Which Jen brought home with lots of track in front the rest of us! )

At the closing we clocked in at second place in both the team and the individual fundraising competitions. We’ve had firsts in both in the past, but this year there was another team that was hungry for the top spots and did the work needed to make it happen. Team Golden Brook and captain BJ Martin (in the pic on the right), you guys showed us all how it’s done!

At this point I was very much looking forward to heading home, showering and hitting the rack for a bit. I took a two our nap during Relay after realizing I was stumbling a bit on the track, but even so I was confident that nothing was going to feel as good as bed right about then. Or so I thought.

Special awards are also announced during the closing. I don’t generally consider my team in the running for these, the time commitment to be at all the meetings and network with so many fellow participants is challenging on my and my teammates’ schedules. Well maybe that’s not the whole story. Team Survivors Rule! was honored with the BJ Allgaier Spirit Award for 2012. This award is given to a team that exemplifies the spirit of Relay by setting a positive example, helping others and being an active part of the Relay community. 

I was asked to speak on behalf of the team and I could barely get the words out. I spoke about how coming to the Derry/Londonderry Relay was an accident, we changed locations due to a family wedding in year two, and that we never left because the community we found was so supportive of doing incredible things. I also said that we are an example of what is possible and that everyone should feel like they could be us, and better yet we would help! I thanked everyone assembled for what they had helped us do.

The award is profound for me. BJ Allgaier was a mentor to me early in my Relay volunteer experience. She helped me, challenged me and asked me what I was prepared to do for my world. Cancer took her from us before she had finished her work. I am so much better off for having known her. To win an award named for her and her spirit is a unique joy.

So thank you to everyone who has donated, walked, hosted events, helped setup and/or cheered us on since 2003. We set out to make a difference and by all accounts we have succeeded in defining a role for ourselves in that. No one of us on the team does even our own little part alone. We all have support. Thank you all so much.

Cheers!

Jason


Stories of Relay Wrap-up Link List

Second Chances and How You Can Give Back
History of Team Survivors Rule!
What is Relay For Life?
When Giving Back Feels So Good
How Your Support Makes a Difference
Fighting Cancer with Wine
Melissa's Reasons to Relay
Margot's Reasons to Relay
Missi's Reason to Relay
Donna's Reason to Relay
Why I Relay

Why I Relay

( Cancer survivors taking the first lap in the Relay tradition. )

Today is Relay day. This will be the 15^th Relay I have participated in. I can’t tell you how many miles I have personally walked in all of those events, but if I had to guess I’d say it has been at least 300. For fundraising I have continued to increase my personal footprint each year, and will likely eclipse $3000 for the first time this year. As a team we’ve seen considerable fundraising success and each member is crossing their fingers that our efforts right up until we hit that track later today will have pushed us across the line for a $100,000 team lifetime total. (We were only $523 away at the time this was posted.) I joked to my wife yesterday morning that I want to get a banner that says “The next $100,000 is going to be easier!”

( This old pedometer has been retired. I have about 25-30 miles in me each year now. That's OK, right? )

So after nine years and all that has come with it, how in the world do I try to explain why I Relay? Hmmmm… The American Cancer Society has a slogan for the Relay For Life of: Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back. I think that will do nicely to frame my reasons to Relay.

Celebrate

Relay is a celebration, and what each of us celebrates is different. First and foremost I celebrate being here. I celebrate being able to spend time with my family and friends doing things we enjoy. I celebrate being able to tell you my story first hand. It’s hard to imagine a wounded widow or family trying to explain the value of their lost family member. It happens, but thankfully not to me; and that is worth celebrating.

( Being able to have fun making a difference is a blessing. Manchester Relay 2005. )

I celebrate the work that my teammates and I do and by extension every other person who has jumped in on this fight. Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans participate in the Relay For Life? That is a lot of accomplishments to celebrate, but I try my best!

( Relay For Life 2011. )

I celebrate new team members, new fighters and new Relay friends. Choosing to set aside a day and night, and all the lead up effort, to make a difference is an act worthy of friendship and celebration.

I celebrate the advances that researchers and medical professionals are making in the battle against cancer. It may not look like we are winning, but we ain’t losing either; and for that we should all celebrate!

Remember

This is where it gets tough. I have plenty of people to remember. I have my own vivid cancer memories to recall and be reinvigorated by. Writing this section will have me retracing many of those memories AND the emotions that come with them.

At Relay we walk around a track all night which means you have a lot of time to meet your fellow participants. I’ve been involved with this same Relay since 2005 and the core of the repeat participants have become my Relay friends; some of them I see only at Relay despite not living far apart.

For some of us, and cancer survivors specifically, who only see each other annually at Relay there is considerable anxiety about whether we will see each other again; and it doesn’t get easier as each year passes. Sometimes you find each other at the survivor celebration and sometimes randomly while walking the track. Sometimes you don’t find the person you are looking for, no matter how hard you search.

( BJ Allgaier was the most passionate cancer fight you will ever meet. Cancer decided she

couldn't stay and for that I will never rest. She believed in me and challenged me to be 

more than I thought I could be in this fight. I'm sad not to have been able to thank her. )

I’ve had friends walk off that track never to walk another lap at Relay. I wish I could tell you that that was because they had moved or were involved in the fight in other ways. No, they are gone and all I have are the memories.

The loss of a loved one or friend is traumatic for everyone. Please don’t take my following statements to mean that I am creating a hierarchy of loss, no, I am merely sharing a particular context for when loss has added dimension.

Losing a Relay friend to the very disease you are working to fight is unfortunately familiar ground for people who participate in Relay. Cancer is our business. We want to save lives and extend the lives of those who live with cancer. We work to ensure those living with cancer live with dignity every day they get to enjoy. Too often we witness a lost fight. The loss initially hurts so much and then you get to thinking that somehow all your time and energy isn’t making enough difference; and you feel even worse. That last part isn’t true, but during your grief it is an unwanted and compounding element that is hard to shake. As you meet more and more people involved with Relay the frequency of this unfortunate experience only goes up. You get the point.

( Gerry, you always old me that my energy was inspiration and strength for you. That was a

two-way street. You battled for yourself and so many others. Walking the Relay as your friend

was a great honor and your friendship will never be lost. )

The only way to live through and beyond this challenge is to remember those who you have lost. Remember them from the best scenes of your time together. Remember them laughing and having fun, remember them pitching to make a difference alongside you. Imagine them giving you altitude as you cruise to new heights in your efforts to make their struggle and loss meaningful for others.

Fight Back

I Relay because I can. I do a lot of things since I was told I had cancer just because I can. Think about that for a minute. How purposefully do you live?

Thoreau said in Walden, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” I’ve loved Walden as a treatise on living with purpose since I first read it over 20 years ago. I’ve always been a cerebral person so quotes like that, and the ideas behind them, have always captured my imagination.

I got involved with the Relay For Life and the American Cancer Society because I wished to live with purpose, to learn more about the world I lived in, and not, when I came to die, discover I had squandered the second chance I had been given. So I fight back!

( After hours of walking and no sleep I still have the stones to run a few laps in defiance. )

I raise money, tell my story, walk around a track all night, advocate for legislative changes, share the facts and figures about cancer and its impact, tell people to do self-examinations and ask others to get involved as well. I also balance a healthy and active life with the craziness and convenience of the modern age, and advocate for others to try to do the same. We must try to live better, with more purpose, but we must also have fun!

I also Relay for HOPE. The hope that someday our civilization will have beat back cancer and nobody will ever have to be told they have cancer again. Can’t you just imagine how cool it will be to read the story of how and when humans cured cancer in the history books and think about how many people and resources it took to accomplish? Yeah the pyramids are pretty neat, but curing cancer will beat that hands down!

That is how I FIGHT BACK and why I Relay

If you would like to support me in the fight against cancer please click this link to visit my Relay page where you can make a donation. 

Cheers!

Jason

Donna’s Reasons to Relay

( Our first Relay in 2004. )

We are in the final days before the 2012 Relay For Life of Greater Derry and Londonderry. All Spring I have been using my blog to share information about the fight against cancer, the team of advocates I helped form and our efforts to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. This week and last I have been sharing stories of team members and why they Relay. Today my mother shares her Reasons to Relay:

I started to Relay the year after my son Jason was diagnosed with cancer. I felt helpless and needed to do something to try to make sense of the fact that my child (my baby!) had been treated for cancer. Jason reminded me recently, that fund raising for cancer research was my idea.

When Jason was first diagnosed, I remember thinking that nothing good could come out of this. This is one time that I am glad I was wrong. There have been so many blessings. I would never have thought we could raise so much money (almost $100,000) and have so many supporters. Relay isn't just about the people on our team but about all the people that have so generously donated to Relay, opened their homes to our fund raisers and businesses that have chosen to be our corporate sponsors.

( The team after the finish of our 2010 Relay. We've accomplished so much... )

We all have stories of the friends and family that have had cancer. Some have lost their battle (we miss you Gerry), some are in remission and some battle cancer every day. My prayer is that someday, no one will hear the doctor say you have cancer. And someday, no mother will hear that her child has cancer.

Lace up your shoes and support Relay for Life!       

Thanks Mom! It was your idea and that just proves that kids do sometimes listen to their parents!

If you would like to support Donna in the fight against cancer please click this link to visit her Relay page where you can make a donation. 

Cheers!

Jason

Missi's Reasons to Relay

( She's a goofball, but she's our little goofball!!! )

Cancer has given me a lot of things in the bonus round as I like to call it. Today I'm sharing the story of the sister (sister and brother-in-arms if you will) cancer gave me. Missi has been with us as a team from very early on and she brought her own reasons and stories with her. We've shared good times and bad times, and have been there for each other no matter what. Whether it is raising money, helping set up, walking in the crap weather, celebrating, remembering, cheering other Relayers on or FIGHTING BACK, Missi does it all without so much as a word. 

Take it away Missi!

My personal relay story began just over eight years ago. My best friend Dawn lost her two-year battle with ovarian cancer at the age of 25.  I watched her fight and struggle to conquer the beast – but in the end cancer won.  The day of her funeral I received a call that my amazing Aunt Mary had breast cancer and it had already spread to her bones.  I knew that cancer was now taunting me and I would not stand idly by and watch it destroy those I love around me – it was time to kick its ass!

That year I joined Survivors Rule at Relay for Life.  It was an amazing emotional roller-coaster of a night. Rain, thunder, and tears could not stop us.  Since then I have walked every year (mostly in the rain) – raising money for the American Cancer Society; hoping that every dollar raised is one dollar closer to the cure.

( Soldiers. Look, we even have matching uniforms! )

Sadly my reasons to Relay just continue to increase every year.  In 2008 we lost the most amazing and loving woman, my mother-in-law Kathy.  Lung cancer stole her from her children and grandchildren far too early.  After an incredible, unselfish and heroic fight, we lost my Aunt Mary in 2010, and also my incredibly dear Grandfather.   

But not every battle is lost – there are success stories to be told too. Friends have celebrated many more birthdays because they fought against this demon and won! 

Relay for Life brings people together – people with a common mission in mind: Wiping out cancer for good – Finding the CURE. 

Cancer Sucks – We Must Fight Back!!

Thank you so much Missi for all you have done and continue to do. Crossing paths with you and your family has been a gift from my cancer experience and you know damn well that I'm not giving this up for anything!

If you would like to support Melissa in the fight against cancer please click this link to visit her Relay page where you can make a donation. 

Cheers!

Jason

Margot’s Reasons to Relay

( Relay For Life 2008. )

Margot and I have been on the cancer journey together since 2003. This can be a difficult journey and having heard stories of people having to walk it alone I am thankful that Margot was there then and has stuck with me through it all.

Margot hates cancer as much as I do, and sadly has plenty of reasons why. Being threatened with the loss of loved ones is particularly motivating for some people, and Margot has clearly answered that call. Here are Margot’s reasons to Relay.

When thinking about why I Relay so many stories came to mind. Unfortunately each year there seems to be a different reason behind walking that track. At first it was because cancer came after my husband and that made me very, very angry. I wanted to do something to show cancer that it was messing with the wrong person, and furthermore it was messing with someone that I loved. That person was the one I had chosen to spend my life with, and that life was just starting!

A few years later I was Relaying for my friends Missi and Steve. They had just lost Steve's mother the month before Relay and it was devastating. The disease for Steve’s mother came quickly and worked ruthlessly as it often does. So that year I walked for her, and for the huge loss that my friends had suffered at the hands of this disease.

When my beloved Uncle Gerry was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that became another reason to Relay. Cancer had come back again to touch someone that I loved. As I watched him fight his brave battle for 5 years I walked each year hoping that he would be there with me for a few more laps. Sadly we walked our last laps together last year as my sweet Uncle Gerry is no longer here.

( We'll miss you Gerry! )

Looking at all these stories it would appear that I have many reason to Relay, but I realized I only really have one: my reason for Relaying is so that there will be no more reasons to Relay. We must have hope that there will one day be cure. Until then, the walking continues...

Thanks Margot. I know people look up to you for the choices you’ve made in giving your time and resources to the fight against cancer. Having strong friends during hard times is essential to getting through this life and I know I and others have benefited greatly from your friendship on dark days.

If you would like to support Margot in the fight against cancer please click this link to visit her Relay page where you can make a donation. 

Cheers!

Jason

Melissa’s Reasons to Relay

Cancer has touched everyone in one way or another. In the last 9 years my cancer journey has had me cross paths with so many other people who had a cancer story of their own. The stories are what drives the passion to fight back and with two weeks to go before Relay those stories are I what I’m going to share.

Melissa Kline is a dear friend who has been fighting back with us since the beginning. She and Margot (my wife for anyone new) met at work back in 1999 and the rest is history as they say. Melissa is one of the team’s anchors, she always pushes hard to raise funds and then shows up with energy to camp out all night as a symbol of fighting back. Melissa involves her whole family in Relay, something I personally look forward to every year.

( Melissa, on the right, with her sister Amy at Relay. Thanks ladies! )

Here are Melissa’s reasons to Relay

I have too many reasons!

FIRST I Relay for my aunt.  She was only 51 and fought it for years before it won.  Unfortunately she was one of those stories where she was sick and knew something was wrong but ignored the signs until a friend forced her to see a doctor.  Traveling to see her and saying good bye to her knowing I would not see her again until I was back for the funeral is still one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life.  I was 21 when it happened and even now writing this little bit still makes me tear up.

I Relay for my niece who was 8 months old.  Cancer got her before she was even born, for the family I'm not sure if it was good we didn't know; she just had a regular 8 months of life.  If we knew it would have been a tough 8 months and from what the doctors say there was nothing that could have been done anyways.  It has been 10 years. It’s still hard to believe, but one loss that will never be forgotten.

I Relay for my grandmother who had breast cancer/ She fought it and won only to have it come back 25 years later....  She never accepted she had cancer and I honestly believe she lived to the good old age of 90 because of this!  She didn't allow it to consume her. So many times we were told she wouldn't pull through and she kept on ticking.  In the end it did win but it took a lot of fight to take her.

( Melissa and Amy are not to be messed with. Do they scare you cancer? )

I Relay for my dad who out of everyone I know had the smallest battle.  Due to his heart surgery they found his cancer early and was able to get his kidney out and fingers crossed it never comes back.  It has been 5 years and he is doing fantastic!

I Relay for so many... Just last year my mom lost 3 very close friends to cancer. Watching her go through all of that makes me Relay. These were great people and they didn't deserve (well nobody does) to lose their battles...

I Relay for all of those out there that I don't know and in hopes that my contribution will either help cure them or even help prevent them from getting it.  I Relay to make this a cancer free world!

If you would like to support Melissa in the fight against cancer please click this link to visit her Relay page where you can make a donation. 

Cheers!

Jason

Fighting Cancer with Wine

( The lineup for the first event this year. )

Well, not literally of course. And that’s only because I’m not a doctor and have no scientific information that suggests cancer can be fought with the direct application of wine. Interesting thought for a winemaker though…

Back in 2006 or 2007, and anyone in the know correct me, the Survivors Rule! team held our first wine tasting. My brother setup the first floor of his condo to accommodate a whole bunch of people and we put out snacks and a flight of homemade wines. We asked for a donation at the door and had several prizes to draw that tickets could be purchased for with an additional donation. I don’t recall how much money we raised through that event, it doesn’t really matter, but we did realize we had something.

( Guests at our first event listening to a presentation about what their support means. )

In the years since we have held one or two tastings, generally at the homes of friends, with pretty much the same format. Because we are serving homemade wines we can’t blow this event up and go big with a public facility and lots of tickets. You need to have a liquor license for that and no state in the union is in the business of granting them so that alcohol made free of taxes and without health department certification can be served to the public. To go big we would have to switch gears and serve only commercial wine, get a permit or host the event where tasting is already permitted, and depending on how big we wanted to go also manage the expenses of the wine and food out of the donations. Not for us. We don’t care because our small, intimate events are designed for a different purpose; to make people feel like they are part of something special.

Nine years ago this month I was a few short weeks out of cancer treatment and hoping for a strong recovery so I could get on or back to my life. At the time getting back to what I had previously was a natural consideration, I hadn’t thought how anything should be different just because I had had cancer; not yet at least.

( Margot talking to our friend Wayne over a glass of wine. )

The first shift in thinking came when the itch to get involved peaked. Cancer walks, donations, Lance Armstrong kicks ass, giving back, helping others. All these thoughts were swirling around my head. So we got involved.The story how the team got started and our efforts in the battle against cancer can be found in the first four parts of this series of giving back. Check out installments one, two, three and four.

Later in 2003 Margot got around to asking me a question that has been the best fork in the road I’ve come across. “What would you rather do than work all the time now that you are well again?” was offered up in casual conversation. My response, “make my own beer.” I had at least one friend who had done it and the idea intrigued me. I was digging craft beer at the time and being able to make my own beer with some drinkability to it (Bud, Miller, Coors all suck in my opinion) seemed like a great way to spend more time at home doing something fun. My Christmas gift that year was the equipment to make my own beer. A few extra pieces of equipment to make “chick wine” was also included at Margot’s request.

From there things took off on both the activism and the beer/wine making fronts. If you search around my blog a bit you will find lots of stories of making, pairing and travelling all in the spirit of better beverages.

( Amy, Nacny and friends working away in the kitchen at the second event. )

As the years passed my education about the fight against cancer grew new opportunities were set in front of me. As an outspoken advocate I found myself standing in front of the NH House Budget Committee, the assembled participants of the Relay For Life of Greater Derry & Londonderry, quite a few rooms of volunteers and fundraisers and also on the business end of the interview pen of several local media outlets. The people I was running with were inspiration to me, and it felt like we were soldiers. I was told that I spoke with passion and conviction and that my ability to wield the facts to help people understand what they were part of was captivating. It was also said that my energy was an inspiration to people. Coming and walking all night at Relay after raising lots of money made people want to get involved. What, me? This was all new and you must understand it all just sort of happened. I was making the choices to do it, but the drive was very basic and partly unconscious.

( My mother talking about what we are doing and why. )

All the while I was toiling away at home learning to make beer, wine, cider and mead. Each year they kept getting better as my experience and expenses grew. Sharing them with friends provided unending warmth and payback as I saw people enjoying my craft. I started entering competitions and early successes drove this even more. At last count Margot and I have collected 45 medals for a range of homemade beverages!

And that’s when my two worlds really collided. With both activism and wine we have created something that has become the premiere way the Survivors Rule! team engages donors to educate them on how their support makes a difference and why it is so important to get involved in your community.

This year we have hosted two Relay For Life wine tastings, with a third planned to benefit Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in the Fall.

So how do they work? Once guests have arrived and we have reached critical mass I generally offer a short presentation on how the money is used and where it goes after it leaves my hot little hands. At the most recent event I shared the facts and figures from my last post in this series, How Your SupportMakes Difference, which are largely focused on the very local impact funds raised through the Relay For Life have. In a rather telling moment the host of the event had to prompt me to share that I was a cancer survivor. How could I have forgotten that? Well, it was where this trip started which has since taken me and everyone else to so many places that I got tripped up in all the sights!

( People socializing over a glass of wine. A great day in my opinion. )

From there Margot and I typically start pouring the wines and sharing the stories of making them and our many tasting trips to different parts of the world to learn about foods and beverages. Being able to share our personal journey and how cancer has been transformative for us makes our events special. Guests open up and ask all sorts of questions. Other cancer survivors in the room share their own personal stories and lots of hugs. Families who struggle with cancer are given support and can take a few minutes to celebrate getting this far. For a few hours a community of people who know why they are there put their support on the line in the battle against cancer. This year I’ve said something new about the people who honor us with their support. “I’d go off to war for and with any of these people in heartbeat. They are real people living their lives with purpose. What isn’t worth defending in that?”

(Lots of friends and laughing is a cure for many ills. )

And we always have a lot of people to thank from these events. This year our gratitude goes out to Tom & Marilyn Baziak for hosting the first tasting. They have hosted a tasting event several years in a row now and we are so thankful for their efforts at organizing the guest list from the many circles in their lives. We also have to thank Ed Paul and Jim Riehl for hosting our second tasting. The organizing, food preparation (thank you Nancy & Amy as well) and killer drawing table made for a great event, the first of many if we are so lucky! Additional thanks go out to Donna and Bob (my parents), Tim & Abby (brother & sister-in-law) and Margot for all of the organizing, donations, food prep and generally dealing with me to put on these events. Finally, thank you to all of our donors and friends who come out each year to support us. We will never be able to thank you enough for taking this trip with us, we just hope one day we will all have to pick a different destination because we sent cancer packing!

This year we raised over $1500 from the two events, which tracks pretty consistently as the guest lists have fluctuated year to year. We feel like these events buck the larger economic trend and are a solid investment in the race for a cure. We are supporting two Relays this year with part of the funds raised from the first event benefitting the Relay For Life of North Central Connecticut. Our team has branched out and has a bigger footprint than when we started, a true testament to the journey cancer has put us all on. If that isn’t special I don’t what is.

If you would like to be part of this special story with a donation to the Relay For Life please use this link to make a donation online. http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12NE?px=1344507&pg=personal&fr_id=39884

Cheers!

Jason

How Your Support Makes a Difference

( Education is a big part of engaging people to fight back against cancer. )

One person can make a difference. It helps if that person has lots of other people backing and supporting them, but fighting back starts with a single individual and the hope of being able to make an impact. This is the fifth part in an ongoing series about fighting back against cancer. Check out installments one, two, three and four.

Last week I thanked a lot of people for supporting me. I always get a huge shot in the arm from the support I get each year when I go around banging on doors for donations to Relay and Making Strides. Without that support I would not have been able to accomplish even a small part of what has been attributed to me in my Mass General One Hundred profile (the last week reference for new readers). It started with me and my personal story, but now there is an army of us fighting back.

( Just some of the people who deserve my thanks. )

I want to help others make a difference, and to know exactly how they are doing that. Have you ever wondered where your donations go? I don’t often get asked how the American Cancer Society uses the funds we raise, but in fairness I frequently include information about where the money goes when I request support. I want people to know what they are part of and exactly how their support is making a difference.

The basic facts I try to lay out for supporters are these:

• 79 cents of every dollar raised supports the mission (programs, services, research) of the American Cancer Society (ACS). The remaining 21 cents goes to cover event expenses and administration for the ACS at large. It takes money to raise money, and 79 cents out of every dollar ain’t bad. (See below for thoughts on charitable accountability and choosing who to support)
• The Relay For Life is a big event, raising over $350 million dollars annually.
• Second only to the Federal Government, the ACS is the largest funding source of cancer research.
• The majority of the money raised in the New England region where I live stays in the region. These funds are used to pay for programs and services available to my family, friends and neighbors. Making an impact, and a local one at that, feels really good.
• The organizers of local Relay For Life events try as hard as they can to procure donations of goods, services and cash from sponsors to keep the event costs as low as possible.

( While we are celebrating, remembering and fighting back we also honor those who risk their lives to defend the freedoms we enjoy. Marines get cancer too and being their for them is a way to pay them back. )

How we doing so far? Do you feel like your dollars are in good hands? Let’s take a close look at how some of the money raised in New Hampshire in 2011 was used:

• Look Good, Feel Better - 310 attendees. This program provides female cancer survivors with information and instruction pertaining to issues of physical appearance during and after treatment. The value of looking in the mirror and not seeing all the damage from treatment can’t be understated.
• Wig Bank - 225 wigs from the wig bank were provided to survivors who had lost their hair due to treatment. 
• Road to Recovery - 5957 rides for 311 different people were provided. This program matches volunteer drivers with patients needing transportation to treatment. The following quote was passed along to me from my local ACS staff partner. “Even the best treatment is useless unless patients can get to it....”  Road to Recovery is the most utilized ACS program in New Hampshire. On a personal note I dream of the day when I have enough free time to volunteer to drive. I’ve met drivers who have shared stories of the friends they have made through their service. That’s really living!
• Hope Lodge - 141 nights for 37 different people were provided at no cost to the participants. The Hope Lodges (there are 3 in NewEngland) provide comfortable accommodations for families who do not live near the facility where family members are being treated. Eliminating transportation costs and ensuring the support of family is near is huge.
• Overall, 1630 newly diagnosed cancer patients (and 3072 people total) were provided information, programs, and or services in NH in FY11.

Are you still with me? Those are some pretty incredible stats. And that is just in NH, and just for one year.  If you think about the states in New England with larger populations and more funds raised annually it is quite clear that our efforts are making a significant impact throughout the region.

( Organizing a Relay takes a lot of volunteers. I help setup every year! )

From all of New England Relay For Life events we raised nearly $24 million dollars in 2011! Some quick math on the back of the envelope says that as a region we raised over 6% of the total raised through Relay nationwide each year. That 5% is from six little New England states. We roll, and we roll hard! Hey cancer, we’re coming for you!

( Margot clowning around in the morning. Her mix of business 

and fun is a great example of how to make a difference. )

I need to get serious and a little less lively for a moment. There are organizations that get better ratings (and many with much worse to be fair) than the ACS on how they spend their money, their affiliations with the pharmaceutical industry, assets in the bank, etc, etc. I’m not ignorant of any of that and won’t argue the points with anyone. The bottom line is that I want everyone to get involved in something and that means making a choice. The choice that I made (with the support of my family and friends) was to support the American Cancer Society. This choice was based on both how the money is spent AND the ability to get directly involved in our communities. We are making a difference and we are doing at home where we are best able to be involved for the long term. We made a reasoned and informed choice and that choice has allowed us to make a huge difference.

( Advocay is another big part of the fight. The ACS Cancer Action Network gets involved in shaping policy and holding government accountable for their obligation to fund this battle. It's our money and we have a right to see it go where we think it can make a difference. 

Research is the other area where funds raised by the American Cancer Society are used.

As of April 2012 the breakdown of active ACS research grants (140 grants to 31 institutions for a total of $60 million) in New England was:

• 23 grants totaling $9.8 million in Connecticut
• 1 grant totaling $720,000 in Maine
• 102 grants totaling $41.5 million in Massachusetts
• 6 grants totaling $2.9 million in New Hampshire
• 6 grants totaling $4.1 million in Rhode Island
• 2 grants totaling $865,000 $1 in Vermont 

New Hampshire sees a nice share of research funding and with good cause. Some of that funding goes to Dartmouth Hitchcock and the NorrisCotton Cancer Center, nationally recognized as leaders in cancer care and research. I am always proud to know that my support of the ACS funds jobs and research in my own state, and research that undoubtedly will result in breakthroughs that will reduce suffering and save lives.

( Two more people who deserve thanks for busting their asses in this fight year after year. )

May it not be said that one person raising one dollar at a time can’t make a difference. I know this isn’t true, because I’m doing it. And you are helping me. That makes you a hero. You may never meet the people who have been directly affected and feel that way, but trust me, they are out there. You should be proud of that. Tell your family, tell your friends, and then ask them if they would like to support the cause as well. I owe you a hug or a handshake and don’t be afraid to ask for it when you see me. I am truly grateful for the support and I would not be the person I am today without it.

( We celebrate, we remember but most of all we FIGHT BACK! )

I’d like to thank Brigit Ryan at the local American Cancer Society office for helping me with the information provided here. I met Brigit six years ago and she has been a vital partner for me, my team and many of the Relays in the state of New Hampshire. Fighting back is hard work and Brigit is always there to help figure out how to make the best use of the resources we have available to do that. Her tireless work in the battle against cancer is a key part of our mutual success. I asked Brigit to share something she thought new or potential supporters of the American Cancer Society should know about how their support can help. This is what she said:

“You really are going to be making a difference in someone's life. Whether it is to help a patient get to treatment or to get a mother a wig so that her children are not scared about her head being bald, your support makes a real difference. From information for a college student away from home after learning that her father has been diagnosed with cancer (accessed by calling 800-ACS-2345 24 hours a day) to dollars to fund a researcher who is just starting off and has an "idea" that leads to the cure! Your support will make a real difference. “

In closing I ask for your support. Every dollar counts. Whether it is $5, $20 or $50 we need every dollar we can muster in this fight. Your tax-free donation can be made directly from my event page online.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and supporting the battle against cancer. We are here, we are fighting and we will win. WE MUST HAVE HOPE!

Cheers!

Jason

When Giving Back and Fighting Back Feels So Good

Yesterday was a pretty stellar day for me. The weather sucked, but this is New England and the weather has already changed to something much more palatable. The day was as great as it was because I had the pleasure of meeting people who hate cancer as much as I do, and are fighting it in their own way.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) announced the 2012 edition of The One Hundred, an annual event that recognizes individuals whose “diligence and discoveries, philanthropy and passion have helped advance the fight against cancer.” And boy, some of these people are really fighting back!

The first group of people I introduced myself to included Adrienne Harrison, Laura Hencke, Beverly Snell and Cathleen Poliquin from MGH’s Bone Marrow Transplant Center. The efforts of these cancer fighting ladies directly save people’s lives. Patients who undergo hematopoetic stem cell transplants have a complex set of procedures, tests and appointments laid out in front of them. Adrienne, Laura, Beverly help patients  navigate that complexity with care and compassion. Cathleen is a nurse practitioner, and also a cancer survivor, who is being honored for her exemplary manner with patients, training of nurses in the unit and long-term volunteer efforts with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was an honor to meet them and spend a few minutes sharing our stories of how we are fighting back. Take a moment to read their full profiles at The One Hundred web site. Adrienne, Laura, Beverly. Cathleen.

The One Hundred is a fundraiser, you can’t fight cancer without money afterall, and in the five years since it began it has raised over $3 million dollars to support programs and services at MGH. Recent and future funding is expected to support the installation of a second proton therapy machine, extending MGH’s world leadership in this type of treatment, allowing them to treat twice as many patients and save more lives. A new cancer care center with its own building is also envisioned. Funds from The One Hundred are being used to make these advancements possible. The inspirational work of the honorees is the lead story in the campaign to raise these funds, and after hearing just a few of the stories I have no doubt wallets will open.

In the last ten years I have come to realize that you can’t truly celebrate, remember or fight back against cancer without a few tears. I prefer tears of joy, but I’ve got plenty of people to remember and will let the emotions fly as needed. The next story that was shared with the reception attendees had a mix of loss and celebration in it, and I doubt there was a dry eye in the room.

India and Henry Claudy are 10 and 12 years of age, but don’t judge them for their age or size. These two have it all figured out and have a long life of giving back ahead of them. Their father passed away from colon cancer 5 years ago. Before I continue I should mention that they told their own story on stage in front of a couple hundred people for about five minutes. Anyone else want to try that at their age? Every year since their father’s passing they have organized an event called “Family 2 Family”. The Family 2 Family  program anonymously matches families who have loved ones in active treatment at MGH with families from India & Henry’s network of family & friends. Their friends purchase holiday gifts to bring cheer to the families who are going through difficult times during the holiday season. In 2011 they matched 55 families! These two are rock stars in my book. I introduced myself afterwards and could only say one thing, “Thank you.” I hope to meet them again in June at the Gala Event where all 100 of the honorees will be celebrated and thanked. If you do anything today you have to read their profile at The One Hundred web site. If you don’t tear up I’d have someone take your pulse!

In the last ten years I have done things in the fight against cancer that I would not have believed would be attributed to me before my own cancer battle changed my life. Cancer has been a gift. Yes I said that. That is one of the most sick and twisted thoughts I have ever had. I love fighting this thing I hate so much. It feels weird, but it gives me motivation.

I was also honored by MGH this year. And it is a huge honor. I do what I do because I want to make a difference. I’ve never chased after press or the limelight for my efforts, but I have been lucky enough to have had many opportunities to speak at events and share my story. My name has also raced through many of the local newspapers over the years, and with the success of the fundraising team I helped start we are always talked about with high esteem. We’ve always hoped it would inspire others to get involved. The picture to the right is of me and Jen Pitts having just finished our 2011 Relay with a sprinted lap. We were tired and sore from walking all night, but nothing could have been a better symbol of how we fight back than two cancer survivors booking it around the track as the event wound down.

First and foremost I have to thank my friend Marie Payton for thinking so much of my story to put the nomination in for me. When I was contacted about the nomination and selection I had no idea where it came from. A quick blast to friends and Marie raised her hand. This honor is rocking my world right now and I will be forever grateful to her for placing me in the path of this wonderful event.

Yesterday when the web site went live I sent messages via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter sharing my profile and thanking everyone who has supported me.  I’ll close with that message and the link to my profile. You can read it, but I will think so much more of everyone if they spend some time reading the other 99 profiles too. Those stories are at least as inspiring as mine, and the efforts of all of the honorees can teach us about the power of giving back and fighting back.

The MGH One Hundred for 2012 has been announced. I am immensely honored to have been nominated and selected for this incredible recognition. This is for all of you have supported me; I wouldn't have a story worth telling without your support. This belongs to Margot, Mom, Dad, Tim, Abby, Missi, Melissa, all of my family, all of my friends and the many donors who have offered their support over the years. We did this, and we should be really proud of it!

http://www.theonehundred.org/honorees/view/jason-phelps/

Cheers!

Jason

p.s. I wouldn't be keeping in the spirit of my profile if I didn't share the link to the current fundraising effort I am soliciting support for. My team is racing towards having raised over $100,000 since 2003. You can help us with that through a donation. Support Jason in the 2012 Relay For Life.

What Is The Relay For Life?

( Yes we must believe and we must have hope. Friends of ours from our event. )

The Relay For Life is the flagship fundraising event for the American Cancer Society and the largest community driven fundraiser in the world. The Relay For Life is a celebration, a remembrance and a promise for the future. In the first two parts of this series about my cancer journey and how I’m fighting back (Part 1, Part 2) I shared the beginning of the story and the history of the team I helped form to volunteer and fundraise in our local communities. Through the Relay For Life I’ve learned so much and met so many great people that I couldn’t think of giving this experience back.That's why I'm sharing it with you!

The Relay For Life is a place where all of us who share in the cancer story can go to give support, get support, fight back and make a difference. Teams raise money for months leading up to the event, hosting fundraisers and soliciting family, friends and co-workers. I’ll get to where the money goes in a future post, but just to keep it simple, your money goes to fund programs and research that make you and a whole shitload of other people heroes to people with cancer. I’ve been, there and it sucks, and having caring, well trained people there to help makes a huge difference.  Be that hero.

( I was asked to be the survivor speaker at the kickoff in 2011. 

Shaved my head for it. Just because I could.)

Our local event is held at the track of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. We kick off the event with a survivor lap which is one of the most emotional events I’ve ever been party to. It’s hard to write about the survivor lap now because several people I loved and who also shared the pleasure of this most cruel of best things ever, are no longer here to walk it with me. So when I tell you this all sucks, don’t underestimate what I mean. But it is the people who you get in with at this event that make you realize its power. Caregivers join survivors for a second lap, and then all the team and event participants get into it from there. Survivors and caregivers are invited to a celebratory reception following the kickoff and initial laps. After that I always look forward to walking a few laps with my whole team making noise and letting people know we are there and fighting back.

The walking in circles will go on now for 17 more hours. Teams are obliged to have one member on the track at all times until the event loses at noon the next day.

In 2010 after being astonished at what our scrappy little team had accomplished I fashioned up the following slideshow/video as a tribute to what we had done. Here we are two years later with me thinking about needing a bigger sign to fit We raised $100,000.00!!!!! on.

Throughout the night there are games, activities, fundraisers, music, dancing and lots of laughing. We do turn off the lights at 9PM and use the glow from luminaria bags to walk in silence for an hour remembering those who can no longer be with us and honoring those on the front lines in this fight.

Then there is more walking, a bit more walking; what is it with all the walking? Man, I have never walked so much and not physically gotten anywhere like I do at Relay. Each lap has a theme, with the turning of each debuting new costumes, music and activities. A warm cup of coffee is a welcome friend at 2 AM when there are only 100 people on the track.

When morning finally comes we are all usually pretty happy, and more or less so based on the overnight weather. You aren’t technically camping, more like bivouacking or manning a field outpost. We’ve had thunderstorms come right across the field, pouring rain, steady but constant rain, fog, cold and wind. We’ve heard reports of other events seeing snow. You will want to be a bit hardcore to deal with it. And walk 30+ miles in any or all of it. Morning snacks are brought in by team relief that heads back to our house overnight. Boxes of donuts are made scarce in short order.

Cancer affects all of us sooner or later. Don’t believe me? The latest statistic from the American Cancer Society is that 1 in 2 people will be affected by cancer in our lifetime. None of us live alone forever, so it affects all of us sooner or later. I tell people that I feel that everyone should support a cause they can get behind, but truly support it. And for many people that means putting their support with someone else who is making just the difference they can be part of. I can’t thank you, my family, my friends and all the people who have continued to support me in this fight enough. We are ALL making a difference.

To be someone’s hero donate to the Relay For Life using the online form at http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12NE?px=1344507&pg=personal&fr_id=39884

Be an even bigger hero and send this post to your friends. Facebook it, Tweet it, send and email, make a call, write a letter, send a carrier pigeon with a blank money order, what ever it takes. We need to more fighters and more ammo in this fight!

Cheers!

Jason