Announcing Team Heather's Dual Purposes - Awareness & Fund-Raising

Hello All,

Team Heather, the effort initiated in 2001 to support my youngest sister in her battle with breast cancer, has now branched off into two exciting endeavors: a fund-raising effort through Team Heather’s participation in Komen’s National Race for the Cure, and an awareness effort through this Team Heather Blog. Last year, the fund-raising effort of Team Heather placed third out of over 1200 teams, with $27,500 raised by 77 team members. The awareness effort has just begun.

(Look, however, for the line between the two to blur somewhat as we grow closer to the June 3, 2006 race-day. This blog will be used to update and communicate progress of the fund-raising efforts of the official Komen National Race for the Cure's Team Heather website. It’s the only way to see our daunting $30,000 goal come true.)

During the other months of the year, the overarching goal of this blog and the Team Heather awareness effort is to educate, inform, empower, enlighten, strengthen, lift, and motivate breast cancer survivors facing personal battles with breast cancer, no matter where they are in the process of treatment and recovery. I maintain that it is essential to provide an abundance of resources to breast cancer survivors, in order to make their search for answers, their need for support, and their ability to fight more practical and successful through one, concentrated tool.

It is my goal to make this blog a storage-house of information, where individuals will be pointed in any number of directions in order to help make the important decisions one makes in battling breast cancer.

By the way, my view of a breast cancer survivor is fairly broad, in that I believe if you are an individual newly diagnosed and beginning treatment, an individual who has completed treatment and is newly cancer-free, an individual who has lost the battle with breast cancer, or the co-surviving spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, or grandchild of any of the first three, you are a breast cancer survivor.

The first "links" section of my Team Heather Blog contains specific organizations created to answer questions, provide guidance, offer options, produce research, ease fears, celebrate stories, embrace pro-activity, create communities, and link to further resources for breast cancer survivors of all kinds. In this section you will find websites geared towards individuals from all walks of life, including African American, Hispanic, Gay/Lesbian, White, Disadvantaged, At-risk, Young, Old, Underprivileged, and more. My advice - get lost in these websites.

The second "links" section highlights products, retailers, organizations, efforts, literature, services, gifts, symbols, games, treats, stress-relievers, events, support groups, and alerts that serve to send the message of unity and hope to breast cancer survivors, through pink ribbon and breast cancer awareness-focused avenues. I think you will find phenomenal illustrations inside to demonstrate your dedication and commitment to this fight.

Finally, there is a third "links" section called, "_____ for the Cure," where fund-raising events from all across the country are spotlighted. Obviously, the most recognizable of these events is the national, "Race for the Cure," but there are activities within as diverse as the individuals affected by this disease. Here you will find that you can cut, boogie, crunch, cook, write, shower, ride, quilt, toast , swing, stitch, ski, and more for the cure. Do anything, do something!

I thank you for your support in Team Heather's new awareness effort and I hope you will return again and again to my Team Heather Blog. I invite you also to participate in our fund-raising efforts through joining the Komen National Race for the Cure's Team Heather; look for information on how to do so coming soon.

I thank you on behalf of my sister, Heather, and the thousands and thousands of breast cancer survivors, for your commitment to finding a cure to this indiscriminate disease. Please email me with questions, comments, suggestions, and more at gardnershawn68@aol.com. Together, we can make a difference.

Thanks again,
Shawn