TEAM HEATHER AND THE KOMEN NATIONAL RACE FOR THE CURE REGISTRATION IS UP AND RUNNING

Come join Team Heather and help us get to our 2006 goal of $30,000 to fight breast cancer. Just visit the Team Heather webpage for the Komen National Race for the Cure to become a team member or visit my personal Komen National Race for the Cure webpage to sponsor me personally. WE NEED YOUR HELP and so do thousands of underprivileged women who can't afford the testing, screening, and treatment to battle their breast cancer. Join us, won't you?

If you are unsure about joining the team OR sponsoring us, I thought it might help to learn a bit about Heather. She was my youngest sister. Heather was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at age 25 and participated in the National Race for the Cure® in 2001 and 2002. Heather offered herself up to speak around Northeast Ohio on the importance of early detection and treatment for breast cancer. She was determined to help improve the quality of life for those less fortunate. Heather’s intense desire to inform and educate other women, young and old alike, on the dangers of emerging breast cancer guided her decision to proudly go wigless and hatless throughout her treatment. At 26, and recently married, Heather lost the battle with breast cancer she had been fighting for over a year and a half.

This year, Team Heather is proud to announce our 2006 Komen National Race for the Cure's Honorary Team Captain is the lead singer from “Eddie From Ohio,” and my very good friend, Julie Murphy Wells. Last September, Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer and is now undergoing her last rounds of chemotherapy; remission, here she comes! For those who know and love Julie, we aren't surprised she's tackling this experience with the same faith, courage, humor, and spirit with which she walks through life.

Also, it is with just as much celebration that we announce United States Congressman, and close friend, Jim Kolbe (AZ) has agreed to become our 2006 Honorary Team Chairman - "I would be honored to serve as your Honorary Chairman for your team." Congressman Kolbe’s family has been struck by cancer as well and is more than happy to lend his name and prestige to Team Heather’s efforts this year.

Come join the team! You CAN make a difference. PLEASE act now!

Team Heather Captain,
Shawn Gardner

Team Heather Adds United States Congressman Jim Kolbe to the Team as the 2006 Honorary Chairman

Family and friends of Team Heather had no words to explain the excitement we felt when we announced that Eddie From Ohio's lead singer, Julie Murphy Wells, agreed to become the team's 2006 Honorary Team Captain. It is with just as much celebration that we announce United States Congressman, and close friend, Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) has agreed to become our 2006 Honorary Team Chairman, saying, "I would be honored to serve as your Honorary Chairman for your team."

TEAM HEATHER HAS A UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN FOR OUR HONORARY CHAIRMAN!!! This is all very hard to believe for those of us who sat in a neighbor's back patio years ago and decided that we were going to make Team Heather a fundraising force to be reckoned with. A new Team Heather awareness website, a nationally known bands' lead singer as our Honorary Team Captain, a United States Congressman a our Honorary Chairman, and a $30,000 fundraising goal - 2006 will be quite a year for Team Heather.

Representative Kolbe, an 11 term Congressman from Arizona, is an advocate for personal savings accounts, a leader and proponent of immigration reform and strengthening border security, and a fierce proponent of smaller government, lower taxes, and more individual responsibility. Most importantly to Team Heather, Congressman Koble has demonstrated his desire to help in the fight against breast cancer by joining our team. Thanks Jim!

Komen's "National Race for the Cure" 2005 Grant Awardees

It is always amazing to raise money and see where it actually goes to be used well. Last year, Team Heather raised over $27,500 for Komen's National Race for the Cure. The 2005 Komen Grant Awardees have recently been announced and seeing some of the recipients of the hard work of over 1000 teams and thousands of individuals really makes the months of hard work pay off. Thank you Komen, for using this money wisely. Take a look at the work of some of the awardees below:

Adventist Healthcare

Arlington Free Clinic

Boat People S.O.S.

Cancer Research And Prevention Foundation

CASA of Maryland, Inc.

DC Department of Health

Holy Cross Hospital

La Clinica del Pueblo

Lombardi - Capital Breast Care Center

Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc.

Mautner Project

National Capital Area Affiliate of Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

Nueva Vida

Providence Hospital

Suburban Hospital Cancer Program

Sibley Memorial Hospital

Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts

Washington Adventist Hospital

Whitman Walker Clinic

If you visit any of these sites above, you will see that the monies raised from Komen's National Race for the Cure go to helping underprivileged women become informed on, tested for, and treated against breast cancer. Heather loved this goal of providing assistance for women who can't enjoy the type of medical care she received, so the $27,500 that Team Heather raised in 2005 is continuing here work today. Thanks, and $30,000, here we come!