Monday, July 25, 2011

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." ~ Oscar Wilde

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for each and every donation received. Your personal commitment was incredibly gracious and allowed us to reach our goal. Your assistance means so much to me but even more to every single person affected by cancer. Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough. 


Who knew?

When I started this blog; this fundraising idea, it was on a whim. I hadn't thought about it, in fact, it wasn't even my idea. The Walworth County Cloggers (who my daughter dances with) had a Relay For Life team and the goal was to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I posted a status update on my Facebook that said if every one of my Facebook friends would donate just 99 cents I would have over $500 to donate to the Relay For Life.

A friend responded with I'm in!

Then another one said I'll donate, too!

And then another asked where's the donation button? I want to donate.

An idea was born. It seemed obvious.

Instead of a couple people donating a lot, maybe a lot of people could donate a little and it would add up. The saying goes if you save your pennies, soon you will have dollars. And dollars we got!

Because of you - yes, YOU - your generous heart, your giving spirit and your willingness to make a change - this little blog raised a total of $727.31 which was presented to the Walworth County Cloggers this past Friday at the Relay For Life.

From left: Walworth County Cloggers Director Shannon Wefelmann;
Amazing Cancer Fighter Heidi Schulz; Heidi's beautiful daughter, Katelyn; and me.

The cloggers had a team goal of raising $5,000... I have to admit thinking this was somewhat of a lofty goal for them. But they proved me wrong by raising over $5,000 and also winning the Team Spirit award. (Let me tell you, this group definitely has spirit!)

In 2006, one of their dancers was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Michelle was determined to continue dancing for as long as she could and was a true example of spirit and determination. Today she is in remission, continues to dance and is also an instructor for the group. A better role model could not be found.


The Survivor Lap
Heidi & Michelle can be seen proudly sporting the purple survivor shirts!

Recently, a Clogging Mom of another dancer was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Heidi just happened to also be the Team Captain for Relay For Life. The event took an almost painfully poignant turn for her and her young daughter, Katelyn.

Heidi led the team with true grit and determination and a lot of laughter. She is an awesome example of never giving up, never giving in and blowing expectations out of the water. (You should have seen the campsite! It was beyond awesome!)


The fight isn't over and I pray the cure is within reaching distance. I truly believe that we're almost there. As long as we keep taking steps - no matter how small they may seem - towards finding a cure, we'll get there.

With your continued help and support, we will get there.


I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,
but for you my heart has no bottom. 
Author Unknown

Friday, July 22, 2011

Donating for Dan

Last night, I denied a donation.


I received a message from my friend Dan who said he wanted to donate something. And I said no.


Dan is a single, good looking, hard working, quiet guy. The type of guy who puts everyone else first and always leaves himself for last.

These last couple of years he has been devoted to taking care of his father, who, due to some very serious health issues, was at a hospital (long term) over an hour away from where Dan lives.

Dan worked full time, went to see his father at the hospital and made it his mission to see that his dad got better enough to come home. Dedicated is an understatement.

Dan spent hours and hours fixing up his Dad's house. Installing handicap accessible bathrooms and ramps and railings - making the home safe for his father to come home and live in.

Dan also had his own house that was a fixer-upper, so he was busy spending time between dwellings. Needless to say, it was a lot of work.

In addition to dealing with his father's finances and mounting medical bills, Dan has mounting medical bills of his own.

See, Dan has had his run in with cancer. A few years ago he was diagnosed with leukemia.

When you don't have really great insurance and are diagnosed with cancer those medical bills can quickly get the best of you.

When you're single and have cancer you feel very much isolated and alone. You don't have a partner to pick up the slack, so to speak. There is no one there to do the dishes, make you a smoothie, or sit with you because for some reason you can't explain being in a room by yourself right now feels like it would kill you.

Dan recently was told he's in remission and we all rejoiced!

And then he was diagnosed with Lupus. He is 33 years old.

It's like the guy can't catch a break.

He believes in what the American Cancer Society is and does because he's experienced it first hand. So he called me and told me he wanted to donate.

But I couldn't do it. Because, like I told him, we do this FOR YOU, Dan. We walk FOR YOU and for every other person out there like you.

And I know that the rule is to accept every donation with a smile... but I can't do that with Dan.

He donated when he was handed this diagnosis.

He donated his time, his hope, and his sense of security.

He donated his body to be looked at, poked at, explored and documented so that doctors could learn from him in order to help someone else.

I can't take a donation from Dan.... but I CAN and will take each and every donation made in his name.


This one's FOR you, Dan!
Also, if you want to go one a date with Dan I can totally hook you up.
Because this guy's a keeper.


To donate, please use the donate button on the right side of this blog post.
All proceeds will go to the Walworth County Cloggers' 2011 Relay For Life Team to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Just 99 Cents Heads Towards $500

"I just donated. Once for every time I started to or thought about getting on your blog. Had I not had an excuse every time (wallet is in car, don't have time, do it tomorrow....) this would be close to the amount had I donated just 99 cents that day."
~ Emily K

Just 99 cents for every prayer please, God, don't let it be cancer.

Just 99 cents for each minute in the doctor's office.

Just 99 cents for each pill that is taken.

Just 99 cents for each taste bud that stops working.

Just 99 cents for every muscle that aches.

Just 99 cents for every mark drawn on the skin to guide the red light.

Just 99 cents for each and every chemo treatment.

Just 99 cents for every hair that falls to the floor.

Just 99 cents for every nurse who injects a needle.

Just 99 cents for every x-ray read.

Just 99 cents for every person pacing the halls while fighting back tears.

Just 99 cents for every remission.

Just 99 cents for every praise God!

Just 99 cents for every heart that stops beating.

Just 99 cents for every good bye.

Just 99 cents for every time someone thought about donating.

Just 99 cents for every excuse.

We are so very, very close to reaching our goal of raising $500 just 99 cents at a time. With your help, I know we can make it.



To donate, please use the donate button on the right side of this blog post.
All proceeds will go to the Walworth County Cloggers' 2011 Relay For Life Team to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

For Katelyn: A Mother's Walk

Cancer seems to be everywhere around us. Rarely do you find a person who has known not one single soul affected by this bullying disease. Too often when you ask someone if they've ever known someone who has been affected by cancer they begin to list name after precious name. Too many names...

The names of those who have lost, those who have survived and those continuing to fight are on the hearts and minds of every single person who walks during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

But I think that there are far too many of us walkers that wouldn't be there at all if it weren't for the heart and drive of the Team Captain.

Each team has a captain. A leader. A guide. Someone who feels the importance of this event with every fiber of their being. Someone who won't - and can't - let this opportunity pass without giving it everything they've got.

They gather people for their team. They attend every meeting. Pass out information. Cheerlead, encourage, and promote like no other.

Our Team Captain for the Walworth County Cloggers is Heidi Schulz.

Heidi, in a most understated, quiet way, is nothing short of amazing. She is a single mom of one of the cutest, sweetest, most respectful kids I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She's the clogging mom that quietly volunteers for pretty much everything yet never seeks recognition. She's dependable. She takes on way too much and never complains when she's up until the wee hours of the morning finishing something. She takes a lot of pride in what she does. She always wants us, as a clogging team, to put our best foot forward, and she quietly sees that it's done.

Heidi also has cancer.

So, why does a woman during the year she has undergone surgery, chemo and now radiation for breast cancer stay on as the Team Captain?

I asked her. And this is Heidi's answer, in her own words:

"It’s not too often that I go back on my promises, no matter how many things I may have going on in my life...but Cancer??? I wasn’t expecting that one to be added to my stress list for 2011.

Single mom, full-time job, running my own business besides my full-time job, the first summer of Katelyn not having her dad around and juggling that schedule on my own, among all the other regular ups and downs of everyday life, well, throw some cancer in there, too.

I guess I took it on for a selfish reason, to prove to myself that I still could handle everything that I might have handled before this dreaded cancer so terribly changed my life.

I can’t lie, I’ve had LOTS of help with Relay this year, but I will stress up until the minute it begins to make sure everything gets done just right...that’s just me!

And why Relay For Life? To be honest, throughout this Cancer journey I can say that the American Cancer Society was the only national organization that offered me any real assistance, so my loyalty will remain with them and doing what little I can to give back.

Seriously though, I wanted my daughter to be proud of me. She’s seen me fight; she’s witnessed the sadness of losing a parent and watching the other fight cancer all in one year.

She hates cancer, too, now, and I just wanted to have something we could do together to fight back and try to have some smiles and hope for those better days to come...without cancer.

Katelyn is so excited for Relay it makes me smile just to think about it!!!"


Tomorrow, we will walk.

We will walk for all the daughters whose Mom's have cancer. We will walk for all the fears and bad dreams and throats with lumps and tummy's that hurt and anger and rage and sobs into a Mother's loving arms.

Tomorrow, Katelyn, we will walk with you.



To donate, please use the donate button on the right side of this blog post.
All proceeds will go to the Walworth County Cloggers' 2011 Relay For Life Team to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

One Hundred Sit-ups in a Day

I had managed to make my way through the first few days of Army Boot Camp without too much trouble. It was a whirlwind of activity and learning and testing that flew by in the blink of an eye.

And then I found trouble in the form of Drill Sergeant Wills.

It didn't matter how well I behaved, how straight and still I stood, how neat my bunk was made: he'd "drop" me. But instead of push ups, I was ordered to do sit-ups. It seemed like no sooner had I completed my required 10 sit-ups that I was ordered to do them again.

Standing in line outside the dining hall he'd walk up to me and bark, "Drop and give me ten!"

Waiting for the barracks to be inspected he'd march up to me and yell, "Drop and give me ten!"

For days this went on.

Weeks.

I didn't understand it. I felt I was being picked on. Discriminated against, but for what I didn't know. I felt broken down. Nothing I did was right, obviously. And no one else seemed to be picked on as much as me.

One night I just had it. I had enough. And I broke down. With each sit-up I cried harder. Tears streaming down my face. I couldn't control the sobs. And I was embarrassed.

The Drill Sergeant ordered me to stand up, go wash my face and meet him in his office in five minutes.

The last thing I wanted to do was be alone with this bully. But I had no choice.

I walked into his office and waited my fate. He surprised me by pleasantly asking me to sit down. Then he pulled out a piece of paper and pointed to it.

"See this?" he explained. "This is your physical fitness test results. You are one of the best runners I've seen in a long time. You came in third overall - and that included the men." He moved his finger down. "And this? This is the results of your push-ups. It's nothing short of amazing. Rarely do we see females with this kind of upper arm strength. But this - " His finger moved to the next line. "This is pathetic. This is your sit-ups. You can barely do one! If you don't get this under control you could fail the entire physical fitness test. That means no matter how well you do in other areas it just doesn't count. You fail."

I stared at the paper. He was right. I hated doing sit-ups. I wasn't good at them. I didn't like anything about them.

He continued, "I drop you because there is no way I can get you to do a hundred push-ups at once. But if I spread it out over the course of the day, a little here, a little there - then you can do it. You completed fifty sit-ups before lunch. If I told you to give me fifty right now could you do it?"

I slowly shook my head no.

"Each time you do a little bit you're taking a step to reach your goal and that's all that matters. Remember that, Private."

I tell you this because every small donation you make to the American Cancer Society makes a difference.

Every single dollar collected adds up.... and brings us one step closer to our goal.

Would you please consider donating just 99 cents today?


To donate, please use the donate button on the right side of this blog post.
All proceeds will go to the Walworth County Cloggers' 2011 Relay For Life Team to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Four More Days...

In four days... on Friday, July 22, 2011... people will walk.

They will walk for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

They will walk in the hopes of finding a cure.

They will walk to keep the treasured memory of a loved one lost alive.

They will walk because it is them.

They will walk because it could be them.

They will walk and laugh.

They will walk and shed tears.

Some will talk and giggle and talk some more while they walk.

Others will walk with steps full of courage yet heavy with fear because they don't know what their tomorrow brings.

Some will hold hands.

Others will walk alone.

Some will walk amongst the heightened excitement; when music and laughter and the enticement of food dance along.

Some will walk in the dark, quiet hours... where dreams of the future and whispers of the past mingle together.

Others will walk as the sun also rises, accepting her smile as a reminder that there is hope in every second of every day.

They walk because they believe we are so close to finding a cure.

They walk because they refuse to let this disease take control.

They walk to raise funds for research, advocacy and patient support programs.

They walk because how could they not?



To date, we have collected over $260 just 99 cents at a time.

But can you do more?

Look around your office... collect just 99 cents from each of your co-workers.

Go through your Christmas Card recipient list... collect just 99 cents from each family.

Have your friends over for game night... ask each person to bring just 99 cents.

Walk up and down the street you live on... ask each family to donate just 99 cents.

The cure is out there... it's just waiting for us to find it.



To donate, please use the donate button on the right side of this blog post.
All proceeds will go to the Walworth County Cloggers' 2011 Relay For Life Team to benefit the American Cancer Society.