People ask me why I walk, and raise money, and am so involved with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. To understand, watch the short video I made titled “Boston Closing Ceremony” and look at the pictures of the youth crew members in their bright yellow sweatshirts. The tears they shed are for mothers who have died from breast cancer. One of them said at the evening activity at the Boston walk, she wishes she could have a hug from her mother. Need I say more as to why I do this?
Money from the Avon Walk supports many organizations that help women coping with cancer right now. Including support for more than 95 “safety net” hospitals that treat the medically underserved, offering unique and vital Patient Navigator programs and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment. The Avon Foundation has helped more than 1,000,000 women in the U.S. receive a mammogram. More than two-thirds of these women were uninsured, and more than half were from minority populations.
Your donation helps provide services to women who may otherwise not receive them because of either inadequate health insurance or none at all. Any amount is very much appreciated ! Learn more about the good work performed by the Avon Foundation and the Avon Walk –> http://avonwalk.org
To make a donation to my walk –> http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/kr. Thank you, Karen
I just updated my donation page on the Avon Walk website and my website Beadsrock.com with the Walk 2010 information. This will be my fifth season participating in the NY walk. I am also signing up to go to Boston to be part of the crew team – third year and one other crew team, most likely Washington, DC.
The Great Start Party date for New York has been set. If you plan to attend, be sure to RSVP on the Avon Walk website.
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Address:
394 Broadway
4th Floor
New York, NY 10013
The party is a great opportunity to meet the staff, other walkers and learn about the walk.
Last Sunday, I went to a small holiday craft fair in Mount Vernon, NY. The turn out was light and the buying was even lighter. I sold a pair of earrings, a baby hat, a knit zebra doll and some candy bars for a grand total of $30. After paying $20 for the table, I was left with $10 raised for the walk. I hope this is not an indication of how the rest of the year’s fund-raising will go.
Scruffy enjoys his favorite time of the year - SNOW!
Looking for the perfect holiday gift, something that will make you smile, occasionally chuckle, and at times cry? What could contain all these emotions in an easy to transport package you are asking? Why, the one and only “Scruffy the Legend” book. This is the heartwarming story about a dog rescued after living for months in a shelter because no one wanted him. It is the “tail” of Darryl and his life with his new found friend Scruffy.
Similar to Marley and Me, it recounts the day to day adventures a dog can create, like being so proud when he caught a dead squirrel.
The book is available on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. You can read the author’s blog where he writes about his new dogs, Ruby and Charlie –> http://beadsrock.com/blog1/ . Follow him on Twitter where he posts humorous snippets of life with the dogs, including discussions between the dogs –> http://twitter.com/ScruffyLegend.
Full disclosure: The author, Darryl Schwartz, is my husband and this is a shameless plug for his book 
He self-published the book after the death of Scruffy because he wanted others to know about this special dog. So far, he has sold about 300 copies. He also donates copies to dog rescue groups to be used in their fundraising activities. During a number of fundraising auctions, it has sold for as much as $41!
This year, we are going to visit friends for Thanksgiving. I am bringing the sweet potatoes and a vegetable dish. For the veggies, I chose broccoli and cauliflower. As the menfolk are unlikely to eat these vegetable if they are lightly steamed, I will be making an au grautin sauce. No one can resist cheese sauce.
The average American consumes more than 6,000 calories on Thanksgiving day. This includes the holiday meal weighing in at about 3,000 calories, as well as a breakfast of juice, bagel with butter, an egg, and 2 cups of coffee (700 calories), the pre-dinner grazing on chips, dip, cheese & crackers and wine or beer (1,400 calories) and the post football game sandwich and soda (600 calories). To see the breakdown of this belly-busting day, check out the NY Times Eating Well article http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/30/garden/eating-well.html.
So how long would you need to exercise to undo the damage from the Turkey Feast?? You could:
- Run for 4.8 hour (1 hour at 8 mph = 1,229 calories)
- Walk for 17 hours (1 hour at 3.5 mph = 346 calories)
- Play racket ball for 9.4 hours (1 hour casual, general = 637 calories)
- Practice Tae Kwon Do for 6.5 hours (1 hour = 910 calories)
Data from MayoClinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00109.
Or try this handy online calculator to check out your favorite activity: http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/lighten-up-and-get-moving. It includes a vast array of activities, including “clearing out an illegal dump” ~400 calories/hour, “stacking wood for winter” ~ 380 calories/hour and “scrubbing floors” ~350 calores/hour.
Surgery, radiation and chemo treatments can have long term after effects. I’ve met a number of women who have experience numbness in their extremities, weakness, and pain long after the treatment has ended. A recent study looks at pain post surgery.
From New York Times
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: November 10, 2009
Breast cancer patients often experience pain that persists long after surgery, and a new Danish study has found that the problem affects a large proportion of women. Almost half the patients reported chronic pain two to three years after treatment, and more than half reported discomfort.
The patients most likely to have these effects were those under 40, those who had undergone radiation treatment and those who had surgery to remove all of the lymph nodes in the armpit rather than a less invasive procedure called a sentinel node biopsy, which can be used to determine whether the cancer has spread.
Read entire article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/research/17prog.html
Now that the weather is turning colder, it is time to start knitting in earnest. Something about having a large wool garment draped across me during the summer is just not appealing. Knitting socks and other small pieces are fine as they don’t create a blanket effect as I work on them.
One of the projects the Knitting Hope group is working on is a cowl neck warmer which will be donated to patients with colon or kidney cancer. Apparently, these folks are more sensitive to the cold during treatment and appreciate the extra warmth a cowl can provide. I have already completed 2 using the pattern Linda provided.
Last Friday, I found what I consider to be the ultimate cowl pattern on Knitty.com called “Sugar on Snow“. When I saw the picture on the website, I was not overwhelmed because the color choice used was at best: Meh, in my humble opinion. So, I went to the Stitching Bee and found the most luxurious baby alpaca wool from Plymouth Yarn – Baby Alpaca Grande 
Hand Dyed in blues and purples (number 9 on the color chart). It is as soft as a kitten’s belly fur, no complaints of scratchy wool will come from the person who wears this yarn.
Now what makes this the ultimate cowl, is that it is also a hat. There is a cord that runs near the top of the piece and when pulled tight, it creates a hat. When loosened, the piece can be worn as a cowl. How cool is that?!?
The piece knits up very quickly. I used #10 circular needles and cast on 68 stitches. When stitching the I-cord, I found that I needed to decrease the needles to #8 Double Points as the cord was very thick when knit on #10’s. The leaves are crocheted instead of knit. The pattern has the directions to knit the leaves, but it was way to complicated for me to follow – I am still a beginner/intermediate knitter. This pattern called for a “baby cable” stitch, which I would refer to more as a mock cable as no cable needle was needed. The stitch is: Knit 2 together (K2tog) but do not drop stitches from left needle, knit into first of these stitches again, drop both stitches from left needle, purl 2, which sound more complicated that it turned out to be. This was the first time I attempted a stitch like this, and found it was actually easy to knit. The only other stitch that required some concentration was the eyelet row (makes the holes for the cord to go through): Knit 2 together (K2tog) but do not drop stitches from left needle, knit into first of these stitches again, drop both stitches from left needle, yarn over (yo), Purl 2 together (P2tog).
And as an added bonus, I got to practice taking photos of the finished cowl/hat with my new camera.
The 3rd annual dinner for Avon Walkers was hosted again by the wonderful folks at God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD). We were greeted by Karen Pearl, President and CEO, Gary Snieski, Bill Gioconda, and Karen Bdera.
One of the highlights of the evening is having the opportunity to speak with clients who are currently receiving meals throught GLWD. In the photo on the left (second row, second from left), is Janice. I spoke to her at length about her journey with breast cancer. She was first diagnosed over 7 years ago. She was treated with the standard protocol of lumpectomy, radiation and chemo. When statistics are quoted for success rates in breast cancer, it is typically agreed that 5 years with a non-recurrence is a successful outcome. Janice passed the five year mark cancer free.
This year, 7 1/2 years since the first occurrence of breast cancer, she found a lump. It was a particularly aggressive tumor type. In July, she again underwent surgery and chemo. This time, the chemo resulted in neuropathy in her feet and hands along with a loss of taste and smell. She now needs to use a cane to walk in order to help with balance.
She contacted a meal delivery program because she was having trouble going to the market and cooking after her chemo sessions. Not to mention that not having a sense of taste or smell on top of the GI distress caused by chemo made eating unappealing. Janice was told that there was at least a one month waiting list before meals could start to be delivered. Much too long to wait… she had already lost 30 pounds and she had not started with much to spare in the first place.
A friend mentioned GLWD and Janice called. The following day, a nutritionist met with her and developed a dietary plan specifically tailored to Janice’s needs. Meals started to arrive the next day.
Janice is an extraordinary person. She has an indomitable spirit. She told her oncologist that she plans to live to 104 and she expects him to do everything to ensure she reaches her goal. I asked her to invite me to her birthday party.
God’s Love We Deliver, provides nutritious, freshly prepared meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimers and other life-altering illnesses who cannot shop or cook for themselves. They serve people in New York City and Hudson County and Newark, New Jersey. All of their services are provided free of charge.
On average, GLWD delivers over 3,000 meals every weekday, year round. To date, GLWD has delivered over 10 million meals to clients. In addition, they provide nutritional education and counseling, and client advocacy.
God’s Love We Deliver received $200,000 from the Avon Foundation to continue the program to provide nutrition education and meals to breast cancer patients and their families throughout the New York area. God’s Love We Deliver is part of a network of nutrition programs funded by the Avon Foundation across the country.
Watch a short video about the services they provide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEXfC_9iO3E . To learn more or to make a donation visit their website: http://glwd.org/index.html. Or consider sponsoring me as I will again be participating in the GLWD Race to Deliver 4K in Central Park on November 22 to raise money for this very worthwhile organization.
Here are some of the photos from Charlotte. You can view all the photos on my Flickr account here.
I am again participating in the Race to Deliver on November 22. It’s a 4 mile run/walk around Central Park. I will be walking the course as I would need paramedic intervention if I attempted to run
– Benefits God’s Love We Deliver –
God’s Love We Deliver provides nutritious meals, free of charge, to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-altering illnesses throughout New York City and nearby Newark and Hudson County, New Jersey. Each weekday, serving nearly 1,700 clients— half of them women and children. Their chefs and kitchen volunteers prepare delicious, nourishing food, which their drivers and neighborhood volunteers deliver with love. They also offer free, unlimited illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to their clients as well as to other individuals and organizations. In over 20 years of operation, they have never turned away an eligible person or had a waiting list. Hunger is a need that cannot wait.
You can make a donation on their secure website –> http://www.racetodeliver.org/kar
What your money provides….
$5,000: Meals and nutritional counseling for someone living with HIV/AIDS for one full year.
$2,500: Meals and nutritional counseling for someone living with cancer for six months.
$1,100: Meals and nutritional counseling for a child for 11 weeks.
$500: Meals and nutritional counseling for someone living with Parkinson’s disease for 5 weeks.
$250: Over 25 delicious meals and nutrition counseling to someone in need.
Learn more about GLWD on their website: http://www.glwd.org/
This year is the first year I did not walk in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Instead, I participated as a crew member – one of the event photographers at the Boston, New York and Charlotte walks. It was a truly awesome experience. For each event, I was given a sign for my truck windshield which read “Press” and a button to wear reading “Photo Crew”. As I walked around, I asked people to smile while I took their pictures. There wasn’t a single person who said, “No”. Most people were more than happy to mug for the camera, others smiled shyly.
My favorite subjects are people who came out to cheer for the walkers. These people take time out of their day on either Saturday or Sunday to stand along the route and encourage the walkers. Some bring homemade signs. Others wear pink and wave pompoms. Some even dress up their dogs with a pink bow. In each city, there are impromptu cheering stations along the walk route.
The group in this photo were from a local radiology center in Charlotte. Seven of the eight people were dressed in pink and one was in white representing the one in eight people who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
I was able to view the walk from a different perspective this year. In the past, when I walked the route, I saw the backs of the walkers ahead of me. Many walkers wear signs on their backs which explain why they walk. It might be for a mother who has passed away from breast cancer, a friend who is a survivor, or for themselves. One time I was behind a guy who was pushing a stroller with a young child. On his back was a sign which included a woman’s picture and the words “For my wife, I miss you” and the birth and death years. That is one of the most poignant memories I have of the walk.
At each of the closing ceremonies, I had the opportunity to be up on stage to photograph the crowd. It is really fascinating to watch the play of emotions across the faces of the people. They are all smiles as they stride into the barricaded area in front of the stage. First the walkers come in on the left and right sides. Then, the survivors wearing their light pink t-shirts and waving white pompoms come in. They are followed by the youth crew in their yellow sweatshirts. Behind them comes the crew members in their blue crew shirts and costumes. Many of the rest stop crews choose themes for their stops and dress up accordingly.
During the speeches, the crowd becomes subdued, listening to the personal story of one of the walkers. A video is shown, during which many of the people start to cry as they are reminded of loved ones who have been touched by cancer. Finally, the crowd comes together, clasping hands and cheering as they celebrate their accomplishments of raising awareness, money and completing the walk.
Over the 3 walks this year, I took 5,400 photos! Quite amazing, if you ask me. I have posted them on my Flickr account. Some of the photos made it to the AvonWalk.org website: Boston, New York, and Charlotte (my photos have the file name DSC_xxxx). In addition, at the NY walk, I had the opportunity to take photos of guest speaker Suze Orman with the beneficiaries.
Two of my photos were choose to be part of the press release issued by Avon. My photos are of Suze Orman and the crowd. The press release was picked up by Newcom.com including the crowd shot! Which I think makes me a published photographer, except that I did not receive photo credit 
.
Next year, I hope to be able to reprise my role of photographer, and I plan to walk at least one of the events.
This year, I participated in 3 of the 9 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer events: Boston, New York, and Charlotte. Your generous contributions totaled $5,041. Thank you ! I really appreciate all your support, especially in light of the difficult economic times.
Some stats from the 3 walks:
Boston:
- The Avon Walk Boston raised more than $5.6 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer.
- The Avon Walk Boston was a huge success, with over 2500 participants drawn from 37 states, including 214 breast cancer survivors, who joined together to raise lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer.
- Press release for Boston walk: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/DocServer/Boston_Closing_Release_.pdf?docID=9722
New York:
- The seventh annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer season continued with the Avon Walk in New York, which raised more than $9.5 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer, making it the largest Avon Walk of 2009.
- The Avon Walk New York is the eighth of nine Avon Walks this year, and the event attracted 4,000 participants drawn from 4 countries and 46 states plus Washington, DC. Among the participants were nearly 450 breast cancer survivors and over 400 men, who joined together to raise lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer.
- Press release for New York walk: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/DocServer/NY_Closing_Release_rev.pdf?docID=10102
Charlotte:
- The Avon Walk Charlotte raised more than $2.3 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer.
- The Avon Walk Charlotte was a huge success, with over 1100 participants drawn from 4 countries and 39 states, including 114 breast cancer survivors, who joined together to raise lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer.
- Press release for Charlotte: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/DocServer/AWBC_Charlotte_Closing_Release_-_FINAL.pdf?docID=10162
Be a member of my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer support team on Facebook. I'm trying to get 1000 people before the NY walk in October 
