April 6, 2010

This is such a great story! I wanted to share it with you today in case you didn’t hear about it last week.

Press Release Source: The Keep A Breast Foundation On Monday March 29, 2010, 5:12 pm EDT

DANA POINT, CA–(Marketwire – 03/29/10) – Professional surfer and Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) ambassador Jodie Nelson became the first woman to paddle 39.8 grueling miles from the island of Catalina to Dana Point yesterday. She finished in 9 hours, one minute and 21 seconds, all in an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and prevention.

I hope you can take a few minutes to watch this video. It’s incredible!

Jodie started her journey at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, March 28, the only person doing a solo paddle as part of the Ohana Ocean Catalina Challenge. On the top of her paddleboard, she had printed names of loved ones close to her who were affected by breast cancer. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor, her aunt is a cancer survivor and one of her dearest friends is currently battling the disease.

“I wanted to go out there and do something big and overwhelming, something I had a good chance of failing at… I see so many people who have battled and who are beating breast cancer, they are tackling something bigger than them. They keep fighting and don’t give up. I want to motivate people to keep fighting!”

18 miles into the paddle, Jodie had a close encounter with a 30-foot minke whale, which are fairly rare for the waters but are known to be friendly and docile. She dubbed him Larry and watched as he blew bubbles beneath her, fluked, and showed her his belly. The whale stayed with Jodie for about an hour and a half. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said.

According to Ray Hsieh from the Crow’s Nest Boat Center, who was driving Jodie’s support boat, “I’ve been boating and fishing all my life and have never seen anything like what I saw today. It was so strange, I actually called my friends at Sea World to ask them if it was normal, and they said, ‘It’s your lucky day! That whale is just playing. Sit back and enjoy the show.’ So I did.”

Jodie’s campaign to “Paddle With Purpose” is supported by Emergen-C Pink®, which Jodie used during training to help prepare her for the endurance mission.

Jodie’s goal is to raise $100,000, and so far she has reached about $8,000. All funds go toward The Keep A Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer. To donate, go to http://www.paddlewithpurpose.com

Note: Video and still footage of Jodie’s journey, the gray whale and heartfelt welcome by her family and friends is available upon request or by visiting http://tinyurl.com/ygj3wq6 or http://tinyurl.com/yeg48tv.

~LilSis

October 27, 2009

In case you missed our post at the beginning of this month, we went Pink for October to show our support for breast cancer awareness during the entire month of October.

Throughout the month of October, companies around the country step up with pink limited edition products benefiting breast cancer awareness. From laptop cases to beauty products and even applesauce, here are a few of my favorites who donate a percentage of their profits to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

I LOVE this Komen Milano Pink Ribbon Laptop Case sold on SkyMall. Mobile Edge will donate 10% of the retail sales of each case to Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

The OPI Pink of Hearts 2009 edition nail polish will be sold at specialty retail locations throughout the month of October. If you can’t find it in the stores, it is still available on Amazon. Komen for the Cure will receive a guaranteed $25,000 donation.

Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Babydoll Pink

Smashbox is offering this limited-edition Photo Finish lipstick in their best-selling babydoll pink shade to benefit Susan G. Komen. 40% of the proceeds will go to the Los Angeles County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Motts Healthy Harvest Appleasauce

Mott’s Applesauce is the newest national sponsor of the 2009 Komen Race for the Cure series. They created several special limited edition applesauces to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I’ve had the Granny Smith and it’s awesome! In 2009, Mott’s will donate $800,000 in connection with their Race for the Cure ® sponsorship, as well as $300,000 for their cause marketing program.  Their total donation for the year is $1.1 million.

Those are just a few of my favorites. Check out Target online to see their huge selection of pink kitchen and housewares products available through October 31st. If BigSis didn’t already have every single kitchen appliance in pink, I might buy her one of these.

Kitchen Aid Toaster

~LilSis

October 13, 2009

Just in case you missed the news at the beginning of the month and are wondering about the pink text, we are going Pink for October to show our support for breast cancer awareness.

While out shopping, you will have noticed by now the abundance of pink products being sold at most retail stores. Since the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an important cause to me, I buy pink products from the companies that are giving their profits to that charity. Not that the other charities aren’t completely legitimate, it’s just a personal choice. I found this post on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Message Board and felt it was important enough to pass along to our readers.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure suggests consumers use care and consideration before buying pink products.

October 6, 2009

DALLAS–(Business Wire)–From grocery stores to home improvement centers, pink ribbons and labels adorn everything from candy to vacuum cleaners to raise awareness and money during the 25th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But with so many “pink” marketing programs out there, how can you be sure your money (or how much of it) is going where it should?

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world`s leader in the fight against breast cancer, suggests people ask a few questions before picking one product over another.

“Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you,” said Katrina McGhee, vice president of global partnerships for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “You work hard for your money, make sure your purchases have the impact you want.”

Whether a program offers to donate a portion of product sales or requires consumer participation in exchange for a donation, Komen’s objective is that all programs that benefit Komen are meaningful, educate women and men about breast cancer and generate funds which Komen devotes to research and community outreach.

In order to determine if a cause-related program, promotion or project is one that you would like to support (or is worthy of your support), Komen suggests consumers ask five key questions.

1. Is this company committed?

Read the product packaging and promotional materials or display and visit the company Web site to make sure the company is credible and committed to the
cause.

2. How is the program structured?

Transparency is key. Is the company clearly stating how the money is raised and how much will be going to charity? For example, if it’s a donation per purchase, ask how much of purchase price goes to charity-is it two percent or 10
percent-or some other amount? If there is a minimum contribution guaranteed by the company, what is the amount? Is there a maximum donation that will be made by the company?

3. Who does the program benefit?

Does it support a well-managed, reputable non-profit or fund? Again, we recommend that consumers read Web sites. Komen makes it very clear on our site who we are, how we structure programs and how the monies are used. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance is one resource for information on non-profit organizations if you are unsure (visit www.give.org.

4. How will the organization that benefits use my money?

It should be abundantly clear where the monies go. What organization will they support? Will the dollars generated go to research, education, community programs or all of the above? Komen is very specific about our programs, activities and grants awarded to support our mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. View Komen’s most recent Annual Report.

5. Is the program meaningful to me?

Is the program supporting a cause you believe in or have been touched by? Based on the details of the program and the potential for dollars to be raised does the program make sense to you? Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you.

~LilSis

October 3, 2009

Have you heard about Tweets for Boobs? If not, that’s exactly why I’m mentioning it here today. I know that since BigSis and I started tweeting, we haven’t stopped talking about it. We’re both loving Twitter and see a huge potential to tweet about a broad range of topics, some more relevant than others, and some just for plain, simple fun.

I love this idea of using Twitter to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Just in case you haven’t heard about this project, I wanted to mention it early in the month to give everyone an opportunity to jump on board.

Tweets for Boobs

Help raise $10,000 for breast cancer research.

All you have to do is include #tweetsforboobs in a tweet through the month of October and with every tweet you are making a $1 pledge for donation.

Follow @tweetsforboobs and at the end of the month, they’ll give you your pledge total so you can make a donation to Susan G. Komen Foundation for your total pledge amount.

I’ve already talked about how Susan G. Komen Foundation is one of my favorite charities, so I’ll be putting some Tweets for Boobs out on Twitter all month. If you have a Twitter account, please consider doing a tweet or two for boobs!

~LilSis

October 1, 2009

Flickr photo by Abby Lanes

Just in case you’ve forgotten or haven’t already seen the masses of pink products popping up in retail stores, today kicks off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). This year marks the 25th year that October has been designated as NBCAM.

Wikipedia describes NBCAM as an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its’ cause, prevention and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast-aware for earlier detection.

For those of you that were reading us last October, you know that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is one of my favorite charities. I’ve been participating in the Race for the Cure for several years now and it’s always such a great event. There’s something about the story of Susan G. Komen and her sister, Nancy Brinker that has always been close to my heart. What Nancy Brinker has accomplished with the Susan G. Komen Foundation never ceases to amaze me. I talked recently about Nancy Brinker receiving the Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor.

Our family has been very fortunate so far, not to have been effected personally by this disease, but with the staggering number of women diagnosed with breast cancer every day, it could happen to any one of us, whether genetic or not. I hate to admit it, but since BigSis and I are both in peri-menopause, there are a lot of factors that can contribute to increased odds of getting breast cancer.

I go to my gynecologist every January for my annual check up just so that it’s easy to remember when it’s time to go. And, I’ve always followed up and scheduled my mammogram right after that appointment. With so much happening in our lives these past two and a half years, I’ve gotten off track and missed my mammogram.

There’s just no excuse for that! I’ve been so mad at myself for letting ‘life’ get in the way of making a simple phone call to set up an appointment. I found my doctor’s order in my planner from January, so I picked up the phone this morning and scheduled my mammogram.

We’ll be talking more about NBCAM throughout this month, but I would like for today to be a reminder to anyone who’s procrastinated, like I have, to pick up the phone and schedule your mammogram.

Oh, and if you’re a football fan, don’t be surprised this Sunday when you see some of the NFL players sporting some hot pink gloves, sweatbands, towels, and even cleats! The idea for the cleats came from Carolina Panthers running back, DeAngelo Williams. Williams has a personal interest in breast cancer, as his mother was diagnosed in 2004. His mother is now in remission, but she lost all three of her sisters to breast cancer.

It really is true that each individual can make a difference in their own special way. For anyone with a blog or Twitter account, you can help spread awareness by going Pink for October. Check out my Twitter @lilsisca.

~LilSis

October 27, 2008

Do Something Good for the Cure!

Order yourself one of these cute insulated designer lunch bags from Lean Cuisine. Quantities are limited, so order now! $5.00 from the sale of each bag is going to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Lean Cuisine has already raised over $404,000 in donations!

Adorable Insulated Lunch Bags!

I ordered one with the Floral Swirl pattern and one with the Zebra pattern.  I’ll give one to a friend!

~LilSis

October 27, 2008

I love “Cure”.  She’s a very, very cute pink Ty Beanie Bear wearing a pink ribbon to support breast cancer. 100% of Ty’s profit from the sale of “Cure” will be donated to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I was surprised to find “Cure” at a local retail store because she is “officially” retired.  Now, I wish that I had purchased more than one.  I’m happy to announce that I will be doing our first “giveaway” and “Cure” will go to one lucky person that leaves a comment on this post. That’s all you have to do to enter; just leave a comment on this post.  It will be a totally random drawing.  Let’s make it more fun and say that your name will be entered into the “hat” for each comment you leave on this post.

Cure

Her tag reads:

To those we’ve lost and those we love

Our promise is to rise above

We know we’ll beat this, that’s for sure

Support this cause, help find a cure!

The majority of women know at least one person who has battled this disease and most of us know more than one.  It’s time to find a cure!

I’ll do the drawing on November 2, 2008.  That’s the day of my San Diego Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, so it seems like a good date to do the drawing. It won’t be Breast Cancer Awareness Month any more but we need to keep talking about this throughout the year!

~LilSis

October 1, 2008

You’re so right, LilSis.  October is a very important month for women.  Breast cancer touches just about everyone in one way or another, and this month it’s getting some attention.  If we all did just one thing – participate in a race, organize an event, or just buy a product that benefits breast cancer research – then it would be a beautiful thing.

You’re also right that I LOVE me some pink!  I don’t think I know of anyone who likes the color as much as I do, except for the lady on Dog Whisperer whose whole apartment was pink, all her clothes were pink, even her dog was dyed pink.  I have to admit she had me beat.  BTW, do you love Cesar Milan?  He SO makes me think that I could adopt a German Shepherd and not have it boss me around.  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the pink and the cause.

I adore the “Cook for the Cure” series of pink KichenAid appliances!  Did I say I adore it?  I meant I ADORE it!!!!  I have the stand mixer and the food processor, all of the gadgets, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and cups.

The coffee pot and toaster aren’t KitchenAid but I lurve them anyway.  The Cook’s brand comes from JC Penney, but I don’t think they offer the pink color any more.  I’m just hoping my old white Oster blender will go to appliance heaven soon so I can get the pink blender!  Is that wrong?  To wish demise on a loyal appliance who has stuck with me through smoothie after smoothie for more than 25 years?  I think not; not if it means a donation to an incredible cause.

So get out there people, and buy something pink!  Do it for the women who aren’t with us any longer, the women who have survived this disease, and the women who will face it in the future.  We can make a difference!

~BigSis

October 1, 2008

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I’m sure most women know this. I am doing this post just as a reminder to anyone who may have forgotten.  This month the retail stores and websites are loaded with pink products that when purchased; a portion of the profits, and sometimes 100% of the profits, benefit either the Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an organization that is close to my heart.  This organization was started by Nancy G. Brinker after making a promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen. If there is anyone who has never read the story about this promise between two sisters, it is worth taking the time to read. It’s an amazing story.  I just can’t imagine losing my sister. Fortunately, our family has not been directly effected by this disease, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t all have to worry about it.

I’ve decided to captain a team again this year for the annual Race for the Cure.  My team will  be participating in the San Diego Race for the Cure on November 2, 2008.  It’s not too late to form a team of your own.  Go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and check out the dates for the Race in your area.

Here are a few fun products I found that I just can’t live without. I have always wanted a pair of yoga sandals, but I’ve never ordered myself a pair. Now that I’ve seen these pink ones, I must have them. I found out about the pink yoga sandals in my latest FitYoga issue. A portion of the sales will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

This next item may be more for us “more mature” women; not yet needed by the twenty-somethings or the thirty-somethings . I just think these pink ribbon readers are so darn cute! The elegant pink ribbon subtly sparkles in Czech crystals at your temples. They come in four styles and three color variations. They also come with a microfiber pouch complete with a pink ribbon. The mini pocket reader is adorable, too. $2 from the sale of each pair of glasses benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Coldwater Creek is giving 100% of the profits of this set of two pink quartz bracelets to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  These adorable bracelets have a silver “promise” charm dangling from the bracelet. Keep one for yourself and give one to a friend!

Here are a few more websites that have so many pink products available; I couldn’t begin to list them all. This Parade of Pink site is unbelievable! It lists over 70 companies that are participating in donating to fight this disease. It lists exactly how much each company donates to the cause. I think I need to go test drive a new BMW! They will donate $1 for each mile that you test drive a BMW on participating dates.

Check out Red Envelope for their wide variety of pink items. When you purchase any of these items this month, they will donate 10% of the sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. BigSis is going to go CRAZY when she sees all these pink products.  She’s even more of a pink freak than I am! I love these rings.

One last item that I think I really need. Amazon is offering a Special Edition Pink 6GB Pocket Drive. BigSis and I both have a little bit of a fetish about office supplies. It’s a strange thing, but we could both spend hours in an office supply store.  I just love this little pocket drive.

So, whether or not you have been directly effected by breast cancer, I think it is our responsibility as women to help fight this disease. Odds are that someday we could hear the news that either ourselves, a sister, a mother, an aunt or a friend has breast cancer.  Whether you choose to participate in a Race, donate directly or purchase products from companies donating to this cause, we can all contribute in some way.

“Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do today”. I don’t know who said that originally, but I like it.

~LilSis