VOTE for the one that moves you!

Now is your chance to VOTE for the 2010 T-Shirt you want to wear on Run Day! Every vote counts so vote away! But Hurry because voting ends in just 7 days! June 7th 2010!

It was actually a hard choice for me this year. Last year I found it easy to pick a design I liked, I went for the Hope ( for participants ) and Courage ( for survivors )...

This year all the designs are really great. This is the first year since I have been voting that I have seen the option of having both the participants and survivor shirts the same design. Incase you don't know, Participant shirts are White and Survivor shirts are pink !

So how do you decide, do you just go for what you would want on a shirt? As a run director, I also think about which shirts would look great in the photos! After all I think our run site has the most amazing Photographers, who capture beautiful memories of the day! I also think about the message... And keeping the participant and survivors somewhat matching each other! Anyway, that's just my thought process....

I really like the words once again.... Cure for the Participants and Live for the Survivors... On the other hand I think the Tree of Hope is kind of neat too, as well as the pink ribbon with the graphics around it. The only one I am not a huge fan of is the last lined ribbon with 2010 on it.

Which shirts did you vote for?

A new month is just about to start, think about squeezing those lemons soon....

( Have you registered for the run yet? )

Who are you running for? Pt. 2.....

At the start of May I posted a blog, "who are you running for?" in which I shared the answer to two questions I had asked our committee members, in that blog you heard from Barb White, Jenn Lavers, Michelle Federer, Katrine McCarl and Amanda Barron... Now let's hear from a few more members of the Collingwood Run Site Committee....

To recap; I asked two questions of my committee, Who are you running for? and Why are you involved in the run?

Here is what a few more had to say....

Michele Smeh - Co-Community OutReach Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A:Well....I can honestly say, I am running for myself and for all of the amazing women I have been honoured to have met thru this strange journey.....

Q: Why are you involved in the run?

A : I joined the committee this year because you asked me Jen. I honestly can say, I wouldn't have asked to join on my own...sometimes we all just need a little "push". Last year as you know was the first time I spoke publicly about my journey and I was ready finally after 4-1/2 years so when you approached me about being part of the run this year, it was a no brainer. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I still want to push everything to the back of my mind and forget it ever happened but then I come back to reality and realize it's part of who I am now and it's a part of my life, whether I want it to be or not so I might as well deal with it and for me, sharing my story and talking to others helps me. Plus, I just get frustrated..it seems every time I talk to someone new, they tell me of another story, another woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It's everywhere it seems. I also get frustrated when I realize I don't qualify for anymore life insurance or work benefits...at the age of 33, who would think this is something you have to worry about in the least?!? I'm a very positive person but there are days when I feel "it comes back to haunt me"! My diagnosis 4-1/2 years ago seems like an eternity....I am just waiting for September to roll around this year so I can hit that 5 year mark! Once 5 years comes around, I only have to go back to the Oncology dept once a year as opposed to three times a year...I can re-apply for life insurance again to see if I qualify....it's strange the things I think about and worry about when all of my other friends and family are worrying about the "normal things"...whatever that is! Did you know that being a carrier of the BRCA1 gene means I have a 50/50 chance of passing it on to my children? Do you take that chance and have a child? So many questions......so that's why I am in involved and I am grateful that you asked me. I can honestly say I don't know how "ready" I am to get up there and speak to everyone in the community, but I am going to try!!

Avalon Molloy - Registration Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running for my Grandma who conquered breast cancer the first time. I am also running for my Mom who has already had surgery to remove benign lumps. That's why my mom and sister came to do the run with me last year. I run so that if a family becomes affected by the disease, they won't feel so scared for a cure is on it's way through the wonderful help of everyone who runs.

Q : Why are you involved in the run?

A: I joined the Run Committee last year as a way to meet people and get to know the new community that I had just moved to. What I have learned from last year is that this is a community that CARES and am proud to be involved in the Collingwood run site.

Steph McLarty - Media Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running and working on this committee for my grandmother who battled the disease for many years. I am running for anyone touched by this disease - the many friends, family members and ordinary people who deal with extraordinary obstacles. My heart is with them and I want to play an active part in the fight to help conquer cancer.

Q: Why are you involved in the run?

A: Jen asked me to help and how could I say no?

Myself - Jennifer Nichol - Co-Run Director

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running in general for all women. But esp. for those in my life that could be touched by this or have been. For a future not only free of Breast Cancer but of all cancers! A future where my daughters can grow up and not fear the word cancer!

Q: Why are you involved in the run?

A: I lost my father to cancer in 2003. My oldest daughter was just 5 weeks old at the time. That following fall I heard about the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure in Collingwood. It was the first year, I put a together a team from my families business, Team " Simpson & Co. Insurance"... I put the team in again the following year. Then in 2006 after the birth of my second daughter we switched the team to a family & friends teams and renamed it "Boobalicious!" In late 2008 after the run I got a message from the Team Coordinator Shelby Worts, the Run Director Laura Woodhouse was deciding to move on to other things and Shelby and Laura wanted to meet with me about taking on the role, you see I had had all these big ideas that I kept sharing with Shelby leading up to the run on ways to raise money. My husband and I joke now, because he told me to stop sharing all the ideas or they were going to ask me to help out... lol.... Guess he was right. The reason I agreed to take on the role when Shelby & Laura asked, simple, I told myself that if I did my part to help create a future free from cancer, karma would do it's part and keep cancer from coming near my family... Cancer took my grandfather before I was born, he was just 54 yrs. old, my father 4 days shy of his 56 birthday and my Aunt is a Survivor of Breast Cancer.

I want to be able to live and for my daughters to grow up without fearing the word cancer!

Todd Elsley - Route/Site Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: Awareness of a great fundraiser and for my favorite Aunt Grace who is a survivor.

Q: Why are you involved in the run?

A: It's great to work with and contribute to this amazing "Run for the Cure" committee. I also have been challenged my aunt "Grace Eisen" (survivor) to

make BIG changes with only SMALL beginnings. I can only hope my small steps help.

Jason Ruttan - Co-Run Director

Q: Who are you running for?

A: The simple answer is that I run for all women, however honestly speaking I start that thought process my thinking about my own mom, my sister, grandmothers, and think into the future for potentially my own daughter one day. Further more breast cancer does not only select by gender or age and therefore I also run in hope to help all of those who have been, who are, and who will be affected by this terrifying cancer.

Q: Why are you involved in the Run?

A: Over the past 6 years I have been fortunate enough to be working for RE/MAX and through our corporate ties at a national level I was thankfully made aware of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and our long standing connection between the two organizations. Additionally for many years before and after this introduction my Mother’s constant dedication to supporting this cause and others was a positive influence on me to get involved with charities to help make a difference and give back to the community. When I was approached to be involved with the CIBC Run for the Cure I recognized the importance of the run and its roll in our community and after little consideration to assess what time I would be able to dedicate I committed myself to this great cause and inspirational run site. A year and half later I am very proud to be a small part of, and enjoy working with, the Collingwood CIBC Run for the Cure committee and particularly admire my co-run director Jennifer Nichol for her immense dedication, energy and time she puts forth to help the committee and run site achieve our goals.

We also want to hear from you! Who are you running for, leave a comment and let us know!

Stay tuned, for part 3 of Who are you running for? when you will hear from the last 2 members of our committee.... David & Danielle....

Do you know your lemons? Would you know if they felt different? Squeeze away and get to know them!

( Photo once again provided by local run site sponsors Isis Photography, taken at the 2009 Run )

Just where is your money going?

We as members of the Collingwood Run Committee we are often asked, just where all the money you work so hard to fundraise is going... We wanted to share this with you. This is just one example of a grant that was awarded by the Ontario Region of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Watch CTV coverage of Dr. Rebecca Dent of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Rosemary Aubert, a breast cancer patient, as they discuss a study that looks at using 3-D imaging technology to determine whether chemotherapy is working as expected on breast cancer patients. With the grant money received, the goal of the program is to expand this to include many more patients in many more centres across the province (and the country), enabling doctors and patients the ability to know sooner that a treatment is working.

Be proud of the fact that the money you work so hard to raise is going towards ground breaking research and technology! And keep in mind, this is only one of the funded grants, for more information on Ontario funded grants. Check here!

Have you squeezed your lemons this month?

( Photo taken by Isis Photography at the First Night of Information & Appreciation held July 2009, that was sponsored by Blue Mountain )

Pick A Winner!

When it comes to my breasts, I don't often give them a second thought. I am reminded of them daily, yet, I am thinking about my breasts and my body in a new & different way especially now that I am working as a volunteer for the 2010 Run For The Cure. And, I've been part of teams in the past, however, now, it's my turn. I am preparing to register my first team - and I need to come up with the perfect team name as I believe it will set the tone, keep pace with the other established teams and set the bar to help raise funds and awareness for breast health and cancer. It's crunch time. Pressure's on. And, quite frankly, I need help!

Despite the fact that I am truly digging this new boob love I have going on, what I'm really loving is all the positive, inspiring and fun ways I'm looking at the (original) two ladies in my life. They are new again to me and I find myself with a whole new calibre of 'boob junkies' and it's for the best cause going. I need to make the other ladies (and men) in my life proud. I need to come up with a name that works, rather competes, with all the other great teams out there, to get everyone working hard & having some serious fun preparing for October 3rd.

Take Freshly Squeezed for example. Jen Nichol and I needed to come up with something catchy. Something fun, energetic, fresh. And, then, lemons appeared and we haven't looked back. We have her sister in design and a Breast Cancer poster to thank. A few other names we considered were Titty Talk, The Breast Blog, Big or Small - Save Them All, Positively Pink, Boobs, Sweat and Tears (a good second choice, I must admit), Walk Your Buns Off For Boobs....all great suggestions, however, we needed to select a name that best represented the committee, the run and all of the work & effort of those involved. So, after careful and structured analysis (Ok, it wasn't careful or structured, it was all gut), we couldn't resist the Freshly Squeezed name - it spoke to us and we followed the instinct.

I went back to Jen to ponder how other teams came up with their names. Her reply: Team Captain Mary Worry of The Highlights told us that she and friend and fellow team mate Emily Garback decided to call their "Women's Team" The Highlights because each woman, be it a Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, or Daughter is the highlight to her family. What a great name and a great honour to women! ( In '09 The Highlights won the award for Top Women's team! Congratulations Ladies! ) Team Captain Michelle Cloutier of BOOBITRONS told us that all she did was all of of her girls to come up with a name. They wanted to have BOOB of Breast in the name and they wanted it to be strong and simple, BOOBITRONS reminded them of Austin Powers and robot girls. So they became BOOBITRONS...Amazing stories - amazing names. They - and I mean all the current & past teams out there - are a tough act to follow.

Thankfully, Jen sent a bunch of photos and I loved these team names as well: Sandra's Squad, Rita's Bosom Buddies and The Hazellnuts.

You can tell from the above the type of pressure that I feel I am under. Even Drew Wright's show last year - which I was reminded of recently - The Breast Night Ever - makes me want to be even more creative. I need to be. I just have to make a decision - and get my name/team registered and get people fired up, participating and gearing up for another great Run For the Cure!

After a friend came over for a glass of wine (or two or three?), we had a wonderfully silly conversation followed by my resorting to searching "other names for breasts" on google (most of which I am not at liberty to share due to the x-rated content and this being a 'family show').

After all is said & done, I managed to come up with my top 10:

1. Steph's Breasts In Show

2. The MacDaddy's Booby Train - hmm

3. Boob's Your Uncle, Run With Steph

4. Steph's Original Ladies

5. Steph's Big Bazookas

6. Get Your Bazooms On

7. Stephie's Carumbas

8. The Pontoons for Change

9. Sanks's Chesticles of Fury

10. Steph's Chi-Chis for a Cause

So, now what? I'm asking for your help. Vote for which one you like best and I'll be eternally grateful. Now, give those two lemons, or ladies, or boobies, or jugs, or canteloupes, or twin peaks, or missiles, or racks, or wobblers, or melons, or orbs, or hooters, or milk cans, or, the list goes on and on and on - a good, healthy squeeze and get geared up for a great run day October 3rd. May the boobs be with you.

Steph

( Photo's of Sandra's Squad, Rita's Bosom Buddies and The Hazellnuts taken by Isis Photography at the 2009 CIBC Run for the Cure. )

Creating your team....

Creating your team is fun and easy. First things first, the all important team name! What will it be, a fun name ( like my team Boobalicious ) , a name in honour of a loved one ( like Team Coordinator Michelle Federer's team Sandra's Squad ), the name of your business ( like my Co-Run Director's Jason Ruttan's team Re/Max ) , it's up to you and that's part of the fun!

Maybe your stuck coming up with a team name... Be sure to check our next blog post by Media Coordinator Steph McLarty for tips on how to come up with that all important team name!!!

Once you have decided on that all important team name, you are good to go, and your going to want to register your team soon so that no one else gets that name! ( Just incase ) When registering your team, there are a few different categories for you to decide from, will it be a Corporate team, A Women's team, A School team, Or a Family & Friends team? Ready to register now? Click here!

Now that you have that out of the way and your team is registered, you now need to SPICE THINGS UP! This is a VERY important step.... There are lots of great tools now on the new website. Upload a picture on both the team page and your own personal donation page. Leave a message, tell people about why you are doing this, what is your connection to the cause? Like I said, this is important, so that when you are asking people to donate they see your page and feel connected, it's not just the standard picture the foundation provides, you have actually taken a few mins to create your page!

After that it's time to build your team! Send out emails right from the website asking people to join your team! Keep in mind that in order to get that team name on the back of your shirts, you need 10 team members by mid September and each team member needs to have either paid the $40 registration fee or have raised the $150 to have the fee waved.

Your all set now. You have your team registered, you have personalized your donation and team pages, and have sent out invites to join your team! What's next?

Well you can start training to run or walk the 5km.... And of course it's time to ......

Get Ready, Get Set, Get FUNDRAISING....

Stay tuned to the blog for a future post on Fundraising tips from some of our top fundraisers... Or if you want to be included in the future post, please leave a comment on some of your fundraising tips... Thanks and Good luck!

When's the next time you are set to squeeze those lemons?

( A little side note... Don't forget the top team in each of the categories wins an award! Good luck! )

( Photo in this post was taken and provided by local run site sponsors Richard & Christa Galloway of Isis Photography photo is of team CIBC at the 2008 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure Collingwood Run Site )

Experience this Inspiring day...

I have described this day as INSPIRING, if you had to described this day in just one word, what would that word be?

Don't be shy, leave a comment, we want to hear from you!

Until next time.

Remember start squeezing those lemons!

Photos in this slideshow were taken at the 2009 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure by our local Collingwood run site sponsors Isis Photography. Song is Melissa Etheridge - I Run for Life.

Who are you running for?

On Sunday October 3rd 2010 at Harbourview Park in Collingwood more then 1000 people will come together, each with their own story and reason for being there, but all with the same goal, a future without breast cancer.

Behind the scene's of the Collingwood run site is a committee of people whom I introduced you to in the first blog, I thought it would be a good idea for you to get to know them a little better. So I asked them two question's....

Who are you running for? and Why are you involved in the run?

Here is what some of them had to say.....

Barb White - Co CIBC Run Champion

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running for Lesley Lalonde who survived breast cancer in her 30's and who never complained once when she had a double mastectomy, chemo, etc. she is my hero. I am also running for my son's teacher who just got a clean bill of health, Mrs. Wong. Who all the students at Pretty River Academy did the run for last year.

And I am also running for my neighbour who has been battling this disease for 3 years, Judy. Who is not going to let it win and whose hair is finally growing back in!

Q : Why are you involved in the run ?

A : I am involved because really do you have a choice in helping raise money for a cause that could change our daughters lives?

Jenn Lavers - Volunteer Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running for many of our family members who have been affected in so many ways.

I am running for my Aunt Sandy, who fought the disease so valiantly to her last breath.

I am running for my Aunt Chris, who has fought and is still fighting all the medical issues that have come up as a result of her breast cancer.

I am running for my Aunt Liz, who has been cancer free for over 5 years now.

I am running for my husband, so that he will never have to go through the pain of losing his spouse.

And I am running for my boys, so they will never have to grow up without their mom. That's why I run!

Q : Why are you involved in the run ?

A : I said yes to joining this committee when I was asked by my sister and fellow committee member Michelle Federer for all of the reasons above.

Michelle Federer - Teams Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I'm not sure I can say it any better then my little sister ( Jenn Lavers ), I run for all the same reasons she does.. But I am also running for my daughter, that there will be a cure and she will never have to endure such pain.

Q : Why are you involved in the run ?

A : I have participated in the run for 5 years and felt I needed to do more. That is why I joined the committee, and I thank Jen for asking me to...

Katrine McCarl - Co Teams Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running for Mary Ann Norton, although she died from a different kind of cancer, she is a constant part of my thoughts. Her grace and dignity in the face of cancer and dealth was truly admirable. She was like a sister to me and cancer stole her far too young.

I am running for Linda Pearson, my almost "mother-in-law" who has beaten breast cancer!

And I am running for my mother, my aunt, my sister-in-law, my family/friends and potentially my future daughters. I run for every woman who could one day have to

face the news " you have breast cancer". The money raised goes towards funding and research that will hopefully make the fight against breast cancer easier and the outcomes always positive.

Q : Why are you involved in the run ?

A : Jen asked me if I would be a part of this committee, how could I say no? As a woman and a Registered Nurse I feel that this is a serious Women's Health Issue.

Amanda Barron - Stewardship Coordinator

Q: Who are you running for?

A: I am running for all of the amazing women in my life, I can't imagine what I would do without them. I am VERY fortunate to be able to say that no one in my life has ever had breast cancer. I am running to help keep it that way. I run for them!

Q : Why are you involved in the run ?

A : Last year was my first year participating in this event and I saw something inspiring on that day and wanted to be part of this committee. I saw people regardless of age, gender or ability truly passionate about one thing: Helping create a future without breast cancer. I saw tears of laughter and tears of pain as those who have been touched by this disease remembered those they have lost. I saw families, co-workers and friends giving hugs and high fives even to people they had just met.

The most amazing thing was seeing the smiles on the faces of those wearing the "Survivor" t-shirts as they were surrounded by so many people who truly cared about what they went through.
The Run for the Cure is an amazing event that changed my outlook on breast cancer and fundraising. It made me realize that I might only be one small person out there fundraising but when we all join together, we CAN make a difference.
I am truly honored to be on the Committee this year to help ensure this event is one to remember. So, whether you plan to walk, run, or just watch - THANK YOU for your help and dedication. We couldn't do it without you!

Stay tuned to an upcoming blog when we will hear what a few other committee members had to say..... In the mean time please post a comment and let us hear from you! We want to know Who are you running for?

Remember to start squeezing those lemons!

( Special Thanks to Richard & Christa Galloway from Isis Photography for the photo used in this post. Taken at the 2009 Collingwood run )