Hoops are her way to conquer cancer

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May 03, 2008 04:30 AM

Living Reporter

Who: Stephanie Rudnick, founder of Elite Camps basketball development programs.

What: Swish for the Cure, a fundraiser with two components. The first is a series of competitions at schools in which participating students shoot as many baskets as they can in one minute, raising money through sponsorships. Rudnick supplies instructions for teachers, pledge forms, posters and other materials for any registering school. The second event is a fun day of basketball for up to 50 kids with cancer, all of whom have had or are having treatment, and their families.

When: The basketball competition runs through April and May. Today is the second annual special day for cancer survivors.

Where: The competition takes place at participating schools. Today’s day of basketball fun – for preregistered kids only – is at Crescent School.

Why: When her father died from cancer in 1999, Rudnick vowed she’d help research along so others could be saved from that pain.

How: Rudnick gives much credit to great support from Elite Camps employees, as well as family and friends. So far she’s relied on word of mouth to recruit schools for the competition. She hopes schools across the country will become involved.

Quote: “Seeing my father go through so much pain and watching him slip away was the hardest thing I have been through and it is a loss I will never get over,” Rudnick says. “Working with thousands of amazing children in the GTA and having two beautiful boys of my own, I can’t even imagine what a child and their family would be going through with a cancer diagnosis.”

Success so far: Last year, schools raised $20,000 from the basketball competitions. Sponsors, recruited by volunteers, provide food and gift items for the day of fun.

Find out more: swishforthecure.com, childhoodcancer.ca and elitecamps.com.

Boobs bouncing blogs bouncing boobs for a cause

When Kathleen was diagnosed with breast cancer, her sister Priscilla wanted to help in all the ways a loving sister could think to do — and she came up with the idea to launch Bouncing for Breast Cancer — better known as Bouncing for Boobs — as a way to help support her sister Kathleen with her household bills while she undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

In an effort to raise $10,000 dollars, Priscilla pledged to bounce one million times in 100 days on a trampoline. According to Priscilla, what started as a personal campaign to help one sister is gaining momentum, and the plans are now to take bouncing for boobs to a worldwide level of campaigning in support of other women and single mothers who are struggling with breast cancer.

Priscilla blogs Bouncing for Boobs and maintains the Bouncing for Breast Cancer website. In addition, she is an innovative Image and Performance Mastery coach. All of which is reflected in her blogging. I highly-recommend this blog for all women struggling with and living to survive breast cancer. There are some thoughtful posts related to honoring the self and the healing journey. And it’s fun to read as Priscilla bounces her boobs at different locations around the world.

Coaches take on fierce opponent: cancer

I am not a huge sports fan. But just about everyone in my family is. So I have absorbed quite a bit of knowledge about sports — and primarily college basketball — because all sorts of facts and stats and stories float around at family gatherings. I don’t pay much attention but I guess it soaks in anyway — because there have been times when I have rattled off information that shocks even the most fanatical of family members.

But something about basketball has actually peaked my interest and has caused me to look and listen a bit more closely. It’s called Coaches vs. Cancer®. Coaches vs. Cancer teams up the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches in the fight against cancer. Basketball coaches from all over participate in a variety of events and activities and fundraisers — and they hope to emerge victorious over a disease that is claiming too many lives. Many hours and much effort go into the game plan for beating cancer.  There is the Basket Ball — a black tie affair that features a night of dancing, dinner, celebrity appearances and an auction — and golf tournaments and tip-off breakfasts and even regular season games where funds are raised to benefit the cause. The program has raised more than $25 million since it first started in 1993 and the match-up is still going strong. Now this is something I can cheer about.

Celebrities donate laughter for new humor therapy CD

Hey U.G.L.Y. Unique. Gifted. Lovable. You., an organization that develops self-esteem building tools for teens, asked celebrities to donate their laughter for a fundraising CD of contagious laughter called Laugh It Off. According to the president of Hey U.G.L.Y. Betty Hoeffner, “We know the healing powers of laughter and how it can improve health and relieve stress.” Past research has shown, from a biological standpoint, that laughter and humor do have healing power.

Why a CD of celebrity laughter? “When we saw other charities asking celebrities to donate things like purses, shoes and even bras, we thought celebrities donating their laughter would be a perfect fit,” explains Hoeffner. Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Rick Erwin, the 60-minute CD and includes the laughter of: Jimmy Neutron voice talent, Debi Derryberry; Emmy-award winning actor/comedian Ben Hollis; JBTV host, Jerry Bryant; and commercial voice talent, Richard Schoen; Saturday Night Live’s Tim Kazurinsky; Frank Sinatra’s opening act comedian, Tom Dreesen; nationally syndicated radio host, Mancow Muller; and Late Show with David Letterman regular, Bob Sarlatte. One woman wrote Hey U.G.L.Y. that her brother, who has cancer, listens to the CD three times a day and loves it.

Can laughter cure cancer? Not by itself — but there are numerous studies that show laughter initiates a powerful biological process of feel-good healing chemicals that support and strengthen the immune system. We have done several posts here, here, here, here, here and here about the healing power of humor and the laughter associated with it.

MLB Dodgers autographed home plate auction

If you are a Major League Baseball fan — better yet — if you are a Los Angeles Dodgers fan, and looking to add to your collection of sports memorabilia — all in the name of breast cancer charity — there are only two days left to bid on the Los Angeles Dodgers Team 2006 Mother’s Day Commemorative Home Plate at the Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer auction.

Signatures include: Danys Baez, Jo Beimel, Jonathan Broxton, Eric Gagne, Derek Lowe, Franquelis Osoria, Odalis Perez, Takashi Saito, Aaron Sele, Jae Seo, Brett Tomko, Sandy Alomar, Russell Martin, Willy Aybar, Nomar Garciaparra, Cesar Izturis, Ramon Martinez, Bill Mueller, Oscar Robles, Olmedo Saenz, Jose Cruz, J.D. Drew, Andre Ethier, Kenny Lofton, Dave Jauss, Mariano Duncan, Eddie Murray, Rick Honeycutt, Dan Warthen and Manny Mota.

All proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Hurry, the auction is almost over. Go here to bid.

Nicole Kidman designs fashion tee for breast cancer care

This summer, Dorothy Perkins is introducing a limited edition and exclusive line of fashion tees artistically designed by celebrities Nicole Kidman, Sharon Osbourne, Sienna Miller, Charlotte Church and Denise Van Outen to benefit Breast Cancer Care. The specialty tees, retailing at £15, go on sale Monday July 10th at the Dorothy Perkins website and in their 600 UK stores. £5 of each tee sale will go to Breast Cancer Care. Last year, Dorothy Perkins raised  over £1.3 million, through the pink wristband campaign in support of the breast cancer charity.

Nicole Kidman was only a girl when her mother battled breast cancer. Kidman chose her design because it represents the power and importance of support, comfort and care. Both family members and friends of Sharon Osborne have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she chose her design using the symbol of a cross and heart to represent Hope, Peace and Love. Sienna Miller chose a quote that inspires. Denise Van Outen lost her grandmother to breast cancer last year and chose the rollerskate as her design because it reminds her of her childhood visits with her grandmother.

There are 50,000 tees for sale. I doubt they will last long. If you are interested, visit Breast Cancer Care Dorothy Perkins Little Tees for more information.

Dancing with the Stars Vivica A. Fox promotes breast cancer awareness

While Anaia Bedford, wife of Emmy award winning photographer Ken Bedford, underwent chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, both Anaia and Ken conducted research and asked many questions of experts. According to what they learned, early detection, a healthy diet, exercise and a strong immune system are the keys to breast cancer survival and that “breast cancer awareness and education among African American and other minority women in general is vital because there is a lack of medical attention due to financial hardships, spousal rejection fears and being so terrified that the disease will take their lives.”

Anaia felt that had she been diagnosed earlier, her chances of survival would have been greater. Anaia lost her struggle to survive breast cancer in 2004.

The Anaia Breast Cancer Awareness Program was founded by her family to increase breast cancer awareness and promote early detection in minority communities. As a tribute to Anaia and to educate women about breast cancer, an annual gala is hosted at the Galleria Marchetti in Chicago. This year’s keynote speaker was Dancing with the Stars Vivica A. Fox. Governor Rod Blagojevich, Mayor Richard Daley, Angela Winbush, Phil Perry, Glenn Jones, Howard Hewett and jazz Sax Man Ray Silkman also attended the event.

Anaia believed “Knowledge is power, the more you know and understand will reduce many of the fears and myths you hear about breast cancer.” Her family and friends are continuing the cause of raising breast cancer awareness Anais felt was important to surviving cancer. To learn more, visit the Anaia Breast Cancer Awareness Program.

Tastefully Done: nude webcomic calendar

Looking for a cartoonishly risqué way to keep track of the days in 2007? Fifteen webcomic artists have created the Tastefully Done: 2007 Nude Webcomic Calendar featuring nude versions of webcomic characters, with all proceeds going to cancer research.

The calendar showcases the work of Ivan Pope, Ali Graham, Gordon McAlpin, Charles Woolbright, Chris Jones, Bryan Chojnowski, Pontus Madsen & Christian Fundin, Chris Simmons, Philip Spence, Rich Dachtera, Robert Koch, Ramón Pérez, Rob Coughler, Ryan Estrada, and of course, webcomic characters appearing in various scenarios of nudity.

From geriatric strip poker to nude bus rides, the artists realize that the calendar might not be for everyone, but it was only a matter of time before webcomic cartoon characters joined the ranks of the nude in benefiting cancer research. It’s not naked librarians, hunky firefighters, naked rugby players, naked day traders, nude village women (who started the nude calendar for cancer charity phenomenon) or topless models (who decided in being different they would remain fully-clothed), but it is a one-of-a-kind calendar in the webcomic category.

You can take a peek and purchase the Tastefully Done: 2007 Nude Webcomic Calendar through Lulu’s here.

Farrah Fawcett: Fight the Fight tees and hoodies against cancer

Now that Farrah Fawcett has successfully completed treatment for cancer, she is turning her attention to raising money for cancer research and cure.

Only available through her website is the Farrah Fawcett’s Fight the Fight T-shirt and Hoodie clothing line. The apparel, which she designed, reflects her personal motto, Fight the Fight, as she underwent treatment for cancer.

A portion of the profits from the Farrah Fawcett’s Fight the Fight T-shirts and Hoodies will be donated to the American Cancer Society. During an Entertainment Tonight interview, Fawcett said she is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future. Visit the official Farrah Fawcett website for more information about the Fight the Fight clothing line to benefit cancer research.

Music & laughter to fight cancer

Indie Music For Life non profit raising funds for cancer research and for educational awareness of music as therapy for cancer patients has launched a new entity of their non profit called Laughs For Life. Indie Music For Life works with independent singer songwriters in fund raising concert events and producing yearly compilation CDs. Laughs For Life will work with comedians and will produce comedy events and comedy CDs. Comedian Shelly Ryan in Atlanta Georgia was “MC” at a combination dinner and music fund raising event in Georgia last year and the idea was spawned to start including comedy into the shows and to also set up separate comedy events to bring in funds.

Indie Music For Life just finished the submission process for artists to send in songs to be considered for the 2007 compilation CD project and the selected artists will be announced soon. The CD will go up for sale at online music locations soon.

Shelly Ryan is heading up the comedy CD project and working on events for the Southeast region and can be reached at shellyryancomedy@yahoo.com if you are interested in becoming a part of this project. For more information on music happenings and getting involved with the music event fund raising you can contact indiemusicforlife@yahoo.com.