Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

The fight against cancer has been very near and dear to my heart for several years now. Naturally, when this report came out a few days ago, it reaffirmed the work that we do in fundraising for the cure. Excerpted, here's the highlights:

Good news on the cancer front: Death rates are dropping faster than ever, thanks to new progress against colorectal cancer.

The big change was a two-pronged gain against colorectal cancer.

While it remains the nation's No. 2 cancer killer, deaths are dropping faster for colorectal cancer than for any other malignancy -- by almost 5 percent a year among men and 4.5 percent among women.

One reason is that colorectal cancer is striking fewer people, the report found. New diagnoses are down roughly 2.5 percent a year for both men and women, thanks to screening tests that can spot precancerous polyps in time to remove them and thus prevent cancer from forming.

The other gain is the result of new treatments, which are credited with doubling survival times for the most advanced patients.

Most of my involvement in the fight has been with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, so to be part of the first ever American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Pierce County was an honor for me.

Men and women alike turned out to support the Society and fund the fight against breast cancer. As my grandma is a breast cancer survivor, and I had just hugged her earlier in the week...it was so much fun to be there. And you couldn't beat the team names -- I loved them! Among my faves...the Big Bad Breast Fighters, the Boobie Brigade, Doubly Blessed, Hugs for Jugs, Save the Boobies, The Hot Cups, and the Titillating TaTa's!

On an early Saturday morning, I invited Rich Brown (one of my most favorite cancer survivors, and fellow photographer) down to shoot with me. We had a blast...

Here's a glimpse at the foggy morning...


From the "'Nookers Saving Knockers" team...


Senator Rosa Franklin
















And while I'm hoping Rich will post a few on his blog, here's some of my favorites of his...


I love this photo for so many reasons...and especially because it shows the huge number of people that turned out...look in the background at just part of the Striders!


And because I asked him to...here I am with Kathy Mitchell, a longtime friend of mine who has known me since I was teeny tiny, and who is with the Cascade Regional Blood Bank.


And a self-portrait to cap the day... :)