Showing posts with label charity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charity. Show all posts

Climbers with Parkinson's summit Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa

Sunday, September 4, 2011

More than a Mountain: Lessons Learned from Mount Kilamanjaro


Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation medical director Dr. Monique Giroux and board member Sierra Farris, PA have just returned from summiting Africa’s 19,340 foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in July, 2011, part of a group climb called the Leap of Faith Adventure.

The group included 27 individuals, including 4 with Parkinson’s disease and 11 with Multiple Sclerosis. They were the first team with PD and MS climbers to climb and reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Team leader and climber Lori Schneider is the first woman with MS to climb the world’s highest peak on each continent. 
"Lori’s dedication to inspiring and believing in people living with neurological conditions has been rewarded by changing the lives of 27 fellow climbers."

Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation will sponsor an event honoring Dr. Giroux, Sierra Farris, PA and the climbers challenged with Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis of the Mt Kilimanjaro climb.


Saturday, September 12, 2011 at 9:00am, Shoreline Center, Shoreline Room, 18560 1st Ave, Shoreline, WA 98155. 


Continental breakfast will be available. To reserve please call 206 748-9481 or register online. 

The team summitted on July 18, 2011 after 5 long days of acclimatizing to the altitude, spending most days well over 12,000 feet climbing over lava boulders, rock walls, icy rock slabs and trekking along trails that went on for miles under the Africa’s equatorial sun. 
Summit day commenced at 10:30pm with fellow PD teammate John Carlin and his wife Martha and MS teammate Sarah Conrad reaching the summit just before sunrise.
Several others also summitted with altitude taking its toll on a few of the climbers just below Stella point at 18,862 feet. 
In total, 21 of the original 29 climbers summitted with most summiting after an exhausting 10-12 hours of climbing.
The accomplishment of the Leap of Faith team sets an historical benchmark for those that follow. The camaraderie and support for each other grew stronger with each passing day on the mountain as all met the climb's physical and mental challenges with strength and courage.
Both Dr. Giroux and Sierra have been strong advocates for their patients to live life to the fullest. This climb was about abilities and never did we focus or even think about disabilities.
The climb was led by Seattle based Alpine Ascents International guides Eric Murphy and Ben Jones. Dr. Giroux and Sierra monitored and triaged issues common to ascending any big mountain, but mostly conveyed to the team utmost confidence that each and every one on the team had the strength and ability to accomplishing their goal of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

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GiveBIG on Thursday, June 23, 7am to midnight

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Seattle Foundation and local businesses will match a share of every contribution made through The Seattle Foundation's online Giving Center between 7am - midnight on June 23rd.
GiveBIG by clicking on any link, or go to this secure website to donate.


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Shoreline Firefighters fill the boot

Saturday, June 18, 2011


Shoreline Firefighters Local 1760 did their annual Fill The Boot on Friday, June 17, at the intersection of N 175th and Meridian Ave N.

Firefighters went car to car as drivers waited for the light to change, collecting cash for "Jerry's Kids" - the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

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Join the 5,000 people expected to participate in the MS Walk at Husky Stadium Apr 3

Sunday, March 20, 2011

TOP Food and Drug and Haggen Food and Pharmacy stores, including TOP Foods in Shoreline, are leading the fundraising efforts as presenting sponsors for the annual Walk MS events planned for April 2-3.

They have already have raised nearly $68,000 this year for the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It seems that almost everybody in Washington knows somebody battling MS.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

Local TOP Food and Drug stores are encouraging the public to join them in supporting Walk MS, the largest annual fundraiser of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Our closest location is the Husky Stadium 4 mile walk at the University of Washington campus which will be held on Sunday, April 3.

Supporters seek donation pledges. They can participate as individuals, join a team or start a team. The public also can support walkers by making donations in their name at the WalkMSnorthwest website.

TOP Food and Haggen stores are again matching a portion of the donations raised by employees who are participating in Walk MS. Stores, employees and customers already have raised $68,000 this year through $1 sales of MS “feet,” fundraising events at stores and sales of T-shirts and reusable bags. TOP Food and Haggen stores have raised nearly $400,000 since 2004 for the MS Society’s Greater Northwest Chapter.

The chapter serves 12,000 people living with MS in Western and Central Washington, Montana and Alaska. Walk MS donations also fund research to find a cause and cure for the disease.

More than a fundraiser, Walk MS is a celebration of hope and moving forward. Participants will enjoy breakfast and lunch, live music along the walk, face painting, entertainment for children, awards and much more.

Registration at 8:30 am, program at 9 am and walk at 9:30 am.
Sunday, April 3, Husky Stadium, Seattle (four miles).

For more information, visit the WalkMS website.

Haggen, Inc. operates 29 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the TOP Food and Drug and Haggen Food and Pharmacy names. Headquartered in Bellingham, it is the largest independent grocer based in the State of Washington. For more information, visit Top-Foods and Haggen websites.

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Shoreline Relay for Life kick-off - info meeting Saturday

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Shoreline Relay For Life is event that raises funds for the American Cancer Society.  Their annual kick off event is this Saturday, January 29, 11 am - noon at Northwest Hospital in the Lindsay Gould Auditorium.  

The public is welcome - learn about Relay for Life and what the American Cancer Society does to help cancer patients and their families. 

Relay for Life is not a race, but 24 hour party with a purpose at Woolsey Stadium on June 4th to 5th. 


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Local teens to be featured on The Nate Berkus Show Jan 27

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Kelsey Josund, Maddy Berkman, Sierra Alef in New Yor
Local teen fundraisers, The Pink Polka Dots Junior Guild, will be featured on the January 27 episode of the nationally syndicated Nate Berkus Show, January 27 at 5 pm on Channel 6/16 KONG. 

Nate Berkus is an award-winning decorator who appeared as a feature design expert for The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2002-2010, before starting his own show in September 2010. 

The segment about the Pink Polka Dots and the custom art cards the girls sell to raise money for brain cancer research was filmed in early January in New York City.

The Pink Polka Dots (PPD) was founded by three now-teenaged classmates, in memory of their friend Sydney Coxon who died at age eleven of a brain tumor. As a Seattle Children’s Hospital Junior Guild, the majority of members are teens or younger.

“No one should have to go through what Sydney’s family went through,” says guild co-founder Kelsey Josund. “We want to prevent any other family or child from being affected by brain tumors.”

Maddy, Sierra, and Kelsey at the Nate Berkus show.
PPD raises money through fundraisers such as golf tournaments, benefit concerts, and high school dances, and sells art cards and handmade jewelry at markets and online. After the episode airs, The Nate Berkus Show will aid online sales of cards by directing interest from their website.

Since its founding in 2006, PPD has raised over $330,000 -- more than any other Children’s Hospital Junior Guild -- for brain cancer researcher Dr. Jim Olson. Dr. Olson’s lab is responsible for groundbreaking research into tumor detection, removal, and treatment, including “tumor paint” (featured in Time Magazine, July 19, 2007).

The guild will be featured in the “Nate’s Finds” segment of the show. Founding members Kelsey Josund, Sierra Alef, and Maddy Berkman were flown to New York for the filming and interviewed on behalf of the guild. 

The Guild sells art cards and handmade jewelry
In the Seattle area the episode will air January 27 at 5 pm on Channel 6/16 KONG; see the Nate Berkus Show website for information about airtimes in other areas. For more information or to donate or buy cards online visit the Pink Polka Dots Guild website, contact them by email, or phone Kelsey Josund at 206-364-8021.

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4th Annual They Shall Walk and Roll a thon Saturday October 30

Wednesday, October 27, 2010


Monty Reed showing the exo-skeleton to 3rd grade class
The 4th Annual They Shall Walk and Roll-a-thon to benefit the They Shall Walk organization will be held on Saturday, October 30 on the Interurban Trail in Shoreline.

They Shall Walk is working to create robotic suits for the severely disabled which would allow them to be upright and walk unassisted. The organization started in Shoreline but recently moved to larger quarters in south Seattle. They still have a strong connection to Shoreline and hold their annual fund-raiser on the Interurban Trail through Shoreline.

Businesses and organizations register for tables, which are set up in the Sears parking lot and along the Trail.

Participants register to walk the Trail; suggestion donation is $25. Registration fees and t-shirt sales, as well as out-right donations, add to the fund. The walkers - and rollers - start at Sears at 9 am for a costume contest, car show, and live music. They head out on the Trail and 10 am, walk as far as they want to, and return to Sears.

Organizer Monty Reed says that everyone is welcome, whether walking or not. Diva espresso is giving away coffee and pastries to everyone and Ivar's Clam Chowder is provided free for the first 500 people. There will be drawings for prizes, with the grand prize being a Ford Hybrid.


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Iron Brothers Construction team to walk in Seattle AIDS Walk

Friday, September 17, 2010

On Saturday, September 25 Joseph and Melissa Irons, along with the Irons Brothers Construction staff, friends, family, and colleagues, will participate in this years 24th annual Seattle AIDS Walk in Seattle's Volunteer Park.

For over 5 years Irons Brothers Construction has been walking in this local fundraising event to raise money, support, and awareness for the work Lifelong AIDS Alliance does to care, treat, and support those living with HIV/AIDS in our local community.

If you would like to support them by making a pledge, go to their webpage.


Since 1983, Lifelong AIDS Alliance has been providing our local HIV/AIDS residents with vital resources and programs. They provide care, prevent new infections, advocate for change, and create community for those living with HIV/AIDS in our local area.

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Walkers to the Future walk, skip, and dance around the track to raise $17,000

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Walk to the Future, a fund-raiser for Parkinson's Disease research, was held at Edmonds-Woodway High School on July 24. It was organized by Pinky's Passion, the organization created by Shoreline resident Pat Erickson. See our previous story.

By Pat Erickson
Founder, Pinky's Passion for the Cure

We had an absolutely beautiful day for our walk. Everyone seemed to have a great time as they walked, skipped and danced around the track. 

Since our theme was "Walk to the Future," we thought it seemed appropriate to have a DeLorean there in the hopes of hopping in and driving to the future. Unfortunately, this DeLorean isn't a time machine - but it is a very cool car. It was brought to us courtesy of DeLorean Motor Company Northwest.

At noon, the walkers had a box lunch supplied by Quizno's and listened to stories told by Mrs. Wigglesworth. Then, it was back to the track where they were seranaded by "Third Train Running," "Shearwater," and "The Phantoms".

The evening ended with the last lap being walked by those living today with Parkinson's disease. As we came around the final bend, we were greeted with cheers from our friends and families as the song "We are the Champions" played over the P.A.

We raised nearly $17,000 with more donations still trickling in. Anyone who still wanted to make a donation can do so on our website. Information is also available there for those who prefer to send a check.

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Pat Erickson featured in video for Parkinson's drug

Friday, July 16, 2010

Shoreline resident Pat Erickson (left, with her husband Steve) will be featured in an informational video for the Novartis Pharmaceutical Company.

Pat, who has Parkinson's Disease, manages her symptoms with the help of a drug produced by Novartis.

In March, they filmed her over a two-day period, at home, running a charity event, and performing as her alter ego, Mrs. Wigglesworth.

I had a very interesting day, as I was followed by a film crew. Actually, they came first to my house and then followed me to a vintage fashion show we held at Riverside East Retirement Community. Although it was quite fun, I was exhausted that night! The next day, they filmed Mrs. Wigglesworth telling stories and then did some more interviewing.

The video will be given to doctors and newly diagnosed patients to show them what people are able to do with their lives, even when they have Parkinson's disease.

One of the ironies in all this is that I went from not telling anyone about my disease to becoming a voice that will be heard in physician's offices and by newly diagnosed patients all over the country. The director from the film crew pointed that out to me.  I - who in the beginning told some friends it was just their imagination when they asked if anything was wrong - addressed a group of around 400 salespeople at a nationwide sales meeting for Novartis in Phoenix last December. Life is kinda funny, isn't it?

Pat's fundraiser for Parkinson's research, the Walk to the Future, will be held on Saturday, July 24 at the Edmonds-Woodway High School Stadium from 8 am to 8 pm. Volunteers form teams and get pledges for their day-long walk.

The day will feature music, entertainers, and prizes for the team and the individual bringing in the most contributions.

Information and Registration forms are available for download on the Pinky's Passion website or call Pat Erickson at 206-542-8777.

Please join us on our walk as we raise money to make the dream of a Parkinson’s free world a reality.

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Walk to a Future without Parkinson's Disease

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Pinky's Passion, the organization created by Pat Erickson and friends to raise money for Parkinson's research organizations including actor Michael J. Fox's Foundation, is staging a Walk to the Future on July 24 at the stadium at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds.

The fund-raising walk will last all day, from 8 am to 8 pm. 

Participants enter as teams and only one member of the team needs to be on the track at any given time. Teams can arrange their schedule to allow designated times for individual members to walk or plan to have everyone there all day.

Photo, right. The Unity Walk in Central Park, New York City, on April 24 which inspired the local event. Courtesy Fox Foundation.


 The emphasis is on the Fun in Fund-raiser, so bands will play, random prizes will be given during the day, and local celebrity Mrs. Wigglesworth will make a guest appearance. 

Photo courtesy Mrs. Wiggleworth, storyteller.

Three bands are scheduled to play: Third Train Running (photo, right), Shearwater (below, left) and The Phantoms Blue Band. 

Bring your friends, form a team and come walk with us as we earn money to help create a future without Parkinson's Disease

Participants sign up, then collect pledges from friends and sponsors. Prizes will be awarded to the individual and team who bring in the most contributions.

The $25 registration fee includes both an event t-shirt and a box lunch from Quizno's. The "Back to the Future" DeLorean time machine was flattened in a time warp but is still suitable for photo ops from the right angle, so people should be sure to bring their cameras.

The event is fully underwritten by sponsors, so all money raised will go directly to research and support organizations.

More information is available on the website or by calling Pat Erickson at 206-542-8777. 

Closing ceremonies and the Victory Lap for Parkinson's Disease participants will be at 7:30 pm.

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Shoreline Firefighters Fill The Boot

Friday, June 18, 2010


Shoreline Fire Chief Mark Bunje “fills the boot” with a final donation after Shoreline IAFF Local 1760’s day-long fundraising event for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Firefighters raised over $7,500 dollars during their annual “Fill the Boot” campaign held along the intersection of 175th and Meridian in Shoreline on Friday.

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Special Olympics Torch Run through Shoreline

Thursday, June 17, 2010



Officers from the Shoreline Police Department picked up the Special Olympics torch from the Edmonds Police Department in the annual Special Olympics Torch Run on June 4. With the assistance of the Shoreline Fire Department, officers relayed the torch through the city of Shoreline and handed it off to the Seattle Police Department to continue its journey to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the opening ceremony in the Games.

Photo courtesy Shoreline Police 

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Pat Erickson and Team Fox Walk to the Future

Friday, June 4, 2010

Pat Erickson discovered Michael J. Fox and his Team Fox after her own diagnosis of Parkinson's in April of 2002. (See previous story). Wanting to take an active role in fighting this debilitating disease, she began fundraising to support clinical research for a cure. She became a member of Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising arm of the Fox Foundation.

Pinky's Passion for Fashion was a vintage fashion show first held in April 2007. It raised $12,000 which all went to the Fox Foundation. Since that time, Pinky's Passion has given a total of $63,000 to both local and national Parkinson's organizations.

In 2008 and again in 2010, Pat and her husband Steve were honored by invitations to the Fox Foundation Most Valuable People Dinner in New York. This year, they also participated in the Parkinson's Unity Walk, held April 24 in Central Park.

Inspired by the experience, Pat set up a new event: the Walk to the Future.

Our Walk to the Future will be held on July 24, 2010 at the Edmonds Woodway High School Stadium (Shoreline Stadium was not available). Teams will be walking from 8 am to 8 pm. Don’t worry; you won’t have to walk that whole time. Only one member of your team needs to be on the track at any given time. So, the bigger your team, the less walking you have to do.

The day promises to be fun with music, entertainers (Mrs. Wigglesworth is sure to pay a visit) and prizes for the team and the individual bringing in the most contributions.

Please join us on our walk as we raise money to make the dream of a Parkinson’s free world a reality.

Registration forms are available for download on our website or call Pat Erickson at 206-542-8777.
Photos courtesy Team Fox

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Pinky's Passion For A Parkinson's Cure

Tuesday, May 25, 2010


By Diane Hettrick 
Pat Erickson, also known as "Pinky" for her love of the color pink, was dancing the Funky Chicken with her son at the Meridian Park school dance in 2001. Being in the middle of school events was not unusual for Pat, a mother of three, an active PTA and school volunteer. What was unusual was that her arm was numb and the numbness didn't go away. 
Photo: Pat "Pinky" Erickson.

Many doctor visits and many tests later, she found out why. She had Parkinson's Disease, an incurable, progressive disease which wastes the nervous system so that the person gradually loses control over their movements. Symptoms include a combination of involuntary movements and muscle rigidity.

Pat, who had been deeply involved at Meridian Park Elementary, scaled back her volunteer work while she and her family learned how to live with this major change. For an entire year, Pat didn't tell anyone about her medical issues. Then her husband Steve said to her, "if any good is ever to come of this, you need to tell people." Her closest friend said she would help. Pat went public.
Photo: Pat and Steve Erickson 

The response from friends, school and PTA volunteers, and kids, was positive and supportive. People said "How can we help?" Pat started thinking about what she could do that would make the most difference. The answer was clear: find a cure for Parkinson's by helping to fund the scientific research.

Pinky's Passion for a Parkinson's Cure was born. With the help of her good friend Marla Schriefer, the first event was held.

Pat, a slender, elegant woman, has a love for vintage clothing and had been collecting vintage outfits and accessories. 

In April of 2007, Pat and Marla staged Pinky's Passion for Fashion, a vintage fashion show. The show raised $12,000 which Pat gave to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Photo, left: Pat in her favorite hat

Photo, right: Sue Brown and Debi Ehrlichman model vintage clothing

Michael J. Fox is the television and movie star (Back to the Future series) whose career was sidelined by Parkinson's. His foundation has funded almost $179 million in research and is ranked as one of the most fiscally responsible charities in the US.


Photo, left: Pat and Michael J. Fox in New York
Based on that donation, Pat and her husband Steve were invited to the Fox Foundation's Most Valuable People dinner in April 2008. Pat says, "It was there I met Michael J. Fox. He was everything you would hope he would be - warm, friendly and very funny."


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TOP Food & Drug fundraisers for MS Society topping $100,000

Monday, April 5, 2010

TOP Food and Drug customer, employee and corporate contributions to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will top $100,000 this year after a successful campaign at stores earlier this spring.

TOP Food and Drug and its sister Haggen Food and Pharmacy stores are presenting sponsors of Walk MS, which will be conducted by the MS Society’s Greater Northwest Chapter on April 10-11 at eight sites through Washington. To spur awareness and contributions, TOP Food and Haggen stores offered paper MS Sneakers for $1 apiece at checkout stands March 3-16. Customers at the 33 stores in Washington and Oregon donated $56,730 with their purchases of MS Sneakers. Customers also are making donations with their purchases of Walk MS totes and bottled water at the stores.

Many TOP Food and Haggen employees are raising funds by participating in Walk MS and the Bike MS Ride on September 11-12.

TOP Food and Haggen stores have raised $275,000 since 2004 for the MS Society’s Greater Northwest Chapter. The chapter serves more than 10,000 people living with MS, plus 60,000 others affected by the disease, in Western and Central Washington and Alaska. Walk MS donations also fund research to find a cause and cure for the disease.

“The MS Society fundraisers are a company-wide effort because, like so many of our customers, we have connections to many families affected by multiple sclerosis,” said TOP Food spokesperson Becky Skaggs. “We’re grateful to all who support our efforts by buying MS Sneakers and/or pledging donations to employees participating in Walk MS.”

The closest local Walk MS event is scheduled for 9:30 am, Sunday, April 11, at Husky Stadium in Seattle.  For more information, visit WalkMSNorthwest.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another.

Haggen, Inc. operates 33 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the TOP Food and Drug and Haggen Food and Pharmacy names. Headquartered in Bellingham, it is the largest independent grocer and eighth-largest private company based in the State of Washington.

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Join the Relay for Life

Saturday, February 13, 2010

By Harley O'Neil

This year Relay for Life will be held again at Woolsy Stadium on the Crista campus at 19303 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133, on June 5 and 6. For those of you who have not experienced this event, it is truly amazing.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.


At 10 am, Saturday June 5, the event begins with cancer survivors starting the first lap around the Woolsey track. It is a 1/4 mile course. Team members get pledges for donations based upon how many laps they complete. This event runs for 24 hours, so it ends at 10 am on Sunday morning. Last year $190,160 was raised at this event. This year it is expected that there will be 45 teams, 100 survivors participating, 850 other participants, and hopefully the amount raised will increase to $250,000. These events are held at many locations throughout the United States and the funds raised are used for a variety of programs. Some are listed below:

1. Rooms for Life - The Rooms for Life program provides free, temporary, non-medical housing for patients during treatment away from home.

2. Road to Recovery - The Road to Recovery program provides transportation to cancer patients. Volunteers drive cancer patients to and from treatment.

3. Reach to Recovery - The Reach to Recovery program is designed to help people cope with their breast cancer experience. Volunteers are breast cancer survivors who are trained to offer support at various points along the breast cancer continuum: diagnosis, decision making about treatment and its side effects; returning to a full active life, or confronting any long-term effects-including a possible recurrence of the disease.

4. Look Good Feel Better - This Look Good Feel Better program teaches beauty techniques to women currently undergoing cancer treatment. Women receive a free makeover including tips on skin care, nail care and make-up. They are also taught about wigs, hats and turbans.

5. Man to Man - This group provides information about prostate cancer and related issues for men and their partners in a supportive atmosphere.

6. Children's camps - Camp UKANDU and Camp Goodtimes are the Society's free, week long summer camps for children with cancer. These camps are equipped to handle the special needs of children undergoing treatment.

The programs listed above are only a small sampling of how the funds collected are used. As I recall, over 4.3 million was used at the UW on Cancer Research from money collected and over 7 million used in research at other facilities in Washington state. A cure for this disease will be found.

The Shoreline Breakfast Rotary Club will be sponsoring a team. If you would like to participate with us, please go to the Shoreline Relay website and sign up to be on our Rotary Club of Shoreline Breakfast team. There is a beautiful Luminaria event on Saturday evening at 10 pm, where you can light a candle in rememberance of people who have died from cancer or for individuals who are currently fighting this disease. My family has attended this inspring event for many years and has always left with a renewed hope for finding a cure.

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