Turning Up The Heat

It's time to turn up the heat against cancer!!



The more money we raise, the more lives we can save.  To get closer to saving 1000 lives a day we need to start by raising $212 in 2012 per participant.  Will you help me reach $212 raised today?? Donate at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2012 right now!!  Your donation can make the difference in a patients life, it can mean the difference between hearing "you have cancer" and "you are in remission". 


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Until We Find a Cure

Why you should donate to ME

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, I'm going to be a little selfish and let YOU the reader know why you should donate to ME.

I meant to get this post out yesterday, since yesterday was "Cyber Monday" but I decided that everyone's focus wouldn't be on donating but instead on buying things so I decided to wait.  However nothing says you can't "spend" money today by donating.  Here's why you need to donate to my personal fundraising page:

• Bring HOPE to cancer patients everywhere - you're donation will help fund cancer research; and provide free services to cancer patients such as free wigs, support groups, transportation, and lodging.
• Get in your last minute tax write-off for 2011 - yup after you donate you'll receive an electronic receipt that can be used when you file your taxes
• You're gift can be DOUBLED - most companies will match your charitable contribution and donate the same amount to me, so why not make a donation and have your company do the same.
• Donate instead of buying me a Christmas or Birthday present - every year I present an option for my friends and family to forgo a present (my birthday and Christmas are 7 days apart) and make a charitable donation.  I do this because I don't need materials items when instead I'd much rather receive donations to help find a cure for cancer! So...this year I'll be 23 so why not donate $23!
• You'll feel better! - Giving to others will make you a kinder and happier person and I bet that donating makes that feeling last even longer (UC Berkeley Article)
• Hand written thank you card - If you donate I'll send you a hand written thank you card to let you know how much I appreciate your donation!

Now I guess I should clarify...the list above doesn't just apply to me (except maybe the "gift" one), they apply whenever you donate to the American Cancer Society but I'm making the plea for you to donate to me because well this is my blog.  My goal is to raise $1300 this year and I can't do that alone, I need your help.  So take a few minutes and visit my personal fundraising page and donate today because you will help Save More Lives!  Here's where I stand, my team stands and the event stands as of 11/29/11:

Let's make all 3 bars reach the top!

Fundraising Update!
I have raised $130 so I'm 10% of the way to my goal!! (11/30/11)

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Until We Find a Cure

Fundraising and the Holiday Season

We are two weeks away from Thanksgiving and just over a month away from the rest of the holiday season.  This fact would usually scare people into believing that you can't fundraise because everyone is too busy getting everything they need for the holidays and wont donate...WRONG!
Here are a few ways to get people to donate to you:

1. Tell them if they want a last minute tax deduction for their 2011 taxes they have to donate by 12/31/11 or else they'll have to remember to save the paperwork for 2012
2. Instead of gifts this year, have them donate to your page - I did this last year for my birthday (which is a week before Christmas) and I raised over $400.
3. Include a personal reason of why you Relay in your Christmas/Holiday card.
4. Sell homemade pumpkin, apple, cherry, pecan, etc...pies and give the profits to Relay For Life
5. Sell homemade ornaments that are about Hope and Cure
6. Wrap presents at your local department store - some will let you wrap them and pay your charity of choice about $8/hour.
7. Or simply just ask!

So basically there is no reason to think that you can't get donations during the holidays, in fact that's when I've made the most money for Relay For Life.  So get creative and don't be afraid to ask.

Have a great holiday season!

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Until We Find a Cure

36th Annual Great American Smokeout

Wow I've been slacking on these, my apologizes (life is just INCREDIBLY hectic).

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From the American Cancer Society

36 year's ago the American Cancer Society began a campaign to educate Americans on the hazards of smoking and encourage Americans to become smoke free, and the Great American Smokeout was born.  The official day is November 17th however it has become a month wide effort to end smoking in America.  The American Cancer Society encourages every smoker to quits smoking on November 17, 2011 in the hopes that they wont pick up the habit back up the next day.  The American Cancer Society recognizing that quitting smoking is by far one of the hardest things people can do so the American Cancer Society provides both the information on how to quit and the support to make it happen.   Not only should Americans quit smoking cigarettes but also they should quit using chewing tobacco, "dip", and all other tobacco products.

Here are some of the reasons you or a loved one should quit smoking (information from the American Cancer Society):

-When you quit smoking your heart rate and blood pressure will begin to drop in the first 20 minutes

-"Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after 2-5 years" will begin to decrease after 5 years of your last cigarette

-If you smoke 2 packs of cigarettes every day for 365 days you will smoke over 14600 cigarettes and spend an average of $3,650 in one year on ciagarettes!

-You will live longer and be able to spend more time with your families.

More information can be found here: http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GreatAmericanSmokeout/

So how else is the American Cancer Society trying to make America smoke free, through the efforts of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network's (ACS CAN) Smoke Free Campaigns. These campaigns occur both on the local and state levels to get towns, cities, counties and states smoke free.  ACS CAN has helped create 100% smoke free workplaces, restaurants and bars in the following states:

Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Main, Maryland (my home state!), Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.  AND the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico! That means that almost HALF of the United States Population is protected!!

There are 12 other states that have at least one of those three places as designated as 100% smoke free.  Virginia (my new state of residency) is working towards having restaurants and bars 100% smoke free by taking the step towards creating more spaces within the location smoke free (e.g smoking in rooms only with separate ventilation or outdoors), but hopefully with the help of "Smoke Free Virginia Now!" and ACS CAN this can be achieved in the coming years.

Want to get your state smoke free? Support ACS CAN and reach out to your local legislators about how you want a smoke free environment for everyone!!

 

Look what the students at Oklahoma State University are doing to ensure that their campus continues to stay tobacco free:

We could all take a lesson from them!

Why am I so passionate about getting more Americans to quit smoking?  I lost my a grandfather in 2001 to lung cancer, and because of that I believe no one should lose a family member to a preventable disease.  Also, I have asthma and I am allergic to tobacco which means that every time I breath in second hand smoke I run the risk of being hospitalized with a severe asthma attack.  It's not fair to myself and others who have asthma that we have to avoid certain places and people to for our own safety - this doesn't just happen when walking down the street, I have had to avoid rides at amusement parks because they don't have a no smoking policy on their grounds. I hope that by the time I have children they don't have to worry about where they go just so they can breath clean air.

I apologize if I offended anyone with this post, since it is by far one of the most personal ones I have written lately, but for me this is a very personal issue.  Yes I completely understand how difficult is in to stop smoking, I may not have been around my grandfather often but I am completely aware of how difficult it was for him to try to quit smoking even while he was undergoing cancer treatment (unfortunately he was not able to quit).  I by no means think that you can just wake up tomorrow and not be a smoker anymore, I just believe that with help from friends, family and resources like the American Cancer Society you can live a healthier life and quit smoking.  So join me in talking to friends and family about the benefits of kicking the habit this month and start their New Year's resolutions early!

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Until We Find a Cure

2011 South Atlantic Relay For Life Leadership Summit

What happens when over 900 Relayers meet for a two day Summit? Purple happens!

I got to meet people from all over the South Atlantic division, which runs from Maryland to Georgia, who all share the same Relay passion I do.  Probably one of the neatest people I got the opportunity to meet was the chair for a 2nd year Relay (1st year as a full Relay) from a Native American reservation in North Carolina...her event is the first on a reservation! There were committee members from community and college events, and from small community/college events to the #1 community and collegiate events in the USA.  Basically the event was incredible and unlike anything I've ever been to before.

The event consisted of basically 4 parts:
-Relay Store, where we all spent tons of money on really awesome Relay gear
-Relay Expo full of booths about how fundraising, advocacy, Bark For Life, Relay Recess,
survivor and caregiver recognition and places to tell your Relay story.
-State rallies and small group breakouts: In the state rallies we got to hear about how awesome our individual states (with Virginia being the best of course) and awards for per-capita and reaching $100K+.  While in the small group breakouts we discussed ways to raise more money and over come fundraising obstacles, refresh our Relays and learn how to better prepare when needing to ask someone a very important question (e.g. joining a committee, making a corporate donation, etc...).
-General Session: These were awesome! This is where 900+ Relays joined in one ballroom for some of the most amazing/emotional/uplifting speeches I've ever heard about Relay. We had a Purple Passion Party on Friday night where I saw some of the craziest purple outfits ever! A fashion show of the 2012 incentives that turned into a flash mob of college Relayers and their staff partners. And some of the best speakers I have ever heard!  You can check them out at www.relaybuzz.org.

During the Virginia state Rally my communities brought home:
-Bedford: Per Cap Award for $0.99 per cap
-Salem: Per Cap Banner for $5.33 per cap and a banner for raising over $100,000
-Vinton: Per Cap Banner for $11.04 per cap and a banner for having the #1 Per Cap in the state!!

Virginia Tech received tons of awards for their success in 2011 to include a top team fundraising total for the 2011 Relay Exec

and awards for top online fundraising amount and most money raised by a collegiate event!!

 

Current and alumni VTRelayers with Reuel Johnson, National VP for Relay For Life

My favorite part though were all of the guest speakers.  We had survivors speak about how the efforts of Relay For Life have saved their lives, caregivers talk about how they fight back in their loved ones name, and American Cancer Society staff talk about the where the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life have been and where it is going.  Dr. Otis Brawely, our Chief Medical Officer, put it best when it said "we are doing a half assed job screening for colon cancer" because it's true we have to get the preventative care to all Americans if we want to save 1000 lives a day!  The South Atlantic Division is the #1 in the nation for Relay For Life for a reason, because we are determined to save 1000 lives a day and put an end to the words "you have cancer".

Of course we knew there were going to be speakers and videos that would bring most of us to tears, as evident by the fact that tissues were waiting at each seat when we arrived for the 1st General Session, but none brought more tears to my eyes than the 2012 RFL Caregiver Video.  Do not watch this video without tissues in hand.  It always hits home for me, especially the poster that says "I purchased a luminaria in your memory"

The 2011 South Atlantic Relay For Life Leadership Summit was incredible, inspiring, fun, and PURPLE! I loved every minute of it and I hope my volunteers and I can bring home the excitement we got from Relay Summit and have the most successful Relay Season yet!

We will save 1000 lives a day because We Save Lives.

from www.relaybuzz.org

You can help reach 1000 lives saved a day by donating at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2012 today! 

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Until We Find a Cure

Relay Season and a Wedding...Am I Crazy?

3 Relays and a Wedding in 3 Months...

From April to June, 2012 I will oversee my three Relay For Life events and get married.  Yes, I am officially crazy because my wedding will be exactly 2 weeks after my last event ends.  You might say..."why are you doing this to yourself??" Well the truth of the matter is when my fiancé and I sat down with our calendars there was really only one weekend that worked, so on June 30, 2012 we are getting married.

So how does one plan essentially 4 large events? A very well organized calendar and lots and lots and lots (did I mention lots?) of checklists.  Basically I wouldn't be able to do this if I hadn't figured out how to organize my life while in college.  I am quickly becoming a master at prioritizing my time to accomplish as many tasks in as few hours as possible.  This is 100% necessary because wedding planning is turning in to it's own job on top of a very time consuming job.

Now I am luck because all three Relays are in three different months, meaning I shouldn't be totally drained by the time my wedding rolls around.  But unlike my Relays, my wedding will not be purple.  This was something I decided right from the beginning: no purple in my wedding.  That simple idea has definitely helped keep everything separate.  So if you are planning a major event around Relay season and you don't have to have it be purple...don't make it purple! You'll enjoy the event (& planning) more than you would ever believe because there is a very clear difference between it and Relay. 

This post isn't about me venting, it's actually about this piece of advice: before you start ANY project get yourself organized.  I don't think I'd be surviving the start of planning the 2012 Relay For Life events and my wedding if I wasn't organized and didn't keep binders for everything.  I know I have about 9 months to my wedding but I've only got about 7 months to my first Relay and I want to make sure I am well ahead on the planning for all of them.

OH and if you are planning any event as major or big as a wedding...DO NOT do it alone! You won't be able to, especially if you have a fulltime job.  So find someone or someones to help, it'll make a world of a difference.

So let's so how I'm doing in a few months when more deadlines for both Relay and my wedding start overlapping more...fingers crossed I'm being as proactive as possible.  In the meantime click the "support badge" on the top right of my blog and donate to the South Harford Relay For Life in Maryland and help me raise $1300 this year in the fight against cancer! 

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Until We Find a Cure

Getting started on Relay Season 2012!!

On September 1, 2011 the 2012 Relay For Life season officially began!! I know it might sound weird to think 2012 when it's still 2011 but for Relay we start on September 1 and go until August 31 of the next year.  This being said all of the brand new websites went live on 9/1/11 and let me tell you...they are so nice! A definite improvement and change over the websites we've had for a few years now. Check out relayforlife.org to see the updates and find your local Relay.

Another great thing about starting the new Relay season is getting started on building committees, getting teams and participants signed up, and holding Kickoffs.  If you've seen any of my other posts you know that I've lead the organization of 4 of the 5 Kickoffs held at Virginia Tech. Obviously I really enjoy planning them (or else I wouldn't have reapplied for the position twice) and I think they are a ton of fun.  However when help lead one this Monday it will be the first community Kickoff I'll have ever been to. I'm super excited about it and have had way too much fun making the decorations.  Here is a sneak peak of the decorations for our football themed Kickoff:

 Check back next week for a recap of the Kickoff and more pictures!

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Until We Find a Cure

Look Good...Feel Better

When women go through chemotherapy and radiation they deal with many different side effects of the medication but sometimes the hardest is not the nausea or lack of appetite, but instead not looking like themselves.

A side of effect of chemotherapy that is visible every day is hair loss.  For women their hair is a large part of who they are, so when it falls out or becomes very thin they don't feel like themselves anymore.  The American Cancer Society offers free wigs, turbans and hats for any women who wish to receive one. You can find them at your local American Cancer Society office.

Another a side of effect of chemo and radiation is skin discoloration and texture change, especially on the face.  Look Good...Feel Better is a programed designed to help women and teens (male and female) apply make-up and use skin care products to help the patients feel better about themselves and boost their self-esteem.  The program is a non-medical program designed with the idea that if one feels better about how they look they will start to feel better overall.  When a woman arrives at the session she is presented with a never before opened skincare bag that is tailored to their skin ton (light to dark) filled with donated cosmetics and skin care products.  The session is then led by a trained facilitator (who must be a licensed cosmetologist) who demonstrates how to apply the makeup, properly wear a wig (if needed) and begin to feel better.  The sessions typically run for about 2 hours and are held typically held at the local American Cancer Society office, Discovery Shop, or hospital.  They are a wonderful free program the American Cancer Society offers because it allows cancer patients the opportunity to feel beautiful again even when they are feeling their worst. For more information check out http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org.

These are a great videos done by the Harrisonburg American Cancer Society office about Look Good...Feel Better and other products/support at your local office:





The American Cancer Society also offers free bras and prostheses to women who have undergone mastectomies.  There are trained staff and volunteers at local offices to help properly fit a patient so she can feel beautiful and like her old self again.

As always if you would like more information about this Patient Services Program, any of our other programs or to find out any information related to cancer you can visit cancer.org or call toll-free to 1-800-227-2345 at any time of the day or night.

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Until We Find a Cure

Cancer.org

Cancer.org - who know such a simple URL could lead to so much information!

Cancer.org is not just any website, it is the official website of the American Cancer Society.  It contains information about:

Getting involved
Information about all types of cancer
Helping you quit smoking
2011 Cancer Facts & Figures

Finding support and treatmentInformation about new research

and so much more!

This website is a priceless resource for cancer patients and their caregivers, volunteers, and people who just want to know more.  You can literally spend hours on this website learning about different treatment options available, finding a local Relay For Life event in your area, or getting help to quit smoking.  It is an easy to navigate website that is incredibly informative and up to date.  There are even places to get the exact same information in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Even if you don't have cancer or aren't a caregiver for someone who does, there is excellent information about staying healthy to help prevent against cancer.

Everyone should take a few minutes and navigate the website for a little while to see what information is out there, you never know you might run across something that could change your life.

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Until We Find a Cure

Reach to Recovery

(I apologize for this post being late, so as a comprise I'll do posts this week!)

When women (or men) are diagnosed with breast cancer there are immediately faced with many questions: "Will I lose my hair?" "Will I have to have a mastectomy?" "How am I going to get through this?" "Where do I got for help and guidance?" or "Who can I talk to?"
Luckily there is a patient services program designed specifically for women and men who are diagnosed with breast cancer and it is called Reach to Recovery.  And in case you didn't know, yes men can be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Reach to Recovery has been provided by the American Cancer Society for over 40 years. The program is designed to help both men and women who are facing a range of breast cancer experiences from just diagnosed to entering remission.  What Reach to Recovery does, is it pairs a current breast cancer patient with a Reach volunteer, who meet a set of criteria, to discuss any questions or concerns the patient has and to help guide them through the journey of cancer treatment.  The Reach volunteers are not every day volunteers, they are breast cancer survivors who have been in remission for at least 1 year and are thoroughly trained to work with the patients. The volunteers come from varying backgrounds of breast cancer experience as well, some have had mastectomies, double mastectomies, had lymphedema, or breast reconstruction.  By carefully pairing patients and volunteers, the patients can receive the best information and support about exactly what they are going through.

For some breast cancer patients, their Reach to Recovery volunteer is the only person in their life who understands exactly what they are going through and can talk to them on a level that they understand.  All of the volunteers are trained on what medical terms mean and how to explain them in more basic terms so the patient doesn't feel overwhelmed or confused.  But aside from all of that the Reach volunteers are there simply as way for the patient to see that there is hope of survival because the Reach volunteer has been there before, they have survived.

I think this program is remarkable and I wish my Grandmother had had the opportunity to speak with a Reach to Recovery volunteer during her battle with breast cancer.  I believe all women and men who are diagnosed with breast cancer, regardless of the stage, need to seek out the Reach to Recovery program because it will give them the hope, support and understanding they need to get through their diagnosis, treatment and recovery.


And as always more information about patient services program, cancer facts & statistics, or cancer information can be found at cancer.org or by calling 1-800-227-2345 at any hour of the day or night. 
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Until We Find a Cure

Hope Lodge

Did you figure out what this week's post would be??

I had the honor last Friday to visit the Baltimore Hope Lodge at the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Campus of Hope on the University of Maryland-Baltimore campus. It's a wonderful and beautiful building designed to help cancer patients and their caregivers relax in a "home away from home".

Baltimore Hope Lodge. Image from http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/SupportProgramsServices/HopeLodge/Baltimore/index

There are 31 Hope Lodges across the United States creating a home environment for cancer patients and their caregivers when away from their home receiving treatment.  All Hope Lodges offer free temporary place to stay for as long as they need in order to receive the best possible treatment.  The idea is simple: families always search for the best treatment but sometimes that means traveling hundreds if not thousands of miles away which can become incredibly expensive but free lodging makes a world of a difference! 

The Baltimore Hope Lodge is situated near the University of Maryland Medical School and John's Hopkins Medical Center.  When you walk into the Hope Lodge you immediately feel a sense of warmth and care.  They have a large great room for families to eat and watch television, and a kitchen that allows them to make their own food or for volunteers to make dinners for all.  Each patient and/or caregiver has their own private bedroom with full bathroom so they can have comfort away from the hospital/treatment center.  To help them relax and keep their focus away from treatment, there is a courtyard, a rec room, and a library.  The staff is incredibly nice and they want to make life as normal as possible for their guests.
 
All Hope Lodges are always looking for donations of food, books for the library, ink cartridges and even Christmas presents.  If you are interested in donating to a Hope Lodge near you click here.



In order to create more free nights for patients and caregivers the American Cancer Society must continue to raise more money through events such as Relay For Life.  To donate visit www.relayforlife.org and find a local event to donate to.

The Hope Lodge is by far one of my favorite patient services programs that the American Cancer Society offers and I hope to see more Hope Lodges built across the USA, especially in Virginia.
As always to find out more information about the American Cancer Society and other patient services programs visit cancer.org.
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Until We Find a Cure

Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery - helping patients get to and from treatment.

Sometimes getting to and from treatment can be incredibly straining on the patient if they are driving themselves, so why not let someone else drive you.  The Road to Recovery program offers patients free transportation to and/or from treatment whenever and wherever that might be.  The drivers are volunteers who offer their time and resources to ensure that these patients have a worry and stress free journey to/from treatment.  The drivers sometimes only drive one way and sometimes they stay through the treatment to make sure the patients can get leave as soon as they want to.

For cancer patients who don't have caregivers who can drive them to treatment, Road to Recovery offers them the piece of mind of not having to drive when that is probably the last thing they want to do. And depending on their home support system, the Road driver might be the first person who will let them talk about whatever they want to or not talk at all.
Almost all communities have a Road to Recovery coordinator who helps make sure that any cancer patient in their community that wants someone to drive them to treatment can receive the help.

If you know someone who would benefit from the Road to Recovery can call 1-800-227-2345 to find a local coordinator.  If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering as a Road to Recovery driver can contact their local American Cancer Society office - if you live near Roanoke VA and want to help out leave me a comment, I'm always looking for more Road drivers to help out with my communities.

More information: Road to Recovery

Road to Recovery is helping thousands of cancer patients get the treatment they need to beat cancer and win the fight!
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Until We Find a Cure

Patient Services Programs

One of the great aspects about my job is learning about and being involved in all of our patient services programs.  These programs are designed to help cancer patients from all walks of life feel better before, during and after treatment.  Because I think these programs are absolutely incredible and everyone should know about them, regardless if your or a loved one has cancer, I am going to highlight a different one each week.  I'm incredibly excited for week two's post already but I'm not going to share what it is, but here's a hint....it may be far from Roanoke but it makes you feel right at home.  So make sure you check back each week to learn more about each of the patient services programs that the American Cancer Society offers!


And if you can't wait for my next post you can read about all of these programs and more at cancer.org or call our toll-free number at 1-800-227-2345.

The American Cancer Society is helping you get well, helping you stay well, by finding cures and fighting back.
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Until We Find a Cure

Good things in the world

Life has been crazy so I haven't posted anything in a while but this one deserved my attention.

I wanted to share with everyone a blog that my fiance stumbled across today that I think everyone should take the time to read: 40 Extraoridnary Things Happening Right Now (from http://www.marcandangel.com/)
It talks about how even though it may seem like nothing good is going on in the world, in fact there are at least 40 things happening right this second that make life wonderful.  One of my favorites, and I have many from this list, is #36 "A breast cancer patient just found out her cancer is in complete remission." And it's very true! Every day, all day long cancer patients are finding out that they are cancer free and are now living their lives without the horrible disease.  So much of discussion about cancer talks about how many people are hearing the words "you have cancer" and not nearly enough is about the numbers of people hearing that their cancer is in remission. 

However, I did see a wonderful episode of TLC's Cake Boss last night about the American Cancer Society's campaign of A World With More Birthdays.
Here's more information about the wonderful episode: http://morebirthdays.com/page/cakeboss
The cake that Carlo's Bakery made was a wonderful representation about how the bakery staff have be effected by cancer and how they want to give back. Also, during the original airing of the episode a couple of More Birthdays commercials aired which was awesome to see! Take a look at some of these at MoreBirthdays.com and send an e-card with one of them to a friend or family member for their birthday!

The efforts that the American Cancer Society and all organizations dedicated to finding a cure for cancer are making can be seen everywhere! I love seeing all of these wonderful and inspiring stories/websites/shows. We still have a long way to go but there are definitely good stories in the world.

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Until We Find a Cure

Learning So Much!!

I started my new job with the American Cancer Society over a month ago and it has been wonderful! I got to be the main staff person for a event in the middle of June, meet community managers from other offices in the South Atlantic division at training and work with amazing volunteers/staff.  Every day is different and every day I learn something new.  I cannot wait to start working on the 2012 events with my communities and really get the chance to work with them since I came in after so many of their events were over.  The 2011 year's events are wrapping up but there is still so much work to do.

I've got big plans/ideas for my events and I cannot wait to see what they think of them. Stay tuned to learn how you can help!

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Until We Find a Cure

New Involvement with the American Cancer Society

So it's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's because the last few weeks have been kind of hectic.  After graduation I spent some time visiting family and participating in my Relay For Life event back home.  This event occurs in my hometown and it's on a much different scale than the one at Virginia Tech but it's always successful and a lot of fun.  This year I got to watch my mom run a "5k at 5am" at the event which was really cool considering it had been almost 24 hours since she had woken up the day before.
However that's not my new involvement with the American Cancer Society since I have been attending that event for 3 years now...so the question is what is it??

I am now working on the other side of Relay For Life events, I am now a full time employee of the American Cancer Society!! I get to help run 3 events near Roanoke, VA and work with the many volunteers who come into the office and attend our events.  I am so excited to be apart of such a wonderful organization that I have had the opportunity of volunteering for.  The American Cancer Society is such a wonderful organization and the people who staff it and it's volunteers are some of the most amazing people.  I cannot wait to really begin work with my 3 events, I've already had the opportunity to start working with one of them.  This job is going to be an great opportunity for me, to not only work with 3 community RFL events but also to get to work towards bettering the lives of cancer patients everywhere!

If any one out there wants to learn more about how to get involved, leave a comment or visit cancer.org and explore the American Cancer Society's website.

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Until We Find a Cure

Four Wonderful Years

I can't believe my tenure with Relay For Life at Virginia Tech is complete and what a wonderful four years it was.

When I joined VTRelay in Fall 2007 there were probably only 30-40 people on the planning committee, there are now on average 100-110 people on the different committees and Exec.  The 2007/2008 event took place on the Johnson-Miller Track and Field, however that was the last year it was held there because in 2008/2009 the event was moved to the Drillfield. The event has grown from about 2500 participants to almost 6000!! And of course the growth over four years isn't limited just to participants...we've raised over $1.5 million dollars!!

I can't believe I had the opportunity to help plan the largest collegiate Relay For Life event in world for the last 4 years! Seeing the growth this event has achieved in four years is unbelievable and every year I am even more impressed than the year before. I cannot wait to see where this event goes in the future, when I visit as an alum of the greatest university, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Thank you Relay For Life at Virginia Tech for a fantastic four years.

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Until We Find a Cure

More pictures!

We received an email yesterday about a slideshow/webpage full of pictures from the first portion of our event.  The pictures start with the finishing up of set-up and go through the Survivors lap.  Follow the link to take a look at: http://lbhphotography.net/relay2011/

Here's a preview and one of my favorites:

I hope you enjoy the pictures, they really are fantastic and I hope there are more to come.

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Until We Find a Cure

Photos: Relay For Life 2011

Click on the picture above to see all of the picture!

(more to come!!)

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Until We Find a Cure

#1 Collegiate Relay For Life Event

It's official Relay For Life at Virginia Tech is once again going to be the #1 Collegiate Relay For Life event in the world!! We have raised over $619,000 as of 9am this morning and I know there is still tons of money to be turned in.  We are inching ever closer to $750,000 raised in the fight against cancer.

Friday night was an absolutely amazing night (despite the occasional down pours and constant misting of rain). Thousands of Hokies turned out to celebrate, remember and fight back on the Drillfield.  I helped out with the survivors banquet and checking all of the survivors in and seeing the smiles on their faces despite the weather was fantastic.  My family also came into to town to participate in Relay with me, which made my final VTRelay that much more special.  The Remember ceremony was absolutely beautiful, hearing Alice's story of her mom's battle against cancer was awe-inspiring. And as always as I made my silent lap around the Drillfield's track I was brought to tears as I saw the pictures of my grandparents on the projector screen.  I miss them both so much but I walk in their memories.
As the night progressed we all continued to walk through the mud and rain to show the world that we are determined to find a cure to cancer in our lifetime.  Exec put on a fantastic event and I couldn't be happier to have helped and then participated in the event.  I am going to miss being on VTRelay Exec.

I'll post pictures on my Picasa album within the coming week, as they are downloaded off mine and my sister's cameras, to share with the world.

My fiance and I outside Burruss Hall.

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Until We Find a Cure

TODAY!!!

Today is the day that I join thousands of Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff and community members on the drillfield for the 2011 Relay For Life at Virginia Tech. I cannot was to see everyone celebrating the survivors and those currently fighting, remembering those we have lost, and fighting back to find a cure.

Help me make this day even more special by putting me well over my fundraising goal of $1000. I know I can raise $1200, $1300 or even $1500. Go to http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2011 and donate. Every dollar helps improve the life of someone with cancer and puts us one step closer to finding a cure.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."- chinese proverb
That is a saying I live by and I hope you all will join me in this journey as I walk and fundraise towards for those who have heard the words "you have cancer" and so no one has to hear them again.

I Relay for my Grandpa Rex Terrell and Grandma Mary Krum who both lost their lives to cancer. I Relay for them today.

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Until We Find a Cure

HALF A MILLION!!

Late last night the Virginia Tech Relay For Life passed $500,000 for the 3rd year in a row! This I believe however is the first time we passed half a million before the event instead during or after. This time last year we only had about $373,000 so we are WAY a head of where we were last year!
If we continue on this pace we should hit $750,000 no problem.

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Until We Find a Cure

Goal Reached!!!

I reached my fundraising goal today!! Thank you to all of my friends and family who donated to help me raise over $1000, I couldn't be happier!  This is the first time in 4 years that not only have I reached my goal but I've passed it and my first time becoming a Grand Club Member. I wonder if I can surpass $1000 by a couple hundred dollars???

Only 5 days until the World's Largest Collegiate Relay For Life takes place at Virginia Tech.

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Until We Find a Cure

1 WEEK!!

I can't believe the 2011 Relay For Life at Virginia Tech is in 1 week from...TODAY!!

It is going to be an incredible night and I cannot wait.  The speakers lined up for the Celebrate, Remember and Fight Back are absolutely fantastic.   There are also going to be lots of fun games: wing eating contests, corn hole, Queen of the Night, Relay Olympics.

I am also only $78 away from my goal of $1000!! There might be an incentive for someone to put me over $1000...keep a eye on my blog for more information :)


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Until We Find a Cure

$400,000

The American Cancer Society - 2011 Relay For Life of Virginia Tech: has passed $400,000!!!

We are on a roll and closing in on our goal quickly!

And I'm under $130 away from making the grand club for the first time in 4 years :)

$360,000+

So I'm trying to keep up with the growth VTRelay is experiencing but I just can't seem to catch up! We're raising money in large amounts every single day and it's FANTASTIC!!
Yesterday we not only passed $350,000 raised but we passed it by over $10,000!!!

Last night's Team Captain's meeting was awesome and we had a ton of TC's show up! I can't wait to see how large our event is which is only....17 days away!! AHHHH!!!

We've got a new fundraiser going on right now: "Battle of the President" where we've pitted the Student Body President and the Senior Class President against each other to see who can out fundraise the other. The winner gets to pie the loser on stage the night of Relay. It's going to be awesome to see how much these two guys can raise!

I'm still over $200 away from my goal but I know I can reach it, I want to be a grand club member to so bad! I've never reached $1000 in a single year and I want to reach it my senior year. If you want to help me reach my goal donate at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2011


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Untile We Find A Cure

$300,000+

We've passed another fundraising milestone! Yesterday we passed $300,000 and are already well ahead of it.  As of 2:00pm on Thursday March 31st we have raised $324,820.63 which is absolutely incredible!!!!

We have to keep fundraising if we want to reach our goal of $750,000 but i know we can do it!

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Until We Find a Cure

A Quarter of a Million Dollars!!!

Since my last post 5 days ago we have raised $50,000 which is AWESOME!!!

We are a third of a our way to our goal but I know we can reach it! Help us by donating at www.vtrelay.org

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Until we Find a Cure

$200,000!!

VTRelay has done it again! We have passed another major fundraising mark...$200,000 raised online!!  On February 17th I posted that we hit the $100,000 mark and in just over a month we doubled it.
In fact as of the time of this post we have raised $216,704.06 which is incredible!!

We still have a ways to go if we want to reach our goal of $750,000 but I know we can make it.  Donate now on my personal fundraising page.

We are inventing the cure!


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Until We Find a Cure

10 for 10

It's VTRelay's 10 for 10 campaign! It started yesterday and our goal is to raised $10,000 every day for 10 days for a grand total of $100,000

Yesterday was day 1 and it was  HUGE success!! Not only did lots of people send out emails via our website, but we also raised surpassed $10,000 raised in 1 day  :D

Here's the schedule for the next 9 days:

Taken from www.vtrelay.org

Make sure to sign-up (today is the last day to sign-up to get your participant shirt), fundraise and then participate in the largest collegiate Relay For Life event in the world!!

Looking for where to donate, go to http://main.acsevents.org/goto/JulieTerrell2011 and help me reach $1000 by April 22nd in honor of my 4th VTRelay event and graduating from Virginia Tech.

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Until We Find a Cure

LESS THAN 50 DAYS!!

Until the largest collegiate Relay For Life takes place on the Virginia Tech Drillfield :D
I cannot wait to be apart of this fantastic event and to celebrate with my friends how much we have done for the fight against cancer.

To think about how important The American Cancer Society's efforts are in helping cancer patients and their families, I heard a song that represents it perfectly: Rascal Flatt's "I Wont Let You Go"



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Until We Find a Cure

Video: Why I Relay...

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Until We Find a Cure

Stacey Kramer's Gift

I was recently introduced to TED talks by a few people (my boyfriend, a roommate and a professor) and decided to look around the website and see if any of the videos interested me.  There are lots about the economy or health, etc... but this is one is different.  It's one of the shorter ones (less than 6 minutes long) but I think it has an incredibly powerful message.  I'm not going to give away what Stacey Kramer's Gift is but she gives a different perspective to her "gift" than most people would.  Take a look:





Now that you know what her Gift is, would you consider it a Gift? Still not convinced? Watch The Last Lecture by Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch and see what he has to say about this Gift:





Their Gifts are definitely not traditional gifts but they are definitely life changing opportunities.  They gave them the door to open to a world full of love and caring and a realization that you should always look for the light in a dark situation.

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Until We Find a Cure






(Wow 2 posts in 1 day? Yup!)

VTRelay = AWESOME!

So I just want to put it out there that VTRelay = AWESOME!!

And here are a few reasons why (taken from our wonderful Productions Chair, Michelle B.)
-VTRelay was apart of the Homecoming Parade
-Have had two incredibly successful Kickoffs (I might be biased here)
-We got Fighting Gravity to come back to Virginia Tech
-We sold out Burruss for Relay's Best Dance Crew
-We just got a giant check at the Duke game for $13,653 for the Blackout Shirts
-As of March 1st at noon we have:

• 2,323 Participants
• 405 Teams
• $136,343.20 raised total

Since Wednesday February 23rd at 10:00am we have raised $22,181!!! That was less than a week ago!

This is absolutely unbelievable!! I could not be happier to be apart of such a powerful, impressive, and fantastic organization.  When I graduate in 71 days, I will take with me 4 years of unforgettable moments with the Relay For Life at Virginia Tech events I have been apart of.  Thank you all for such wonderful memories and friendships.

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Until We Find a Cure

VTRelay Has The HokieBird

Relay For Life at Virginia Tech has stolen the HokieBird!!! He wont be released in time for ESPN's Celle Gameday until $10,000 has been raised!!!
Watch the video:



Donate at: www.VTRelay.org
DONATE NOW!!!
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Until We Find a Cure

2011 VTRelay Shirts!!

This years shirt is available for purchase at the campus bookstores!! They are $10 and the proceeds go directly to VTRelay.

I think this year's shirt is awesome! "Invent the Cure" is a fantastic play on the school's slogan of "Invent the Future" where we strive to develop new technologies and lead the way in innovation.  So what better slogan than "Invent the Cure"for a Relay For Life event that has led the way for years now as the number one collegiate event?!

Buy yours today!!

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Until We Find a Cure

$100,000

VTRelay has passed the $100,000 online fundraising mark!!

We passed it during Relay Kickoff last night which was a ton of fun. Everyone pigged out on a ton of baked goods (soooo many cookies!!), enjoyed fantastic performances by Natty Sharp, Sensations and Low Techs and listened to a wonderful presentation by Dr. Harrison.

There are now only 64 days until Relay For Life takes over the Drillfield for annual event.

Here are the numbers so far (as of 12:10 on 2/17/11)

• Teams: 360
• Participants: 1,856
• Money Raised: 103,042.03

We've still got a long way to go to our goal but I know we can make it!

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Until We Find a Cure

SPRING KICKOFF 2011 IS...

TONIGHT!!!!


6:30pm Squires Commonwealth Ballroom.  Free food, Free Entertainment, a great Guest Speaker, and Team Fundraisers.


Don't miss out!!


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Until We Find a Cure


Grandma, this is for you.  I love you and miss you every day.

Spring Kickoff 2011

In 2 days Relay For Life at Virginia Tech will host it's annual Spring Kickoff!!!

The event is this Wednesday at 6:30pm in Commonwealth Ballroom.  It's a free event with free food from our sponsor Campus Cookies and entertainment by Naturally Sharp, the Sensations, and the Low Tech's.  Our guest speaker is Dr. Kelly Harrison from the Virginia Tech Psychology Department.  She is not only a supporter of cancer research but she is also a 4 year breast cancer survivor.  We are incredibly happy to have her as our guest speaker.

We also have a few team's selling team fundraising items: shot glasses, t-shirts, paper chain links and sunglass croakies. And if people sign up for VTRelay at Spring Kickoff they get an awesome free gift!!

We really hope to see a lot of people there, it is going to be a great event!!

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Until We Find a Cure

Script Writing

On Wednesday February 16th I will have been in charge of leading the planning for 4 of the last 5 Relay For Life at Virginia Tech's Kickoff events (spring '08, spring '09,  fall '10, spring '11).   And even though I can basically plan these entire events over night there is still one aspect of planning that always takes me forever....writing the script.  It's just always a struggle for me (every time) trying to figure out exactly what I want to say without sounding silly or "scripted".  Luckily because I've written 4 of these before I've learned what works and what doesn't work and what sounds good and what sounds cheese/lame.  This is my last Kickoff so I want the script to be perfect, fingers crossed.

There is one great thing about writing a script though, being able to tell everyone just how important the work of the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life are.  All of the work that we are doing is saving thousands of lives every year and the number of survivors grows every day.

Make sure to attend this year's Spring Kickoff on Wednesday February 16th.  I promise that well before then I'll have this script done and ready to go.  The event is going to be fantastic, you don't want to miss out!

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Until We Find a Cure

Cupcakes everywhere!!

Relay For Life at Virginia Tech's Annual Spring Kickoff is in a week from tomorrow!!
So as my committee and I finalize preparations we started to make homemade decorations (they are super cute and well...free).  This means that I've been making lots of cut out construction paper cupcakes!

Creating these have caused me to realize...why don't we still make homemade decorations or play with construction paper?

We've still got more to make but I'm thinking Spring Kickoff is definitely going to look like a Birthday Party!

Happy 10 Years VTRelay

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Until We Find a Cure

Looking ahead...

These next few weeks (or rather the rest of February) are going to be incredibly jam packed!!  Aside from first round of exams showing up and patiently waiting for spring break, lots of incredible Relay things are going to happen.  Here's a sneak peek:

Friday February 11th

Relay's Best Dance Crew Featuring a Special Performance by Fighting Gravity

This event is going to be incredible!! We know this event is going to sell out!

Sunday February 13th

Hokies on Fire Blackout Basketball Game vs. Georgia Tech

The proceeds from the shirts are being donated to VTRelay!  (see a previous post)

Wednesday February 16th

Annual Spring Kickoff

It's going to a great birthday themed event full of sweet treats and great entertainment!

(I'll post a flyer about it when the artwork is complete)

And there's one more huge event going on but it's top secret and I cannot wait for everyone to hear about it....

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Until We Find a Cure

What if...

A fantastic video put together by Annalee, our Fundraising chair.   I know that this can go from a "what if we can cure cancer" to a "we are curing cancer".  Help make this change.

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Until We Find a Cure

Hokie Hoops: Blackout Game

Sunday February 13th the virginia Tech Men's basketball team takes on Georgia Tech in the annual Hokies on Fire Men's Basketball Game.  Like all years a shirt is produced for the student body and all fans to wear to the annual game.  This year was no exception.  However, there was one difference: where the money form the shirts was going.

In the past the profits from the shirts go to the VT SGA.  This year the money is being donated to the Relay For Life at Virginia Tech!! The shirt was designed in memory of Allen Calloway, a former Men's Basketball player who lost his battle with cancer last year.  I don't believe there is a better way to remember him than to have the money from the shirts donated in his name to an organization that is striving to help fund the fight against cancer.

The shits can be ordered through VT Bookstore Website for $10 or at any of the bookstores on and off campus.

2011 Hokies on Fire Blackout shirt

Let's make sure these shirts sell out and then pack Cassell Coliseum on Sunday February 13th!!

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Until We Find a Cure

Why Do You Relay?

By this point everyone knows why I Relay:
-My Grandma Mary who lost her battle with cancer on November 12, 2009
-My Grandpa Rex who lost his battle with cancer in January 2001
-Friends who have been diagnosed and lost their battles
-And for those who have been triumphant and won


But now I want to know why you Relay? Or why do support the American Cancer Society in general?


Share your stories so we can all see why this event is bigger than just those of us on the VTRelay Exec committee, or the sub-committees or even our participants...it's probably bigger than any of us can imagine.


When you are done maybe remember those we have lost and honor/support those who are currently fighting or have won the battle against this awful disease by donating in their name to VTRelay so that one day no one has to the words "You have cancer."  


Relay for the future!


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Until We Find a Cure

Less than 100 days!!!

There are less than 100 days until the 2011 Relay For Life at Virginia Tech!!!

As my last spring semester starts I realize how unbelievable it is the amount of work that myself and others have put into this fantastic event over the course of my 4 years at Virginia Tech.

When I first filled out a committee application in the fall of 2007, the event had about 2,000-3,000 participants.  Now the event has more than doubled in size and is on the verge of tripling. Our goal of 7,500 participants is easily reachable and possibly even passable.
In 2008 we raised over $200,000 but by fall that year we were hearing numbers like $300,000!! Those of us on Exec that year thought that was absurd but little did we know we'd pass it.  Not only did we pass $300,000 in 2009, in 2010 we raised over $480,000!!  In the last 2 years our event single handily raised over $1 million for the American Cancer Society.  We are looking to raise 3 quarters of a million dollars this year alone...that's $750,000 (in case you didn't know). 

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My committee and I have begun plans for the Spring 2011 Kickoff and we're super excited about some changes we've made from past Kickoff's as well as an incredibly exciting theme -- Happy Birthday VTRelay!
*In case you didn't know the Relay For Life at Virginia Tech turns 10 year's old this year! We've been helping fund the fight against cancer for a whole decade :)

I've also been working on a secret fundraiser that is sure to cause some excitement around campus - keep an eye out!

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As always if you want to help me reach my goal of raising $1000 in the memory of my Grandma and Grandpa Rex who lost their battles with cancer please use the 2nd link under "Links" on the side of my page to donate!


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Until We Find a Cure