Thursday, September 27, 2012

Number One

That's what number I am!  Make that what number my team is from the NOCC - Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer Walk.  I am so amazed by the love and support handed out by so many people.  People in my family...friends that I love...friends of my family...friends of my friends.  The school where I worked raised over $1100 on their own.  I am so touched by everyone's involvement.  

Because of the amazing amount of money raised I got an invite to the annual NOCC conference being held in LAS VEGAS in November!!!!!  Wheeeee!   I have never been to Vegas and I have scheduled a chemo holiday for the month of November!  I just wanted to drop in and say thank you to every one that supported a cause close to my heart.  NOCC get money that can press for more research and maybe a less life ruining treatment for this disease.

to the moon and back my AllStars,
Sarah

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Back to the blog

I am going to apologize in advance for the surely rambling nature of this blog.  I had chemo today and it always leaves my brain a tad fried.  

This past weekend was the annual NOCC "Race to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer."  I have been working for the past 6 months, to build a team, fundraise in all the ways I could figure out from my bed, convince myself that yes I did want to participate in said event, design a t-shirt, become the number one individual fundraiser, become the number one fundraising team "Atnip's AllStars," and then show up for said event.

I am so amazed by the last 3 items on that list.  Last year I spent my time jockeying for 4th and 5th place.  I almost doubled my funds raised last year.  My team grew from 25 people to 35 people, and all those people blanketed me in love and support on the day of the race.  I was unable to participate in the 5K because as I said before I have spent the better part of the last 2 months in bed.  I am pretty worn out, because the current chemo regime leaves my muscles tired along with the rest of me. So I had to get a little creative with my fundraising.

I used to work in an amazing place.  A place that is filled with the most amazing children.  I decided to harness some of that amazingness and give the children an opportunity to help out an amazing cause with a face they can recognize.  I called it "Calling All Coins."  I asked the children to scour their homes for change...sofas, dryers, dad's pockets.  The reward would be given to the homeroom with the heaviest amount of change (I wanted no part in rolling and totalling all that change) would win a pizza party.  I had NO IDEA how into this project the children would get.  As a school they collected over 130 pounds of change and raised over $1100.00.  I still get a lump in my throat.  These are children...choosing to hand over huge jugs of pennies, nickels and dimes they have been saving for who knows how long.  I refuse to believe it was all for a pizza party.  They knew ever class couldn't win, but they continued to donate even after all of the weights had been totaled and a winner had been crowned. Of course they didn't know that because of the enormous amount of generosity shown they would all be given a pizza party...school wide pizza party.   They just kept giving because they are they MOST AMAZING CHILDREN in the world.  

That's all I can type right now.  I promise a longer post about the race later.. I just wanted to devote a post to the amazing students that helped keep me the #1 individual fundraiser for this event!  I might be getting a trip to LasVegas out of it...I think I should have saved some nickels for the nickel slots!

To the moon and back my lovelies!
Sarah