LiveSTRONG Day "Paint the Town Yellow"

Come out on May 13th from 2-5 to the AnMed Health Campus North and participate in LiveSTRONG Day. Learn how you can "Enlist" in the Local Livestrong Army Upstate SC; Learn more about the Lance Armstrong Foundation and legislation that the foundation has introduced asking Congress to make cancer a National priority; Share your story in a private video testimonial booth that will be sent to our State Representatives, as well as, add your name to our LiveSTRONG petition; Enjoy some yellow refreshments; Donate $5.00 to the LAF and take a ride in Skyscapes' Hot Air Balloon; Kid's LiveSTRONG activities; Learn how you can get involved with our LiveSTRONG Dragon Boat team; Participate in our paper chain and honor or remember someone you love; Purchase your LiveSTRONG wristband and learn how you can purchase LiveSTRONG merchandise that benefits cancer survivors, caregivers, foundations and organizations all over the country.

If you have a business, we are asking you to hang a yellow ribbon at your entrance and ask your employees to wear yellow.

If applicable, we would like to ask you to feature yellow foods or feel free to add your own "touch of yellow" into your day.

We need your voice! Let's make a little noise and send a message to our South Carolina Representatives that we want to take the fight to cancer!

Going to Ohio

I just found out this weekend while at the first SC Survivorship Conference in Columbia that I will be traveling to Ohio with the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the 2008 Livestrong Summit in July. I am scheduled to serve the foundation as an advocacy track leader. This election season I am determined to educate myself on our democracy and election process. I have literally become a "political junkie" (by the way - is there a shot for that?) America is the greatest county and we are truly blessed to have the freedom to decide who will lead us, speak on our behalf, and make crucial decisions that will ultimately affect our children and grandchildren. However, until surviving cancer and becoming a cancer advocate, I really just continued to drink the same old democratic kool - aid. I have decided that I don't want to be just another voice being listened to but  an American being heard.
Washington, STEP UP!
South Carolina, STEP UP! 
South Carolina (Bob Ingles and Lindsay Graham) has not signed on to co-sponsor the Cancer Screening Treatment and Survivorship Act introduced last year by the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Take some time and email them, call them or write them TODAY!!!! Make them tell you why they are not taking action to end cancer.
I challenge Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg to get fired up about this issue and take action... You can start by coming to our workshops at AnMed Health Campus and participating in "Paint the Town Yellow" for Livestrong Day on May 13th.
As the local army leader, I am inviting you to join our local Livestrong Army - " Livestrong Army Upstate SC" today!

"Paint the Town Yellow" coming May 13th on Livestrong Day.
Get involved:
Wear Yellow and tell your friends to wear Yellow.
Hang some Yellow ribbons around town.
Share your favorite Yellow bouquet with someone battling cancer.
Eat some Yellow food at your favorite participating local restaurants
Come to AnMed Health Campus and join us in the Livestrong Events and learn how you can join the Livestrong Army Upstate SC.

Lev Starkt

My son's school (Montessori) had 30 plus Danish students to visit this week. We invited a couple of the boys to stay with us for a night and it was truly an experience. It was their first time to come to America and our first time to meet anyone from Denmark. We learned a lot about each other's countries and customs. We came to the conclusion that our countries had a lot of differences, but then one of the boys (Robin, who was the only one who could speak English), told me that his grandfather was battling cancer. Cancer, the common denominator? This disease truly knows no boundaries. This enemy is global, therefore this war should be global. These kids knew about the Livestrong Foundation and even had Livestrong wristbands. It was exciting for me that just as the kids were all so familiar with this enemy - they also knew the army - the Livestrong Army.
By the way, Livestrong in Danish is Lev Starkt (though a is written a little different than our a).

I want to invite anyone who can to come to our (Livestrong Army Upstate SC) Livestrong Workshops being held at Anmed Campus in the Cancer Center Conference Room and learn how you can get involved.

Workshops will be:

"Advocacy & You" - Feb. 26th at 2pm

"Advocacy & the Government" - March 25th at 2pm

"Advocacy in Action" - April 29th at 2pm
Livestrong Day is May 13th and we are planning now for our event that will also be held at the campus. I will write more about that in the very near future.
Hope to see you at our workshops.

So "Lev Starkt!"............

I Luv New York

New York was GREAT!

We really took in the city this year. We took a walk through Central Park, ending up at the Metro Museum of Arts where we saw the original "Washington crossing the Delaware" painting, several Van Goghs, and really amazing Egyptian artifacts. Caleb, my son, was in an Artist's Heaven. We indulged in the tallest sandwich of corned beef and the biggest slice of cheesecake I have ever seen at the famous Carnegie Deli. We walked through Trump Towers, walked across Brooklyn Bridge, shopped in China town, hung out in Time Square, revisited the Today Show and saw an Off Broadway show - STOMP (which was incredible). We took in the view from the top of the Empire State Building while the sun was setting and I cannot tell you how inspiring that particular experience was. We met Al Roker and visited Chelsea's Market and Food Network. We played WII at Nintendo World and went skating at Rockefeller Center.

My son has hopes of making New York his home one day upon completing his education and I have to admit after a couple of visits, I understand why - there really is massive opportunity in that great city. New York gets a bad wrap. They really know how to enjoy life from their food to their street musicians and by the way, they love Southerners. I can't put my finger on it, but I really felt motivated and inspired upon returning home. Sometimes I guess we get caught up in everyday routines and a city like New York just reminds you that there really is life out there.

God intends for us to live it, not just dream it.

Blue Monday

I heard that this past Monday was "Blue Monday" - they said more people are depressed on this day than any other day in the year. One psychiatrist said it is because the holidays are over, the bills are starting to roll in and the dreary weather. His suggested treatment was to smile at everyone you see that day and that would at least get you through to Tuesday. (Yeah, he said that - to Tuesday)
Though the suggestion of smiling at strangers seemed so elementary - it sounds like a great prescription for such a condition. But couldn't we smile on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and even Sunday?
Who could stay depressed when their smiling all the time.
So if your feeling a little blue - get your smile on!

LiveStrong Day 2008

Save this date: May 13th, 2008

LiveStrong Day this year is May 13th and we (LiveStrong Army Upstate SC) are going to host an event at AnMed Health Campus in Anderson. This will be one of 500 organized events taking place on Livestrong Day all over the country. We are hoping to gain some major attention from Congress with this year's effort so that we can expect change upon our return to Washington.

Be sure to spread the word and wear YELLOW!
More info will follow.....................

Also, we are in the very beginning stages of organizing a Dragon Boat Team.

Stayed Tuned