My passion for the cause goes all the way back to the time I worked in Miami, Florida.  I was the health reporter back then, and reported on, and hosted several specials on the topic of breast cancer.  I found myself inspired by the courage and strength of breast cancer survivors.  Over time, that conviction for helping to cause a world without breast cancer has grown stronger.

At every chance I get, I work as an advocate for and participant in issues and events that support breast cancer research.
I have sang, run, and walked for a cure!

I was so honored last year to serve as honorary chairwoman for the 2009 Triangle Race for the Cure.  Further, I have also served on the board of directors.

I am on fire about the fight.

I love the words in the Melissa Etheridge song, I Run For Life:

I run for hope
I run to feel
I run for the truth
For all That is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend, I run for life.

To me, that just about says it all when it comes to the intention of all those who participate in the Triangle Race for the Cure.

We were 22,000 strong last year.  Here’s to another great year!

I know it’s been simmering for some time, but I believe the birth of SparkCon truly started the transformation.  It is my intention to be a part of the growth of this local talent showcase.  The network describes itself essentially as an ever-growing group of passionate local people with a desire to make the Triangle an even better place to live and play. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

   I recently received notice that SparkCon is staging a big celebration in downtown raleigh. The dates are September 19 – 21st.

   There are all types of sparks:  musicSPARK, fashionSPARK, groundSPARK, yoagSPARK, and filmSPARK, to name just a few! 

   Once I was notified, I immediately contacted an organizer to find out how I could participate.  I presented all the particulars:  I sing jazz and standards, don’t have a band, can set up my own sound system, etc.

   Well, it took a little while, but my message was returned.  Woop Woop. 

   I was of course thanked for my passion and energy.  It’s amazing the emotions that get communicated through cyberspace.  They’re going to try and find a venue for me.  More communication is needed.  They asked me for a demo tape.  A demo tape?  (gulp).  I’ve not yet given any thought to recording a demo tape.  I am not even sure how to make it happen.  The best I could do, was to direct them to this blog where the music samples are.

   Still waiting to hear back from the SPARK people.  You know what? Even if I don’t get to sing with the musicSPARK people, I will definitely show up on that magical weekend in September to help in any way possible.

   I have already declared myself a part of this new social class, the creative class.  The more like minded people in our community get involved, the greater the  force behind this new movement.

  You can find out more about spark by visiting its website:

www.sparkcon.com

     Thankfully setting up the sound system is becoming a breeze.  I was once told that I shouldn’t be doing this kind of work, and that I should hire an audio tech to do the sweaty, heavy lifting.  I’ve not considered this.  Actually, I like the fact that I know how to do this, and right now, I need to have this measure of control.

     Back to my return to the club, it was grand seeing the staff who I’ve missed during my month long hiatus.  They’re such wonderful men and women, with incredible attitudes.  They’re all work when the club is buzzing with diners, but when the restaurant closes, they change clothes and start making plans for what they’re going to do for the rest of the night. That’s when I get to laugh and have fun with them and learn a little bit about their lives outside of work.

     I had lots of new music to showcase.  It just now dawned on me, that I did not sing At Last.  I do believe in my haste to complete my song list, I skipped it.

     I talked more with the audience this time… welcoming them and asking if they were there to celebrate something, or simply to enjoy a nice evening with dinner.   This interaction brought up something that I did not exactly plan for:  I got bombarded with requests.  This meant I had to go off the song list, and start searching my I-Pod for the songs folks wanted to hear that I had not planned to sing.  I got through it just fine, but it threw off my rhythm a bit.  It’s something I suppose I need to get used to.

     I had a Billie Holiday tribute during one set.  I also had a mini-country moment.  People really like Crazy and Walking After Midnight.  Think I might add a few more popular country songs.  A few more, that’s all.

     As the evening grew long and the crowd grew thin, I found myself singing to a couple in a booth, and the staff at the bar.

It didn’t matter to me.  Like I said at the top, I just love singing. That doesn’t change according to who is there.

     I believe this week, I will work on increasing my comfort level with the new songs, while adding just a few new songs.

The primary elections are this week.  It probably wouldn’t hurt to throw in a patriotic song for grins. 

More than one hundred 8 -12 year old girls were gathering.  There was perpetual motion… peppered with yells, laughter, and cheers.

   The 6th annual Girls on the Run 5K and Fun Run in Memory of Will Beard was taking shape!!

At 9:00am, the participants were taking their places.   I don’t have the final figures, but I can tell you that last year our event attracted more than one thousand  5K runners and baby joggers, and about 30 one-mile runners.  We were all excited and ready to run!

   In previous years,  I have volunteered as a running buddy.  I’m paired up with a girl who wants a bit of encouragement along the course to keep running and keep having fun.   This year, I ran alone for the first time.  I had not physically prepared to run the 5K, but I am a pretty regular jogger.  What the heck, I told myself, “go for it.”

   I’m not sure how long it took me to complete the course, but what thrills me the most is that I jogged without stopping. It was my personal; goal not to walk.  I made it the whole way. Woooo-hooo!!! That is a huge accomplishment for me. A fine finish.

   I could not be happier with the awesome finish accomplished by each girl who participated.  For most of them, today’s 5K marked the completion of a program that builds character, encouraging emotional, social, and physical development.

   To all of those girls I say, Well done!

To everyone else, I say, Look at us go, and look at us grow!

I invite you to visit our website:

www.gotrtriangle.org

Today in downtown Raleigh at the offices of Cherokee Investment Partners, I spent ninty minutes with one of them.

Andrew Warren is a man with a powerful vision to help people with Aids in Ethiopia.  He is project director for an organization that is providing AIDS care and  treatment to approximately 400 families in Adis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.

I was among an eclectic group of Triangle residents invited to hear about how Andy’s taking on HIV/AIDS in Adis.  Among other things, Andy explained to us that the project works because he and his team are really in touch with people’s lives.  They help the whole family. I mean, they do everything from washing and dressing people with the disease, to making sure they stay on their drugs and take them properly.

He enlists the help of U-S trained medical workers, volunteers, and community mobilizers to make it happen.

There is no question that life in the shadow of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is brutally difficult.  There is no way to sugar coat that stark reality.   Andy did make it clear though that because of drugs known as anti-retroviral cocktails , HIV is more manageable.  People are getting healthy and hopeful for their own futures.

I have a feeling that when he finished his presentation, which was warm and conversational, we all felt that getting involved with his project would be not only forever life changing for people in Addis Ababa, but for us as well.

The person who brought us all together is Lyston Peebles.  He is an incredible man of faith and compassion.  He told me today that he is now 60 years old, and that he has pledged to spend the rest of his life responding to global poverty.

I am moved and inspired to help him.

To learn more about some of what Lyston’s up to in the world,  I would encourage you to visit this website:

www.cherokeeeducationprogram.org

I am running for the men and women diagnosed with breast cancer who can not run. I am running to raise awareness and money for prevention, research, and care.

Last year I walked and ran the 5k course because I was still nursing a knee injury. Not this year. I’m healthy and strong and pumped to go the distance… running all the way.

The Triangle Race is unlike any other 5K you’ll ever experience. There is so much emotion wrapped up in this one. In the span of four hours, you’ll feel sorrow, joy, inspiration, unspeakable awe.

I love this race and the work of the volunteers who produce the event so successfully year after year.

In the past, I have served on NC Triangle’s board of directors. I also emceed the festivities from the central stage when my station secured the coveted status of Media sponsors over the years. This year my station has won back sponsorship from a competing television station in this market. I couldn’t be more proud. WRAL could not find a bigger cheerleader, advocate, drum major for the fight against breast cancer than me. While my role in the promotions leading up the big event has been smaller than I could ever imagine, my enthusiam for Saturday’s Race has not been diminished one bit.

So, I will run Saturday morning with passion and joy…. that I am healthy… and that I support a cause that touches everyone.

There is still time for you to register, if you’d like to join this fight. It’s an experience you can support just by showing up as a spectator on Saturday morning. Hope to see you there!

For more info: check out the website…
www.komennctriangle.org

I am back from Chapel Hill, and still on fire after participating in the Girls on the Run 5K. The UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont was the gathering location.

Girls from all over the Triangle show up celebrate all they have accomplished so far in the program.

I am a running buddy to a participant in training.

Madeline is just seven years old. Not quite old enough to join, but she is planning on it!

Her 9 year old siter is in Girls On the Run. She races with her friends from Durham Academy and her dad.

The course is 3 miles. That’s a long way for a seven year old to be sure, but Madeline completed the race with me.

She was a delight! This little girl took off like a bullet, just as soon as she heard the word, go.

Thankfully, we would soon find a more reasonable rhythm. For Madeline and me, it was a “race” that included giggling, griping, piggy-back riding and an exuberant sprint across the finish line.

I can say with certainty that Madeline hasn’t put herself in the “Girl Box”. No. The Girl Box is described as that dark place that previously happy, confident girls go at about the time of fifth grade. There is a good deal of evidence and research to support this. Girls on the Run was founded because of the changes girls weather during those turbulent teen years.

I see Madeline’s face in my head as I blog… that infectious giggle..that bouncing pony tail spray painted green and purle. I believe that Madeline believes she can do anything. How amazing is that? That’s Girls on the Run.. a program worth getting up for on an early Saturday morning.

If you’d like to find out more about what Girls on the Run is all about please visit our website:

www.gotrtriangle.com

I served on the Board of Directors for the Triangle chapter of the then NC Triangle Race for the Cure in the mid-90s. Over the years, I’ve walked and I’ve run the 5K course at Meredith College in Raleigh This past year, I ran and cried.

In 2006, I picked up a videocamera and put myself into the lives of 2 couragous women battling cancer. They gave me permission to document their journey. It is both heartbreaking and inspiring to see first-hand what women do to survive. Ellen Baker and Janice Reilly are two incredible women with great families. They have powerful stories to share. I am efforting to bring the stories I produced about them to this site.

The 2007 Triangle Race for the Cure is almost here. It’s in June at Meredith College in Raleigh. There is no other race like it. If you’ve never participated in this race, I invite you to lace up your sneakers and do it. It is a race that will awaken all five of your senses. It’s a fight worth joining. Imagine, a world without breast cancer.

Find out more by visiting the website.

www.komennctriangle.org

I am deeply moved by the actions being taken by Girls on the Run International. It is doing fantastic work building girls’  self-esteem.  This year I was invited to become a board member of the Triangle chapter of Girls on the run. Every single person on this board is on fire about getting girls ready for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.

The biggest fundraiser for the organization is the annual 5k and Fun Run that is staged every Spring in Chapel Hill.  I get the biggest kick out of being a running buddy for one of the young participants.  The race organizers match adult volunteers with girls who are enrolled in the program through their schools.   Most of them have been “training” for weeks and show up sporting brand new shoes and they are ready to run!  Lots of the girls will run the entire course, but most of them stop and start.  They all finish though, and they all get gold medals.

It is said we make a living by what we get, but we make a LIFE by what we give.

I am thrilled to give my time to GOTRTRIANGLE!!!