What’s the route to success when you are giving care to a loved one with cancer? 

Hello Caregivers! I just have to tell you about some recent events! Last year we attended our local Cancer Walk Rally to raise money for those in our area who have cancer and need some help from their neighbors. The group is called SACS (Sparta Area Cancer Support). Our website hadn’t even launched when we attended in August of 2008, but we donated raffle items and purchased luminaries. We also gave a financial contribution. The ceremony was incredible! So many people from our community pulled together to put on this touching event. They honored survivors. They remembered loved ones who were no longer with us. They had a balloon release. The event lasted for about six hours. It was such an uplifting experience; we knew we had to go again this year.

Not only did we attend this year, we also had a booth to increase awareness within our community of our website and services. We had the usual “freebies”. We had pens, calendars, magnets and flyers. We were able to speak with some wonderful folks attending or working the event. Some shared some personal stories. There was this incredible sense of oneness as so many worked together. Gray clouds loomed overhead as the SACS workers all told of never having been rained out. Winds whipped about briefly in the afternoon and a smattering of sprinkles slipped from the darkened sky. No one’s spirits were dampened as the preparations continued.

After a working part of a day (on her birthday), a hairdresser spent hours shaving heads for locks of love. One brave woman lived up to her bargain of shaving her head if she met her fund-raising goal. She had quite a crowd cheering her on. As the evening came on, the damp air took on a chill. She should have been cold, but she wore a big smile below her previous hairline! I handed her a SanctuaryForCancerCaregivers.com hat to keep the chill off. I don’t think she even felt the chill between the big smile on her face and love in the air all around her!

Our small town community has been instrumental in creating a very successful annual event which gives back to the community in so many ways. Cancer patients and their families are helped as a result of this fund-raising. Two major medical centers in our area are given money from the proceeds for cancer research. Other communities have looked to our local group for guidance in how to duplicate their efforts.

The entire event is so inspirational and it makes me very proud of my community. Many of those working the event and in attendance have been touched by cancer. What is so amazing is that of all the workers at the event, so many have had loved ones with cancer. There are also those who fought the battle and won. After all they have been through, isn’t it wonderful these passionate people give back to their loved ones and their community?

And so, my hat is off to our great community. The need is there and people respond. They open their hearts and their wallets. But most of all, my hat is off to the SACS Board of Directors and workers. They are simply awesome!

Check out our photo here .

What does this mean to you? I urge you to get involved in your community to help fight the devastating impact of cancer! If you can’t give money, can you spare some time to help? If you can’t give of your time, can you spare a donation? Think of your loved one. Do it for them. Do it to feel empowered at a time when you need to feel like you can do something, anything, to make a difference!