We need YOU! If you are passionate about ending breast cancer or motivated to help others who are already living with a diagnosis, we want YOU! The Beyond Pink TEAM is hosting their first Volunteer Recruitment Fair on Tuesday, April 30 from 5:30-6:45 pm at Orchard Hill Church, 3900 Orchard Hill Drive.

Volunteers are needed in many areas. Whether you are interested in social media and publicity, or you want to provide support and help plan programming we have a volunteer position for you. Volunteers are also needed in the areas of Advocacy efforts and working special events.

The Beyond Pink TEAM started operations 25 years ago, but according to BPT chair person Dee Hughes, it has only been in the last 7 or 8 years that people of the Cedar Valley and beyond have recognized the Beyond Pink TEAM as the local nonprofit dedicated to dealing with breast cancer issues.  “This growth of recognition and expansion of services has increased the demands on our volunteer based organization,” Hughes said. “We know there are other people who are passionate about breast cancer and would find volunteering for the Beyond Pink TEAM a very rewarding and fun experience.”

For more information about the Beyond Pink TEAM’s Volunteer Fair call Gabbi DeWitt at 319-292-2225 or Dee Hughes at 319-235-3179; or go to the Beyond Pink TEAM website at www.cedarvalleybreastcancer.org.

The Beyond Pink TEAM is part of the Cedar Valley Cancer Committee, and is a non-profit organization made possible by the collaborative efforts of many health organizations, businesses and dedicated individuals’ throughout the Cedar Valley. The Beyond Pink TEAM’s mission is to provide breast cancer prevention, education, support and advocacy for comprehensive, quality care in the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities. Going beyond pink ribbons, beyond pink light bulbs, beyond pink trinkets; Beyond Pink, we accomplish our mission by Taking action, Educating, Advocating and Making a difference.

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Breast Cancer Support- Growing Goodness

As you move forward from cancer treatment, one of the many pieces of advice a survivor hears is to “eat healthy.” One way to eat healthy is to grow your own vegetables in a garden.

The “Splash of Color” meeting is Thursday, May 9 from 5-7 pm. It will be held at Waterloo Public Library, 415 Commercial Street in Waterloo.  Sally Browne, Master Gardner Intern will present on the topic “Small Space Vegetable Gardening.”

This FREE event is open to all women of color living with breast cancer.  Refreshments are provided by Panera Bakery-Café. Activities are planned from 5 to 7 p.m., but participants can come and go as their schedules allows. Child care is available, but must be pre-arranged.

The schedule of evening events:

5:00-5:30 pm Light Dinner & Fellowship

5:30-5:45 pm   Conversation/Support

5:45-6:45 pm   Sally Browne – “Small Space Vegetable Gardening”

6:50-7:00 pm     Wrap Up/Closing

For more information about the “Splash of Color” Breast Cancer Survivor Support Group call ShanQuiesha Robinson at 319-493-8980; or go to the Beyond Pink TEAM website at www.cedarvalleybreastcancer.org.

The “Splash of Color” Support Group is sponsored by the Beyond Pink TEAM. The Beyond Pink TEAM is part of the Cedar Valley Cancer Committee, and is a non-profit organization made possible by the collaborative efforts of many health organizations, businesses and dedicated individuals’ throughout the Cedar Valley. The Beyond Pink TEAM’s mission is to provide breast cancer prevention, education, support and advocacy for comprehensive, quality care in the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities. Going beyond pink ribbons, beyond pink light bulbs, beyond pink trinkets; Beyond Pink, we accomplish our mission by Taking action, Educating, Advocating and Making a difference.

This year we benefited from the following groups- just to name a few:

• The Jesup Volleyball team – $1391.62
• Guerrilla Brewing Company- $4915
• Veridian Credit Union- $500
• Smitty’s Bar Golf Outing- $2020
• Grundy’s Girls Night Out- $1085
• Black Hawks Hockey Nights- $11,568.05
• Men in Pink Skirts in Oelwein- $823.54
• Avon Representative- Gail Ingebritson- $1006
• Black Hawk County Health Department Employee Jeans Day- $207
• Wheaton Franciscan Health Care Jeans Day- $1190.19
• PDCM Insurance- $1000
• GMAC Mortgage – $2281
• Cedar Falls Police and Fire Departments
• Eagles’ Roost in Hazleton

And this is just a sampling of the generous donations we have gotten this year. We will add to this list, and also track it for 2013. Mostly, the Beyond Pink TEAM wants to thank the community for their generous support of our activities. Whether you are helping to fund the basic expenses of a newly diagnosed person, or wanting to donate toward a scholarship to send a member for more education about ending breast cancer- we thank you for your donation and your support of what the Beyond Pink TEAM does locally to help our community!

Here are just a few pictures of check presentations done during 2012.

Whether we were raising awareness of what we do, raising funds to help us do the activities we do, or collecting signatures for the NBCC’s Deadline 2020, the Beyond Pink TEAM was VERY busy this past month. Thanks to everyone who stopped out and saw us.

One of the ways we raised awareness and had a little fun, was a raffle drawing for three amazing gift baskets. We raised a little over $300, but it was fun to watch participants decide which basket they wanted to win, and to “oooh” and “ahhh” over the contents of each basket. We are so thankful for the donations that allowed us to put these baskets together- especially the quilts that were donated by BPT member Holly Meyer and her family.

Pictured below are our winners: Avis Handorf (with the Pretty in Pink Basket); Penie Aalderks (with the Pampered Diva Basket); and Mary Werner (with the Cozy and Comfy Basket).

BPT Display at the University Book and Supply store in Cedar Falls.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The University Book & Supply store, near the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is helping the Beyond Pink TEAM draw attention to the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 campaign; a campaign to end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Included, in their “Pink” display, are the Beyond Pink TEAM’s Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 t-shirts, breast cancer bracelets, and Colors of Cancer bracelets. All three of these items may be purchased from the bookstore during the month of October. All proceeds for these three items go to the Beyond Pink TEAM.

Show your support for ending breast cancer by January 1, 2020 by purchasing and wearing a Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 t-shirt, complete with a QR code on the sleeve. When scanned by a smartphone, the QR code takes you to the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s web page to collect signatures to support
a presidential petition asking the next president to make ending breast cancer a national priority. You may also access the petition web page by going to http://tinyurl.com/sign-presidential-petition.

Colors of Cancer bracelets include an insert telling what type of each colored bead represents. The breast cancer bracelets feature pink as the primary color with white beads intermixed to provide contrast.

Additional information about the Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 campaign can be found on the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s web site:
http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org

They empower women to receive the care they need with the dignity they deserve.  Four years ago this team took a vision and formed a reality, Splash of Color.  The group’s mission is to assist women of color to care for themselves, get healthy and live life to the fullest.

The first Splash of Color Walk brought awareness that there is support for women of color surviving breast cancer.  This year’s Splash of Color Walk will be held Saturday, October 27^th.

Splash of Color award recipients (from L-R): ShanQuiesha Robinson, Cathy Ketton and Nissha Walker.

The YWCA of Black Hawk County recognized the Splash of Color as their Women of Persimmon’s Business/Organization that Empowers Women for 2012.

Last year we had the support of 150 participants and 24 sponsors. Our goal this year is to register 200 participants and recruit 30 sponsors. The purpose of the walk is to fundraise to allow our group to provide additional program and services for women of color who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer as well as women living with cancer.

To pre-register contact Cathy Ketton at 319/493-8857, or ShanQuiesha Robinson at 319/493-8980.  You can download a registration form here.

We encourage you to recruit family, friends, and coworkers to join us on Saturday, October 27^th at 7:30 a.m. at Sullivan Park. This day is a day to celebrate our survivors and remember those who lost their battle with breast cancer.

Your support and participation is very much needed to make this event a success.

Please look at photos from last year’s Walk.

The Beyond Pink TEAM was intrigued when a brewing company approached them about having an event to support the Beyond Pink TEAM. Ty Graham, of Guerrilla Brewing Company, had friends who had been impacted by breast cancer, one even helped him develop one of his newest beers. Ty, who is also a Waterloo Fire Fighter, brews beer at the Guerrilla Brewing Company with retired fire fighter and fellow brewmaster, Steve Weliver.

Brewmasters Ty Graham (R) and Steve Weliver at the Guerrilla Brewing company.

 So he talked with building and Rudy’s Tacos owner Barry Eastman and decided to unveil that special new beer, “Tiff’s Heather” in honor of his friend Tiffini, wife of a Waterloo fire fighter, who battled breast cancer in 2009, and while also raising money to support the Beyond Pink TEAM, the only local breast coalition in the Cedar Valley. 

But Ty didn’t want to stop at just donating money from beer sales, so he and his friend Kristi Eastman, who is also a breast cancer survivor, went to work. They secured silent auctiuon donations from: Rudy’s Tacos, Lava Lounge and Beer Hall; Guerrilla Brewing Company, Red Carpet Golf, Waterloo Implement, E-clips Hair Studio, C+R Research, CVSi Motorsports, Doughy Joey’s, Waterloo Brown Bottle, Silpada Jewelry, Stadium Lounge, Peek A Boo Baby, Cup of Joe, Hope from Jillian’s, Clark And Associates, Jiva Salon and Spa, Farrell’s eXtreme Body Shaping, Riverside Casino, Applebee’s Restaurant, LJ’s Restaurant, UNI Athletics and MANY MORE!

Guerrilla tshirts sold for the event!

We were amazed at the number of people who turned out for this event on a very hot night in June. The people working the bar were busy all night long. With the help of donations from attendees, silent auction sales, drink and food sales the Beyond Pink TEAM was amazed that in it’s first year the event raised over $5,000!

It just goes to show, that the community is willing to support a local group that in turn supports local survivors. We are so thankful to Ty Graham, STeve Weliver, Kristi Eastman and Barry Eastman for their creative way to raise money for the Beyond Pink TEAM!

They even had mugs made for the event!

Gabbi DeWitt, Beyond Pink TEAM accepts check from Eagle’s Roost employees and event organizers, Joy Crandall and Chantelle Quario.

Beyond Pink TEAM recently got a big boost from the Eagles Roost in Hazleton. Employees at the local tavern held a “Handyman/Cleaning Lady” auction at the end of June to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

“Everybody really got into the spirit of the event,” said Joy Randall, who along with Chantelle Quario, organized the fundraiser. “This was our first year to try this and we were amazed at the generosityand success of it,” said Chantelle.

Randall is a breast cancer survivor and Quario lost her mother to cancer two years ago, so the event had a very personal meaning to both women. It didn’t take long for the auction fever to spread when they started planning the event.

Six women and five men came forward to volunteer to be auctioned off, with Frank Hansel, Randall and T. Trumblee as auctioneers. The event raised $1,425 for Beyond Pink TEAM.

Gabbi DeWitt of Beyond Pink TEAM said, “This is just an amazing total for a first-year fundraiser. We are so proud of these girls and the Hazleton community for coming out in support of this event.”

DeWitt explained funds raised are used in the area to help women pay for tests, gasoline and/or transportation to go to treatments/checkups, etc., and childcare, as well.

Drawings were held for many great prizes donated by area businesses.  Area businesses supporting the event with prize donations and contributions included: Corner Market, Pronto of Hazleton, Studio 17, Mazatlan, NE Iowa Creative Concrete (Pete & Dot’s), VanDenover’s, Rec Room, Styles of Distinction, Hallmark, Woodworks By The Lake, Maurices, Budweiser, Camohat, Ricky’s, Country Cottage, L & M, NE Iowa Auto, ABC Trucks, Pat’s Creations, Eagle’s Roost, SnapOn,  13th Steph, Jean Gallmeyer, InsurDev., GrowMark Tank & Truck Center.

The group at the Eagles Roost in Hazleton thanks everyone for their contributions and participation and looks forward to making this an annual event.

- Article written by Deb Kunkle, City Editor of the Oelwein Daily Register for 7-28-12 publication.

Here is a sample of pictures showing the fun they had at the event. Pictures courtesy of Jean Gallmeyer.

Lori’s story was recently featured on the Dr. Susan Love Reasearch Foundation website. Click here to read her story.

Thanks Lori for sharing your time and talents with the Beyond Pink TEAM!