OrlandoStrides NewsMaking Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando May 2016 • Page 1

• FAST FACTS •Save the DateMSABC 5K WalkSaturday, October 29, 2016Lake EolaRegistration at 7:00amWalk begins at 9:00am

2016 Goals• $1,000,000 • 1,150 Teams

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We’re in Winter Park!Orlando’s American Cancer Society Offices are located at:

507 North New York Ave Suite 100Winter Park, FL 32789

We’re here for you! See you all on October 29th at OrlandoStrides.

Driven by Personal Loss, One Person Makes an ImpactAt this time, it’s rare to find someone whose life has not been touched by cancer. For me, it feels like my whole life has been.

My personal journey with cancer started about 25 years ago when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had one of her breasts removed. Cute story — her doctor asked if she wanted a pros-thetic bra, but after they told her the cost she politely told the doctor, “That’s OK. I’ll stuff with tissue!”

That was in 1992, but unfortunately the cancer had spread and she passed of lung cancer in 1994. Other family members have been inflicted as well. In 2010–2011 my brother went through colon cancer, and my aunt was diagnosed with liver cancer from which she passed away about 2 years later. I also had a cousin pass away from cancer that same year. Cancer felt very close to home.

I’ve also had two friends pass from cancer. In 1998 my good friend, only 33 years old, passed from ovarian cancer. In 2013, another very dear friend passed away from ovarian cancer.

To honor those I’ve lost, I began walking in Orlando’s Making Strides annual walks. I started out by simply walking without raising much money, represent-ing my grandmother and my friend by writing their names on the ribbons that were provided. I decided I wanted to do more, so about 7-8 years ago I started finding more ways to raise money for MSABC.

Each year my goal is to beat the prior year! I’ve been quite successful. I fundraise all year long! I had to take this year off from fundraising for personal reasons, so I’m not planning to be able to beat last year’s goal. But, who knows, I still might hold my chili cook-off. This year would be my 6th annual chili cook-off and I’m already being asked about it at work! Happy fundraising to all! — Pacesetter Sherri Harley

How to Become a PacesetterThe only requirement to become a 2016 Paceset-ter is to reach or surpass the $2,500 Pacesetter fundraising goal.Here’s how to get started:• Sign up for the Orlando

Strides event• Set your individual

fundraising goal at $2,500 or higher

• Connect with friends, family members, and coworkers and ask them to donate

[Photo to come—Cuttout of person from 2015 Strides Event]

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May Fundraising ChallengeDouble Win! Indulge in a Manicure/Pedi-cure to help show off your new Brighton Bracelet! With each $25 donation, your name will be entered in the drawing. Raise $100 and quadruple your chances!

Kathyrn Painter, from Bunco Buddies won April’s Yeti Rambler. Congrats!

Thank You for your support in the Fight Against Breast Cancer!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando May 2016 • Page 2

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The Bunco Buddies, helmed by their team leaders Carol Fadeley and Cindi LeBlanc, have walked in every Orlando Strides since they began in 1996. Carol remembers

reading about the first walk, then held at Church Street. She felt an immediate connection — she had recently been shocked to learn that a friend of hers, their sons’ friends since kindergarten, had been diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. It brought back the rawness she’d felt when her mom passed away from the disease. She walked into her neighborhood bunco night, a gathering of moms in Longwood, and asked if anyone would be interested in participating with her. For Katie. For her mom. For their daughters.

That one question 20 years ago has led the way to the Bunco Buddies becoming the American Cancer Society’s #1 fundraising team in Seminole County. In 2015, 25 team members raised $26,000. At the first walk, the team had 3–4 members. They went door to door to raise $100, a monumental amount back then and the threshold to get a free t-shirt. Cindi recalled that her son, now 20 and a fundraiser for Bunco Buddies, was in a stroller she pushed around Church Street, which was lined with garage sales. They remembered that it was a beautiful day to be out together and felt that, though they didn’t know many people who were affected then, that breast cancer would touch their lives more as they get older.

After a few years, the walk, and Team Bunco Buddies, got bigger and was moved to Lake Island Park in Winter Park, off of 17-92. A few years later, the team again grew and the walk, too big for that space, moved to Lake Eola on the south side of the park. After a few more years, the walk got too big and had to move to its current location on the band shell side of Lake Eola. With 60,000 participants in 2015, the current streets are starting to feel a bit snug there too.

Fundraising Phenoms“One thing we joke about, one thing we do want to say,” said Cindi, “we were just a group of moms when it started. We struggled to raise $200. Now raising $26,000! When women put their minds to things look what we can do.”

“It was an incredible year for us,” added Carol. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come, now being a large group that hosts multiple fundraisers. We held our first annual garage sale over a decade ago and didn’t think much of it. It was all hands on deck. Now it has grown so big, we have to hold it at a church and it raises thousands of dollars.”

The Bunco Buddies sit down and plan their fundraising activities and work all year long. They’ve garnered recognition in their community and get a great deal of support. When people hear about their efforts, they ask how they can help in their own way — some fundraise effortlessly, others who are less comfortable asking for donations are boots on the ground coordinating their events. Tupperware parties. Pampered chef parties. Jewelry parties. A chocolate-making party. Their annual Think Pink event. They find venues willing to split money with them and receive auction items donated where they get to keep the proceeds. They have one big and one small event monthly.

“We have really evolved and gotten more sophisticated from our grassroots beginnings. We do still go door to door in October but we work all year round,” said Carol.

From Advocacy to Legacy“We also do community outreach,” both ladies, speaking in harmony, were enthusiastic to add. “We’ll set up a table with pink ACS buckets in front of Winn Dixie or at local farmer’s markets and ask for donations. We’ll have brochures and other

There’s No Stopping the Bunco Buddies

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando May 2016 • Page 3

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documentation on hand to really help people get informed about their health. So many survivors come by and talk to us. It’s heartwarming. Some said without ACS they couldn’t get to treatments without their rides. These stories fill our hearts and are always so inspiring. There’s many charities that we could help with but we stick with this.”

The Bunco Buddies now have four survivors in their group. “It has really started to touch home as we are touched more and more, it gets more personal every year,” said Cindi. “My sister-in-law had breast cancer. My daughter grew up with it in our lives. She donated her hair way back when and fundraises now. My sister-in-law recently got it back and is on trial drugs. It’s those medical advances that we see happen.”

“We really believe in what ACS and Making Strides stands for,” added Carol. “We know what services they offer. I took a friend who had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer down to the Orlando ACS office, and a gal worked with her finding scarves, wigs, setting her up with rides and connecting her with a mentor. This is important! This is what I see my efforts going towards. My efforts go to my neighbors in my community. My money is making a difference and I know exactly where that money is going.”

The Bunco Buddies admit that they’re competitive in the sense that they want to be the best team but that, more importantly, they want to better the world for all generations. Again in harmony, the ladies proudly said, “Our kids and grandkids are raising money and walking with us! It is very nice that it’s generational. We started with our kids in strollers and now our children bring their children. It’s inspiring. Our group has grown but we’ve retained our initial dozen that have walked each year since 1996.”

By the way, Katie, their friend who helped inspire participation in the first walk, is a Survivor who walks each year with her team.

(Bunco Buddies, continued)

I want everyone at my graduation from UCF to know that I am a 36-month breast cancer survivor and I am proud of my accomplishments. Cancer tried to stop me from continuing my academic journey to achieve the goal of receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, but I was on a mission to kick cancer’s butt and go forward with my life. I was diagnosed on November 19, 2012, just a month before I was going to graduate from Seminole State College. My original plans were to go to UCF starting January 2013, but cancer had other plans for me. After taking that year off for treatment, it took me two years to complete my journey, and that day is just around the corner. It was not easy attending college seven months after chemo because my brain was still not performing at full speed. I would say it took 15 months before I could remember things like before treatment, but I did it!!! —Survivor Linda Clem

A Survivor Graduates

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando May 2016 • Page 4

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