Obviously Lasagna Won't Fix Anything....a post by Tara Stogre

When life goes sideways, people close to me know they’ll usually find me in the kitchen.   When I don’t have the answers, feel helpless, or the “waiting game” seems endless, it gives me something to focus on…something to DO.  Obviously, lasagna isn’t going to fix anything, but it’s just what I do.  When I don’t have the words, it gives me a way to say to someone, “I’m here, I care about you, I’m sorry you’re hurting or scared, and I promise to support you in any way I can.”

When my Mom's cancer returned after 10 years, it was scary and heartbreaking, and very hard not to get angry and stay that way.  My Grandma was also facing her own battle with breast cancer at the time, giving our family more unwanted perspective on the disease, the treatment, and the progression.  Always thankful for my family, there was some added comfort in the fact that my sisters and I have all ended up back in Brooks with our growing families close to Mom and Dad.  Our little support system was in place, but dealing with all of this, staying positive, and supporting Mom, Grandma, and each other was going to require a lot more than muffins.

We were lucky growing up to always have amazing support from our family.  My mom modeled the importance of helping others and always being there to give support when and where we’re able.  Her lifelong support of her girls continues as we navigate marriage, motherhood, and achieving a balance between chasing our own dreams and raising happy, healthy families.  We grew up asking “What can we do? How can we help?”…Now the questions became more focused… “What can we do to show our support to Mom?  How can we help create a future without breast cancer?”

This ingrained need to do something and show my support is a big part of what drives me to work on the Pink Ribbon Project.  I was so grateful to be able to work alongside my sisters and our dedicated team last year to bring the vision for this event into a glowing pink reality.  Rather than letting feelings of fear or helplessness take over, the event gave me a focus for my energy, allowing me to do something that had the potential to have a positive impact in many different ways.  We gathered our team and our resources; we made plans, we made lists, we made contacts.  We were making a promise of support – to our moms & grandmas, to our families, to the Foundation, and to ourselves.  We were a small group that was determined to make a difference and contribute in some way to raising awareness, supporting progress, and providing hope.

My hopes for the Pink Ribbon Project were many and varied that first year.  I hoped the women we set out to show our support to would really feel the love, and understand how many people are cheering them on.  I hoped that our guests that night would have a memorable, inspiring and fun evening.  I hoped that we would raise a respectable amount of money in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation  I hoped that just talking about breast cancer, the event, the screening programs and other resources available, that even one person would quit waiting to get that lump checked and be proactive about their health.  I can’t know for certain about that last hope, but as for the others…the feeling at the event that night was incredible: the beautiful room, the great people, and the positive energy all contributed to a wonderful night and a successful event in every respect.

As we head towards our second Pink Ribbon Project, my hopes are much the same.  My brave and colorful Grandma lost her battle with breast cancer in November, surrounded by her family, comforted by baby snuggles, and entertained by her GGs up to her final days. 

My courageous and inspiring Mom continues her second fight and we are thankful for every day we have together and every memory we make.  My mind sometimes wanders to what the future might hold for me or my sisters, or my beautiful daughter.  I hope it is a much different story, but all of these personal motivations only strengthen my resolve to do what I can.  

Photo Credit : Rachel Boekel

My commitment to the Pink Ribbon Project is my promise of support, not just to my people, but to anyone’s Mom, Grandma, sister, daughter, friend…anyone’s anyone.  It is my way of finding the good, embracing the hope, and making a difference.

This year’s event promises to be another great night, and our team is so grateful for the incredible response & support we have received already.  From our generous sponsors and donors, to the hard working people who help put on the event, and all those who attend, we thank you! Visit our event's webpage for more info on how to get tickets. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter,  or Instagram to get your pink ribbon info where you want it! 

- TS

Pink Ribbon Project & The Gift of Time

Where does your money go when you sponsor our event?  What are you buying when you support the Pink Ribbon Project?  I wish that I could tell you that the money you donated were those last dollars needed to find a cure. But I can't, at least not yet.  I believe that I will be able to tell you that one day in the near future.  But for now, I can tell you exactly what you bought - you bought time.  Time for a mother to spend more time with her children.  Time for a grandma to become a great Grandma.  Time for a husband to travel with his wife.  How do I know this for sure?  Because my family has been given the gift of time.

Eleven years ago I sat in a doctor’s office with my mom and dad waiting to hear the results of the biopsy of a lump in my mom’s left breast.  I sat there staring at my dad's hands, how his fingers were curled tightly around the arms of the chair.  I looked at his wedding ring - a symbol of love that had been there for twenty-seven years.  While the doctor entered the room, I just kept staring at my dad's hands.  The doctor said, "we have your results, and it is breast cancer."  I watched as my dad's knuckles turned white against his dark skin.  Then I stopped listening.  I had heard all I needed to hear.  My mom had cancer.  I was twenty-two.

We were very fortunate that my Mom received the care and the treatment that she did.  Over five years, she had two mastectomies, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and took part in a clinical trial.  At that time she was said to be in complete remission.  What does that kind of time buy you?

My Mom got to be there as my youngest sister graduated from high school. She was by our sides as all three of us girls completed our college or university educations.  She looked on proudly at three weddings and watched our family grow with the addition of each son-in-law.  She has been there to hold each of her five grandchildren as soon as they entered this world!  Our family has been given all of these gifts of unimaginable value.

My Mom made it to her ten-year mark before she had a recurrence. One year ago we learned that the cancer was back, metastasized to her bones. So once again we are painstakingly aware of time and focused on anything we can do to buy more of it.

When you sponsor or donate to the Pink Ribbon Project, you are directly supporting the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as all the proceeds from our event go to them.  They are the leading supporter of breast cancer research in Canada.  Research leads to earlier detection, more treatment options and, most importantly, life saving and life extending treatment.

This year we were able to raise just over $19,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our sponsors and all those that attended the first annual Pink Ribbon Project!  Thank you for helping us to support the Foundation in the important work that they do, towards creating a future without breast cancer, all the while giving the gift of time to women and their families.  The support means more than we can ever say! 

- CP

Photo Blog!! Pink Ribbon Project

Had to share some photos from the first annual Pink Ribbon Project! Our sold out event raised over $19,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  In addition the hard working committee and our sponsors, so many people played a part in the success of this event. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! To view the full gallery of photos please visit : http://jessicasurgenorphotography.com

Pink Ribbon Project- the Why & the How!

My committee and I have been working hard for the past 6 months on our event, the Pink Ribbon Project that will be held later this spring and will benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I wanted to take a few minutes to share with you some of the background behind our project. Most importantly the why & the how but I will throw in the; who, what, when & where for good measure!

 As a side note to help you out as you read this post, some of you may not be aware that Jody – who is the founder of BELA and my business partner, is also my Mom ! So as you read it you will understand why I am so passionate about this event and why it is of the utmost importance to me!

The Why….

Jody Rutherford, the founder of BELA and our Director of Education & Programming is facing her second battle with Breast Cancer. Jody ‘s passion for Early Childhood Education is the driving force behind BELA and has allowed our team to provide support and vital services to the children of Brooks and Area.  Jody and her diagnosis were the first “why” behind this event!   And we have added more  along the way…other Moms, sisters & friends that have been impacted by breast cancer. Its time for us to show our support to Jody, to other women we know & love and to the Breast Cancer Foundation by generating monies to go towards research and prevention of this disease. Through this event, we can show Jody and other women in our community  that we are behind them, that we will be there to support them, by supporting the Foundation in the important work that they do, towards creating a future without breast cancer.

For me, my mom’s diagnosis arrived much like how the main at a fine dining restaurant arrives on your plate. The different components of the dish intricately layered upon each other in an unexpected and complex fashion. In this case, fear upon denial, upon anger, upon science & statistics.  Watching each member of my family & most importantly my Mom experience this dish in their own way has been both heartbreaking and humbling. For me, this is not a  balanced dish, it's much too bitter and is not something I want to experience again.  For me, it can only be tempered by the beauty of a delicate little side dish called hope!

The How……

I needed to use that little bit of hope to push myself forward and to push the fear down. To find a way to try to help my Mom and to help others. My sisters and I put together a committee to work on the event and didn’t need to look far to find people who like us, are driven to try to make a difference.  I won’t speak for the committee, as I know you will find them at the event and will allow them to share their motivation & experience for themselves! But I will say that their vision, hard work and dedication are unmatched! I appreciate them more than I can say.  

Once we had our committee in place we needed to get the ball rolling on just how to make this vision a reality! The groundwork was of course already in place, as BELA was incorporated as both a non-profit organization and a registered charity in 2011 under the umbrella of the Brooks Community Enrichment Foundation. While our organization is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families in Brooks and area by providing innovative preschool programming, we also have a mandate that turns our focus to supporting other charities that are family centered and / or wellness related. We strive to support causes that are important to our students, their families and to the members of our board. So we of course turned our focus to creating an event that would both, raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as well as show our love & support to my Mom and other women in our community. 

First and foremost was to gain the approval of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. They have been a wonderful resource and support for us along the way! Because BELA is a charity, we are able to act as a third party fundraiser for the foundation, with the proceeds of our event going to them. We hope to make them proud!

We would not be able to host this event without the support of our sponsors! Some of the sponsors that have come on board are dear friends of the committee and we could not be more grateful.  Sponsor dollars allow us to cover the expenses associated with the hosting the event and then we are able to put the maximum amount of revenue towards our final donation.

So now you know the why & the how! I promised to throw in the rest and so here is what I can tell you so far!

The Who, the What, the When & Where….

The Pink Ribbon Project…..A Night Out in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Please join us if you want to have an amazing night out with your friends, family or coworkers! Make a difference while experiencing this one of a kind event!

Drinks. Dinner. Music. Entertainment. Raffle Prizes & More.

Saturday, June 21 at the Brooks Campus- Medicine Hat College

Tickets go in sale in just a few short weeks and we will share more exciting details with the ticket information on May 1. Watch for it here on the blog as well as on our website, Facebook & Twitter!

- CP