Fourty Five Thousand Walking Angels Hit the Streets of DC

TEAM FIVE & WON

On Saturday, we completed our fourth Komen Race for the Cure in Washington DC, it was awesome! We had a few new members on our team who were first timers , they couldn’t believe the enormous sea of dedicated and passionate walkers. The energy of the crowd is contagious and inescapable; the color of the day is definitely pink and the creativity in expressing feelings for the cause and loved ones is endless. The most moving part of the walk is seeing how loved ones honor those who lost their battle with breast cancer. There are hundreds of posters and signs bearing photos and names, placards pinned to shirts with names of those to remember, t-shirts honoring great heroes as well as the many conversations heard about these great women. We carry a team sign that honors those loved ones of ours who have either survived or lost their battle with breast cancer.


The mood is celebratory and filled with hope that one day there will be a cure. Even though there are 45+ thousand walkers you become part of a community for 3.2 miles. You meet new friends and know that you have many things in common; it is the quickest bond you will ever experience.

Checking out all of the great t-shirts is a sport in and of itself, something I look forward to every year. We saw some great ones including a truly unique one that said “Stop the War in MyRaq”, another fun one "Check Your Bumps for Lumps" while yet another sported “These are Fake, My Real Ones Tried to Kill Me”.

This was Pinky’s first walk and she had a ball. She was in awe at all of the people, the many great friends she made during the walk and loved all of the pictures that were taken of her. She can’t wait to do it again, she’s all about having fun for a cause and celebrating.

All in all, in spite of the very hot and humid weather, we are so very grateful and thankful that we got to participate in another extraordinary walk. Yes, we did as always, headed home and had a great party with great food, family and friends…of course on Celebrate In Pink party ware ;)

To look at all of the great walk day pictures, go to www.Facebook.com/CelebrateInPink, fan us while you are there :)

The Celebrate In Pink Story - The Beginnings

We are coming up on the 3rd anniversary of the Celebrate In Pink ah ha moment. This weekend, with family and friends, we will participate in our fourth National Komen Race for the Cure in Washington DC. It was this very walk in 2007 that led to the beautiful Celebrate In Pink collection of unique party ware that now exist. Since this was my first walk post treatment, I wanted to make it special. I planned a post walk luncheon celebration and wanted the party ware to resonate the spirit of the day. I thought I could find pink ribbon theme paper plates and napkins at my local party or gift shops and couldn’t. I then searched the internet and couldn’t find it there either. It was this very moment that I had my ah ha moment! I felt that women deserved a beautiful and meaning way to celebrate any occasion and at the same time help our BFFs.


Flash back to my treatment days. I saw firsthand that every one didn't have the same level of insurance that I did. Even with 'good insurance', cancer treatment takes a toll on a budget. Many women are either under or uninsured and this creates added stress to their lives at a time they couldn’t and shouldn’t have any, they have enough already to deal with. I knew I wanted to somehow help them but wasn’t sure how. Fast forward to my ah ha moment and I immediately knew that this was how I was suppose to help these heroes.

I took that as a calling and immediately started to pursue bringing the only pink ribbon party ware to women everywhere. That was June 2007; the Celebrate in Pink collection debuted in June 2009. It was a journey of love and challenge to bring them to you but one I would do again without hesitation. I strongly believe in the power of women helping women, especially through celebrating. We donate a portion of our sales to organizations who directly support women needing financial help while undergoing breast cancer treatment and we depend on angels such as yourselves to help us spread the Celebrate in Pink mission.

This weekend as we gather for our walk once again, not only is it an opportunity to Celebrate in Pink but happens to be the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis and I am feeling fabulous! Life is good and it always gets better when we can celebrate with family and friends so start celebrating today!

Feeling Fab!
Kathy

Walk Day Tips From Pinky

Hello from Pinky! I’m getting ready to walk in the Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 5 in Washington DC and hope to see many of you there. This will be my fourth year doing this particular walk and I have tried and true walk day tips that I want to share with you. These tips can be used for any organized walk so be sure to share them with your friends. Here ya go, Pinky’s tried and trues:

• It’s a good idea to stretch before getting started. It does make a difference in how you feel the rest of the day and the day after. Like mom used to say, “if you don’t do it, you’ll be sorry”, so do this one for mom.
• Wear the right clothes and shoes. That said, do keep in mind the single most important thing - a girl has to look good at all times and a girl has to do what a girl has to do to make this happen. Not sure I would recommend heels higher than 2” but your outfit will dictate the height of the heel. Use your fashion sense or ask a friend for hers.
• Drink plenty of fluids. I drink lots of water before and during the walk, that way I can drink plenty of my favorite ‘pink drink’ at our celebration lunch after the walk.
• Be sure to walk with friends, its way more fun this way. Make it a whole day of celebrating you will be amazed at how you feel (the pink drinks may have something to do with that too ;)

Yours Truely,
Pinky

Tips For an Easy Walk Day Celebration

June 5th will be my fourth Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure in Washington DC. I am accompanied by family and friends and we turn it into a wonderful day of celebration and fellowship. The walk starts at 8:30am and usually has over 50,000 participants. It is the most energizing event we have ever participated in, it’s absolutely fabulous, I highly recommend it to everyone.


When the walk is over, we head back to my house for a celebration luncheon. Last year was the first year we celebrated with Celebrate In Pink partyware and it was one of the most happiest days of my life. To make your walk day celebrations memorable, easy and fun for everyone, here are a few of my tips:

• Keep the menu simple. Since the walk starts early, everyone is starving when we get back to the house. Plan on items that can be put out and served immediately or items that can be set to low in a crock pot right before leaving the house.

• Some of the menus that I have found to be a hit and easy to do are picnic salads such as potato and pasta, fruit salad, served with subs or a sandwich platter. If you prefer a hot lunch, make either sloppy joes or pork barbeque the day before. Put it in a crock pot before leaving for the walk, set it to low and it will be ready when you get home. Serve this with salads and you are good to go!

• I always get a cake for dessert and mention our team. The cake is done in pink and white, has the pink ribbon on it and says something like “Way to go Team 4 2 go”. Our team name has changed each year because we have been counting down to my 5 year milestone. This year we are 5 & Done, We Won!

• I can’t tell you how special the Celebrate In Pink partyware made the event last year. It really reinforced the sentiment of the day and reason for the celebration. I highly recommend the partyware (wink wink) A pink plastic tablecloth and plastic ware completes the table and sets the spirit for the occasion.

I look forward to this celebration every year, it has become a tradition for us and I hope it becomes one of yours. Please share your walk day pictures with us so we can show others how much fun, meaning and importance these walks are to us. To all of our walk angels….here’s to a great walk!

Meet Pinky!

I’m happy to introduce the newest team member at Celebrate In Pink, her name is Pinky! Even in this very tough job market, she had lots of offers and I’m thrilled she chose us. She will be our roving at-large contributor bringing her view to different topics, covering events for us and sharing whatever she feels like (sort of ;).

Pinky’s getting ready for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 5 in Washington DC so she has her walking shoes on, she’s ready to hit the trail and start her training. Pinky isn’t concerned about how long it takes her to walk, she wants to enjoy her walks throughout the neighborhood. She loves walking with Zeppelin, her dog (yes, she has a dog), and talking with neighbors along the way. Today she walked a mile and had a great time.

Pinky wants everyone to find a walk in your city and participate in it; the energy you will experience will be amazing. It will benefit you and a great cause all at the same time. Stay tuned for updates on Pinky’s training program and please feel free to leave her tips and share your experiences with her…she would love that!

Look for more Pinky adventures in the next several weeks, Pinky, we’re happy to have you!

To Do List - Throw a Party

Until this week I never really thought about how lucky we are when we get to throw parties, especially when they are for others. Given this new outlook of mine, I am one very lucky lady since I get to throw three parties in one month. I think this is a new personal record for me and I think the old me would’ve been perhaps complaining about the timing and the three party thing.


You see every time we have a party, we are bringing people together and celebrating something. At least that’s the way it usually goes. I think we need to have parties for absolutely no reason, just to get peeps together and have a good time. They should be thrown on a somewhat regular basis and should be a group effort, this way more parties will be given. Start the trend of asking your guests to bring something to share; whether its beverages, appetizers, or desserts and once they see how easy it is to have a party, there will be many more parties.

As for my three parties, this past Saturday we hosted a going away party for dear friends, this Saturday we are hosting a graduation party for our son’s college graduation and in three weeks we get to host the post walk luncheon for our Komen Walk for the Cure Team. Yes, I am so very lucky to be able to throw parties and have peeps we love around us celebrating.

So have your parties now while you can still enjoy them, don’t wait for when you have more time, the party may never come. There’s no time like the present to throw a party and be with your friends. And oh by the way, don’t forget your Celebrate In Pink partyware to make it even extra special (couldn't resist putting the plug in).

Party on!
Kathy

The Best Walk You Will Ever Take On Mother's Day

This Sunday, Mother’s Day, the Network of Strength will be holding their annual Mother’s Day Walk for Breast Cancer. The walk takes place across the country in most of the major cities and they always take place on Mother’s Day. For more information and to register go to http://www.networkofstrength.org/


As many of you know, I have always participated in the Komen Walk for the Cure and will do so again this year. This year’s Komen walk will be a milestone for me and my team as this is my five years from diagnosis and our team name has reflected a countdown each year. Our team name this year is “WE WON!” So, this will be a very special walk for us. I have also done other walks but have never participated in the Mother’s Day Walk and I think it is a great way to start any Mother’s Day. I plan to start this tradition next year due to the fact that my son is graduating from college that weekend and we will be in a town that won’t be holding the walk. I am looking forward to it next year though and can’t wait! If any of my readers have participated in this walk, please share your experience with us, we would love to hear all about it.

We are all affected by breast cancer in some way. Why not use Mother’s Day as day to honor the special women in our lives who have been touched by breast cancer. If there isn’t an organized walk near you, you can register for a virtual walk, why not start your Mother’s Day with a walk for our girl friends?

If a Mother's Day Walk isn't for you, I do encourage you to find a walk and participate in it, it is the greatest walk you will ever take...Kathy