Pink Zone

A few weeks ago, I was asked by a very good friend to help with a fundraising effort that uses proceeds to further breast cancer research. The organization is called the Pink Zone. This effort is extremely close to my heart, since my mother lost her battle with breast cancer and all of the other uglies that come with it in September of 2007. I gladly accepted the request to help make pink bracelets!

(There is a game at our local high school. The girl's basketball team is hosting the fundraiser for the Pink Zone. I truly hope it will be a success!)

I have plenty of "little helpers" along with some that would rather not be called "little helpers!" My two 6 year old sons, Bake and Bucko, my 9 year old daughter, Ponch, my sister and the one who asked me to do this in the first place, K, and I have all been working on making these not always quite pink, but always pink in theory, bracelets! I have been working a little here and there, when I can find extra time, during the day. My friend and sister and children have also helped on more than one occasion, so we have made a real "team effort" of it! I am proud of the willingness of my friends and family to help with something that has truly touched our family much deeper than we had ever wanted it to! I know we did not want to lose our mother, grandma, friend, but we all are doing what we can to make the best of a suck-ass situation! We are doing what we can to keep others from knowing the pain we have felt over the last 16 months!

As I just said in an email to a very dear friend of mom's, I do not want my children to feel the sting of any cancer! This is a monster that should not be living under any child's bed! I hate it and I want to stomp it out! I am very proud to have a chance to help make this dream a reality for many!

Before I got all frustrated about what cancer does to a family, I meant to say that the lady that the Pink Zone was started for, or however I mean to say that, passed away on Saturday, January 24th, 2009. When I got the message about her passing, I was deeply saddened and then I decided to turn the hurt and sadness, for another person lost to something so unworthy of taking lives as cancer is, into the determination to make as many bracelets as possible! My sister and I spent much of the day working diligently, because I think we both decided that the sting of death will not go unnoticed! We did not have to know Kay Yow to know that she deserved better! I believe that a strong fight deserves to be honored and noticed! This is my small attempt at that!

You fought a good fight Coach Yow! I am certain that many will miss you!