Saturday, February 19, 2011

The woman behind it all.....

I just wanted to share here a story I wrote a while ago for the Making Memories blog. It sums up what this day is for us. I know a lot of you have your own reasons for coming to CFTC. Some are doing so in memory of a loved one lost to this terrible disease. Some have fought their own battle and won. Some simply want to support the cause. Some just want a day away to scrap and get some goodies. All of these reasons are great ones because in the end, no matter why you came, your presence helps bring awareness and funds to a very worthwhile cause.

For us, your CFTC team, this day was borne out of grief and the need to do something. I think it is still that but also so much more. While we still strive to honour our Nan, it has also become a day of fun and friends and I think that is something our Nan would be much more comfortable with. I don't think she would have wanted a fuss over her. That being said though, we need people to help us remember the real reason we started this day and the AMAZING, INCREDIBLE woman at the heart of it all.

You are absolutely right when you say breast cancer affects many of us. Too many. I have been blessed to not have had to personally fight the disease but I have been touched by it. My Nan - one of the very best people I have ever known - was diagnosed with this terrible disease. She fought bravely and beat it! She was a remarkable woman. However, the cancer wasn't done with her yet. It had spread and it wasn't long before it was too much for her to overcome. Thankfully, her battle was brief. Now, I know that may sound weird but it would make sense if you knew my Nan. She was a woman who was so incredibly full of life. She gave so much of herself through her work at the Distress Centre and Assaulted Woman's Helpline but that was just a small fraction of who she was. To us, her family, she was Nanny! She was someone who was always there with a hug when you needed it. Someone who we were never to old to crawl into her lap usually while watching some cartoons on tv. Someone who was always there with a comforting word when you most needed it. Someone who just understood without you having to say too much. Someone who had the greatest belly laugh of all time and so loved to laugh. Someone who loved us - each of us - unconditionally. Someone who I miss each and every day! Losing her left a hole in my world that has yet to be filled. I don't think it ever will be. Life goes on and time passes but that wound never truly heals. I think about my daughter who will never know Nan's love or get wrapped up in one of her hugs and my heart hurts. I am truly a better person because of my Nan. She inspired me in so many ways that I think I took for granted. I wish I had taken the time to say the words to her so she knew how much she did for me and meant to me. I take comfort in the fact that she is with me always and knows now.

Losing my Nan was the hardest thing I have to had to deal with in my life. But through dealing with it, I was spurred into action. Although Nan's fight was not lost to breast cancer specifically I still think of it as the enemy that took her from me. And because of that I strive to do my part to raise money and awareness for this very worthy cause and maybe others will be spared the loss my family feels. Each year, my family participates in the CIBC Run for the Cure to benefit the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. We put a team together and go out there and do our part as "Nan's Boobsters". It is a day of family and fun and honouring the woman we all miss so much. We also host a fundraising crop each June as a means to fundraise for our team. Crop for the Cure has had three successful years now and we are working on our fourth (June 5th, 2010). As long as I am able I will continue to do my part in memory of my Nan. I do it for her. I do it for my daughter. I do it for me. I do it for everyone who has been touched by breast cancer.

Note: This was written in 2009 so we are now actually working on our 5th year!!

Thank you for reading and thank you for your support!!  Together we can all make a difference in the fight against breast cancer!!



Friday, February 4, 2011

The sponsors have already begun rolling in...

I reach out and people respond and I am amazed each and every time!! Seriously, this is the fifth year of doing this so you would think I would be used to things by now but, nope! Every year I am blown away by the generousity of this crafty community of ours. I can not say enough about our sponsors. Please check out the links below and see what they have to offer!!

Our on-site store again this year and one of my very favourite places ever....

SCRAPPING TURTLE

Also, on-site to serve your stamping needs.....

DENISE DONALD
Stampin Up!  Demo Extraordinaire

I am thrilled to announce that once again we have a very generous class sponsor!


The following sponsors have donated product to our event....
Carolyn Wintrip Accounting Services
Pink Cat Studio
Wild Orchid Crafts
Discount Cardstock.com
Your Next Stamp
Two Scrapbook Friends
Anita Be Stampin
Ormolu
Let's Capture Our Memories
Plain Jane
The Paper Trail
Kelly Panacci
Jo-ann Leblanc
Sherry Weiss
Learning Factory
The Scrapping Bug
Memories Manor
Regan D'Agostino
The Robin's Nest
Kirstan Howells - Stella & Dot Consultant
Avocado Arts
My Favorite Things
The Paper Passion
Pixie Dust Paperie
Mabel's Labels
Love to Stamp
Simon Says Stamp
Ninabrook Designs
Up The Street

It means a lot to me to give away a prize donated in memory of Kathy Quinn.  We were lucky enough to have Kathy join us our first year and I am honoured to give away a prize in her name each year.  Thank you so much to her family and friends for keeping her a part of our day year after year.

I am thrilled to accept a donation in honour of an amazing woman who we lost this year.  Laurie Cheney's scrapping friends are together offering a prize in her honour.

A great big THANK YOU to each of these businesses and individuals!!

We cannot tell you how much your support means to us!!

The time is here....

Planning for the 2011 Crop for the Cure has begun!! I cannot believe this is our fifth year doing this event. We have come so far since we first started and I constantly amazed at the support we receive.

This event is obviously near and dear to our hearts and it is overwhelming to see how successful it has become. I must thank our very generous sponsors for that. I reach out to MANY people for support of our day and it amazes me how people come through for us! This is an incredibly generous community! THANK YOU!!

I must also thank our participants! Some of you have been with us since the beginning and you keep coming back year after year! I know for some of you this cause is just as important to you as it is to us and we thank you very much for your support. Obviously our day would be nothing if you didn't keep coming! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!

And as always, at the heart of our day is our Nan! She is the reason this day began. Five years ago, we had the idea to run a crop to help us raise money for our donations for our Run for the Cure team (Nan's Boobsters). We had a small but mighty turnout and enjoy a fantastic day while raising some money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The rest, as they say, is history! Crop for the Cure is now well established in our local community and I think it is safe to say that there are a lot of ladies who look forward to it each year. I know I love the day and I am glad so many others do as well.

This year's plans are well underway and the promise of donated goodies are already rolling in!!! We are waiting to finalize a couple of details on location and then tickets will soon be available for purchase.

We will continue to update this blog with details as they come in so follow us and share the ride!! We look forward to another fun, fabulous and successful year!!