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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

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

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