2006-04-02 - 2:56 p.m.
Hello all, this is my wife Janie's letter for a benefit she has put together for Thurs. April 6th at the Brooklyn Brewery. There will be Bands, Beer, Wine, Food and a Silent Auction. Please check dates page for band line up.
I am hosting a party to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Cancer is so scary and seems to have effected everyone’s life in some way. My Dad is a cancer survivor. My uncle is fighting now and doing really well. I lost my friend, Chris in November.
In this neighborhood, studies are being conducted because there are believed to be some cancer clusters here (particularly near our famous oil spill).
Most of my fundraising efforts have benefitted local environmental causes. As a community volunteer, I’m proud to be invovled with the Greenpoint Williamsburg Waterfront Task Force, Neighbors Against Garbage,the Open Space Alliance, the PTA at PS 132 and Greenpoint Williamsburg
Association for Parks and Planning. My motivation is simple...cleaner air, a better quality of life, and it feels good to care. It feels good to help.
My (very young and beautiful) Aunt Lyn is a wonderful, dedicated psychologist who helps cancer patients deal with treatment and sometimes death. She lost her mother (my grandmother) to cancer at a young age. I’m inspired by her
expertise, her empathy and her desire to help people with cancer. Lyn participates in a program called Team in Training which benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Their innovations have led to advances in fighting cancer and prolonging lives. Lyn’s letter is on the back of this invitation. I am so proud of her that I cried and
decided to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
When I think of the difference between a cancer diagnosis now and twenty years ago,
I am amazed at the difference. Twenty years ago, I think it was automatic silence and tears; whereas now, there are questions...”What kind of cancer is it? Are we talking early detection here? What kind of treatment are you considering?” It’s still very frightening and serious, but there’s a lot of hope because people have cared...and worked on cures and donated time and money. Now we all know
lots of cancer survivors.
Native Americans say it takes many, many raindrops to smooth the stone. I like that.
Yeah, I’m a raindrop.