Happy Holidays

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Jill

Image downloaded from TwistedPapers.

2009 Team Awards

I hope everyone had a GREAT time Saturday at the 16th Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^®! I'll provide an update once we have all of the numbers finalized, but I thought some of you might be interested to know the winners of the Team Awards. These were announced at the Pasta Party on Friday night.

LARGEST TEAM
Listed by Division - Team - Number of Members - Team Captain
School - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS/Cancer Institute) - 1499 - Karen Wood
Corporation - AR Blue Cross Blue Shield (Blue Team) - 1233 - Damona Fisher
Hospital - Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) - 1048 - Rebecca Pittillo
Community - Searcy Team - 525 - Leah Coleman
Financial/Investment - Simmons First - 380 - Amanda Horton
Non-Profit - Nurses for the Girls - 371 - Shari Erwin
Church - St Mark Baptist Church - 238 - Mattye Willis & Shelia Jones
Small Business - Barbara Graves Intimate Fashions - 153 - Trina Brickey
Government Agency - ASP Angels - 115 - Sheila Standley
Social Group/Organization - Team Coco-Let's Go Nuts - 83 - Coco Dorsey

GROW GETTER
This is the team with the largest percentile increase from last year.
Kohler Company - 318.18% increase - Teresa Lazenby

T-SHIRTS
(these are in no particular order - we simply select the top 3)
Pulaski Tech
Team Coco
Lee's Ladies

Not officially a Team Award, but closely related and announced Saturday morning:
Largest Three Miles of Men Team
Black Men United - 211 - Jesse Mason


If your team is listed above and no one has claimed your award, they will be available in the office next week (October 26).

Also, if you would like your Team T-shirt back, they will be available in the office next week (October 26).

The office is located on the 5th floor at 904 Autumn Road in Little Rock (behind IHOP off of Chenal). Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


Thank you to all of you for your hard work and dedication. We could not be the 4th largest Komen race if it were not for our outstanding Team Captains. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Hugs,
Jill

Are You Ready?

Wow! I forget how crazy it really is the week of the Race! This year has been no exception. I hope I'm not too late in getting some of this information out to you.

KIDS FOR THE CURE
Kids for the Cure are being asked to participate in the Survivor Parade this year. If you have a child participating in Kids for the Cure, please bring them behind the stage at 4th and Broadway after the Race (about 9:00).

SURVIVOR PARADE
The parade will begin at 4th and Broadway. It's going in the opposite direction as before and will have a FANTASTIC ending. No awards, etc. following the parade this year. All survivors PLEASE come to 4th and Broadway about 9:00 to line up for the parade. You will NOT want to miss this one.

SURVIVOR BREAKFAST
The entrance to the breakfast is on 6th Street about 50 feet from Broadway. Wear your pink shirt and/or bib or be with a survivor for entrance.

SURVIVOR PHOTO
The photo will be taken on 6th Street between Spring and Broadway.

PASTA PARTY
Don't forget the Pasta Party tonight from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park. Team Awards will be presented. Tickets available at the door for $20. They have some GREAT silent auction items.

PINK DUCK WALK
They will roll out the pink carpet for the ducks at The Peabody today at 5:00.

FACEBOOK
If you are not a fan yet, please join us. We have the largest FaceBook fan base with the exception of our national office. We currently have 7,193 fans. Just think if every fan recruited one more person. Search for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Arkansas.

RACE DAY
Wow! It's tomorrow! The Race Route Entertainment is going to be AWESOME!!!!!! See you all there!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs,
Jill

Coffee for the Cure, Jason's Deli, Put A Fork In It

Coffee for the Cure™

We are proud to partner with Premium Refreshments to launch the new Coffee for the Cure™. The coffee is "free trade" from small farms in Uganda which borders and shares the landscape of the renowned Kenyan coffee farms just to the east.


For every 12 oz. bag sold, Premium Refreshments will donate $1.50 to the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®.

The coffee is available for sale at the Race Boutique at Pleasant Ridge Town Center and at the Race Boutique on Race morning, October 17, in Downtown Little Rock. Be looking for the coffee at your favorite stores soon!


Jason's Deli

Jason's Deli is donating 10% of their food sales on Monday's during the month of October between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. Yummmmmm!


Put A Fork In It

Join us downtown for the Race, then have lunch at a "Put A Fork In It" restaurant. These restaurants will be donating a portion of their food sales on Race Day, October 17, to the Komen Arkansas Affiliate!


Print out a Put A Fork In It Flyer to distribute to family, friends, co-workers and team members. If you are a restaurant and would like to join "Put A Fork In It", please email Amy.Treadway@baptist-health.org.

American Pie Pizza: 4830 North Hills Boulevard, North Little Rock
American Pie Pizza: 9709 Maumelle Boulevard, North Little Rock
Beef O'Brady's:115 Audubon Drive, Maumelle
Blue Coast Burrito: 4613 East McCain Blvd., North Little Rock
Bosco's Restaurant: 500 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock
Boulevard Bread Company: 1920 North Grant, Little Rock (breakfast only)
Boulevard Bread Company: Rivermarket, Little Rock (breakfast only)
Browning's Mexican Grill: 5805 Kavanaugh, Little Rock
Cantina Laredo: 207 North University at the Midtowne Mall, Little Rock
Capi's: 11525 Cantrell Road at Pleasant Ridge Town Center, Little Rock
Cheeburger Cheeburger: 11525 Cantrell Road at Pleasant Ridge Town Center, Little Rock
ChiZi's Pizza: 11121 North Rodney Parham, Little Rock
CIAO Italian Restaurant: 405 West 7th Street (dinner only), Little Rock
Copper Grill: 300 Third Street, Little Rock
Creegan's Pub: 301 Main Street in North Little Rock, Little Rock
Delicious Temptations: 11220 North Rodney Parham, Little Rock
EJ's: 523 Center Street, Downtown Little Rock
El Chico: 1315 Breckenridge Drive, Little Rock
El Chico: 8409 I-30, Southwest Little Rock
Faded Rose Restaurant: 1619 Rebsamen Park Road, Little Rock
Fantastic China: 1900 North Grant, Little Rock
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium: 323 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock
Franke's Cafeteria: 11121 North Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock
Golden Corral: 5001 Warden Road, North Little Rock
Jimmy's Serious Sandwiches: 5116 West Markham, Little Rock
Juanita's Mexican Cafe: 1300 Main Street, Little Rock
Lilly's Dim Sum, Then Some: 11121 North Rodney Parham, Little Rock
Moe's Southwest Grill: 4834 North Hills Boulevard in North Little Rock
Moe's Southwest Grill: 12312 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock
Moe's Southwest Grill: 7409 Alcoa Road in Bryant
Moe's Southwest Grill: 625 Salem Road in Conway
Panera Bread: 11525 Cantrell Road at Pleasant Ridge Town Center, Little Rock
Papa John's Pizza: West Little Rock 501-224-7300
Papa John's Pizza: North Little Rock 501-791-0505
Papa John's Pizza: Heights 501-664-5777
Papa John's Pizza: Jacksonville 501-982-9111
Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits: 716 East Broadway in North Little Rock
Trio's: 8201 Cantrell Road, Little Rock
Tropical Smoothie: 11900 Kanis Road, Little Rock
Tropical Smoothie: 12911 Cantrell Road, Little Rock
Whole Hog Cafe: 2516 Cantrell Road, Little Rock
Vieux Carre': 2721 Kavanaugh Boulevard, Little Rock
ZaZa Fine Salad & Wood Oven Pizza Company: 5600 Kavanaugh Boulevard (Lunch Only), Little Rock

OK, I just had lunch, but I'm hungry just reading all of these wonderful places.

18 days,
Jill

Needed, Team T-Shirts

Wow! Race Space opened this morning at 10:00 following the blessing. It is totally awesome.

What the place really needs though are Team T-shirts. You can now drop them off at the Race Space during operating hours (below), the Affiliate offices between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or mail to the Komen for the Cure Affiliate offices at 904 Autumn Road, Suite 500, Little Rock 72211 (if you want to chance the mail this late).

I recommend taking them to the Race Space. You really need to check it out. Donna and her committee have done an amazing job on the Boutique. Even if you are already registered, you need to go by and see what they have available. Keep in mind that quantities are limited to what they have. They do not reorder. So SHOP EARLY!

The Race Space is in the same location as last year. It is at Pleasant Ridge Town Center (11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock) located 2 blocks west of I-430 and Cantrell/Hwy 10. Right beside Kitchen Co. in the shopping center.

They opened today and will be open every day until Friday, October 16th.

Hours of operation:
Mondays through Fridays: 10 AM - 7 PM
Saturdays - 10 AM - 6 PM
Sundays - 12 PM - 6 PM
(2 PM closing on Friday, October 16th)


Shop til you drop,
Jill

Vote 2010 Race Shirt Contest

You might remember this excerpt from yesterday's post:
Donna Easley, 2010 Race Chair, reported that the public can vote on next year's Race t-shirt. Voting will take place October 1 through November 8 this year. Cost to vote is $5 per vote and the shirt with the most money wins. 75% of the proceeds raised in the voting will stay with the local affiliate. More details to come!


Here's the information:
Don't forget, the first ever, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® "Vote 2010 Race Shirt" campaign begins this week on October 1 and runs through November 8. The public can vote for their favorite design by going to www.komen.org/raceshirt and making a $5 minimum donation. At the end of the voting period, the design with the most revenue raised will be the official t-shirt for the 2010-2011 Race Series. So, donors are encouraged to make as large a donation as possible to ensure that their favorite wins. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds raised in the Affiliate's service area will stay in the community and all donations are tax-deductible.

There you have it,
Jill

Race Committee Meetings #7 and #8

Time has really gotten away from me! In case you haven't heard, we've been processing offline teams and have lots of other things going on in regards to this Race.

Offline Teams Processing is complete. Local teams have been asked to pick their packets up by tomorrow evening (you should have received an email or phone call). Teams outside of the local area were FedEx'd on Monday and should be arriving soon if not already.

With all of this, I failed to post an update following our committee meeting on September 16. Then we had another meeting today. I decided to combine the two into one post as some of the info is out of date from the 16th.


I'll start with Ellen's challenge today:
We are 17 days from Race Day. Tomorrow will be 16 days until our Sweet 16. In honor of this, Ellen has challenged us to call, email, FaceBook, Twitter or talk to everyone we know that has not registered for the Race and ask them to do so tomorrow, October 1. She wants to see 1600 registrations in that one day.

Pink Martini Party was a huge success and raised $34,000. Despite the "lovely" weather, everyone had a great time.

The Boutique is set up and ready for opening on Friday, October 2, at 10:00 a.m. Donna shared some of the great items available this year. The word is EARLY. Shop early because "when they're gone, they're gone". We got our beautiful plum Committee t-shirts and jackets today. There are a few jackets that will be available in the Boutique. Come do your Christmas shopping for those special people in your life (or yourself). The Race Space is in the same location as last year.

Early Mail Out started mailing on September 11. As of last night, they have mailed out 22,230 packets. There has been a great response of volunteers, but they are in need of help on Monday night, October 5. Contact me if you are interested, and I will put you in touch with Peggy.

Kids for the Cure t-shirts started mailing on Thursday, September 24. T-shirts are still available if you haven't registered your child.

The Fitness Program is going very well averagine 75-150 participants each time. Many of the participants are amazed that they have been able to accomplish as much as they have in this time. They are so excited about this event that they have designed their own t-shirt.

Pasta Party is going to be great! Amy, Ashley and their committee have arranged for 20 auction items and are looking for more. Fun times at Dickey Stephens Park!

Local sponsors are going to be set up in pods this year instead of lined up. Booths will not open until 6:00 a.m.

The Bouffants will be performing as the Race begins this year. They will perform at 7:00, when the Race begins and for an hour once the 2K begins.

The Friday Survivor Spotlights have become Monday through Friday spotlights on the blog. Channel 7 continues to showcase restaurants from Put a Fork in It on Mondays. Lots of other media showings going on around town.

All entrances to the Survivor Breakfast will be on 6th Street. Admission to the breakfast is a Survivor t-shirt, pink bib or with a survivor. Survivor Photo will be taken on 6th Street between Spring and Center.

Survivor Luncheon. Wow! What can I say? Raffle items include a pendant specially designed and created by Cecil's and a 5-day cruise. A jazz ensemble will be performing with Craig O'Neill as Master of Ceremony.

The Survivor Parade will begin where it usually ends and end where it usually begins. Starting place is 4th and Broadway. Survivors will have a special hat for the parade and will walk through a banner at the end of the parade. An all female 160-member band has been secured as well as the NLR Fire Department's pink fire truck. There will be a float which will include the survivors who have completed the fitness program along with those featured in the Survivor Spotlights.

Three Miles of Men Tailgate Party is Friday, October 9, at Diamond Bear from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. The big door prize is 4 tickets to the Arkansas vs. South Carolina game with limo service to and from the game. There were some great comments on what a great ambassador Anthony Lucas is for our cause.

Tickled Pink has sold 40 porta potties to be decorated. More are available if anyone is interested.

Put a Fork in It has about 45 locations. Help us raise more money by eating at one of these locations after the Race. There is a list of participating restaurants online.

Volunteers have filled all of the 468 slots for working at the Race Space with the exception of 98. They still need volunteers for the 1:15 - 5:30 p.m. shifts Monday through Friday on the following dates, October 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15 as well as the 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. shift on October 6. If you are interested in volunteering, contact me and I will put you in contact with Laurie.

Paint the Town Pink will begin tomorrow with the fountain at the Doubletree. The water will be pink for the month of October. We are also working with the trolley system, the Big Dam Bridge and the Clinton Library.

Skate for the Cure raised $1300.

We received $20,000 from ask.com and can get $10,000 more if we have the most people participate in I Am the Cure online.

Donna Easley, 2010 Race Chair, reported that the public can vote on next year's Race t-shirt. Voting will take place October 1 through November 8 this year. Cost to vote is $5 per vote and the shirt with the most money wins. 75% of the proceeds raised in the voting will stay with the local affiliate. More details to come! Donna also announced Race Day 2010--October 16.

We currently have 29,265 registered for the Race.


Our next meeting is October 12.

Thanks,
Jill

October 2 Deadline and Other Info

What a busy time of the year!

Most of you have already received this. However, if you registered offline or have not yet registered, I didn't want you left out in the dark. The following is an email from Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure sent to those who registered online.


Thank you for registering for the race!! We want you to come have fun with us on race morning. Our presenting sponsor, Baptist Health, and our founding sponsor, Hickingbotham Investments, will have representatives on stage to start the race.

Just a reminder to friends and family, the last date to register and have their shirt mailed is next Friday, October 2nd at midnight. (Everyone should continue to fundraise on their Because I Care page.)

We want to tell you about two race events and two affiliate events.


HOPELINE FOR VERIZON WIRELESS

Please donate old phones and old phone accessories to Verizon Wireless HopeLine program! HopeLine accepts wireless phones and accessories in any condition from any manufacturer for reuse and recycling. All phones donated to HopeLine that can be refurbished are reused and those that are not salvageable are recycled in an environmentally sound way under a zero landfill policy.

Phones donated to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program help victims of domestic violence feel safer and less isolated by giving them a way to call emergency or support services, employers, family and friends.

Donation boxes can be found at all Verizon stores and will be available at Race Space at Pleasant Ridge Mall starting on Friday, October 2nd and downtown Little Rock on Race Morning, Saturday, October 17th. Thank you Verizon for sponsoring our 5K.


PajamAware

To help us reach our growth goals, please continue to tell your friends, family and co-workers if they can't make the Race for the Cure on October 17th, they can sign up for "PajamAware", sponsored by Hank's Fine Furniture. They can be with us in spirit and still receive the 2009 Race for the Cure t-shirt! You don't have to be there to be aware!

If you register as a "PajamAware" participant, you will receive a link to Hank's Fine Furniture to sign up to win a special "Awareness" king or queen size mattress and box spring set. In addition, the Central Arkansas Hank's Furniture stores will be selling these special mattresses. With every purchase between September 15th and October 31st, the Arkansas Affiliate will receive a $100 donation from Hank's. For more information about the "Awareness" Free Mattress Give-Away, visit http://www.hanksfurniture.com/awareness

So, if you decide to sleep in on October 17th, you can still support the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure through "PajamAware", and be sleeping on a great mattress, too!

Register for "PajamAware"


Coffee for the Cure

Coming soon! Coffee for the Cure. Available for sales starting on October 2nd at the Race Boutique and Race morning. Look for tasting booths in the exhibit area on Race morning! This product is offered by Premium Refreshment Services. $1.50 of each bag will benefit the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.


NASCAR Foundation Track Walk

The NASCAR Foundation Track Walk at Memphis Motorsports Park. This is an opportunity to walk on the race track!! 50% of the funds raised will benefit The NASCAR Foundation. 50% of the funds raised will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Saturday, October 24, 2009 11:00 a.m. For more details go to https://foundation.nascar.com/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1162&srcid=311.

Remember: It's MY RACE to win on Saturday, October 17th in downtown Little Rock.


Thanks,
Jill

Volunteers Needed and OFFline Deadline

Sorry to be behind in updating you. It has been crazy!

First, I wanted to remind those of you with OFFline team members that the deadline to have your packets postmarked is Wednesday, September 16. Please include SIGNED entry forms for each of your team members, your reconciliation form, the money, your spreadsheet and anything else that pertains to your team. The spreadsheet is available online or you can email me to send it to you. Your completed spreadsheet should be emailed to ar.rftc.teams@gmail.com.

The Offline Team Processing consists of three parts which we loving refer to as Data Processing, War Room and Pick Pack and Ship. Data Processing makes sure that your spreadsheet reconciles to the amount of money received, etc. We then upload that information into an Access file and run labels and reports on your team which are sent to the War Room. The War Room puts the labels on Race Bibs, pulls Pasta Party tickets, counts out coupons, etc. to prepare your team. They bag everything up along with the Team Captain Gift and the reports. Pick Pack and Ship then gets the bag to pull t-shirts, survivor hats, etc. to pack them and prepare to ship if applicable. All of this to say that many people are involved in this process and we are looking for additional volunteers.

We will begin processing your packets in Data Processing at the end of this week. This area is taken care of and no volunteers are needed. However, the War Room will begin their processing next Monday, and Pick Pack and Ship should then begin on Wednesday. Our warehouse is in the Riverdale area near the soccer fields and USA Drug's corporate offices. We work Monday through Friday evenings and as needed and available all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon. It usually takes about 2 weeks to complete all processing.

If you or your group are interested in helping us out, please contact me at ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com. We would love the help and it's always interesting for our Team Captains to see behind the scenes as to how we process your teams. And we have lots of fun!


Jill

Race Committee Meeting #6

Wow! It seems like forever since our last meeting. I guess that's because so much has happened in the meantime.

The 6th meeting of the 2009 Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure Committee took place on Wednesday, August 19.

59 days to Race Day!!!!!!

Jimmie Lou Fisher was introduced as our 2009 Honorary Chair and shared a few words with us.

Because I Care reported that the Hot Pink Heroes Luncheon had taken place since our last meeting. It began with Windstream presenting a check for $2000 as the beginning of their Because I Care fundraising for 2009. Also, in addition to the prizes this year, every participant that sends emails from their personal page, donates or recruits donations for Because I Care will receive a Thank You bracelet for helping in our efforts to raise $350,000 this year.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and the blog.

We get the warehouse on Monday to start getting it ready for team processing and mailout.

The Boutique has some really great items this year. This will be the last year that we will be able to get some of the specialty items. Donna showed us a cap and t-shirt that say "Fight Like a Girl". And the switchflops are in. There will be a small number available at the Race Space.

Donna Easley won the Tinkled Pink challenge with 4 porta potties recruited. The prize is a Rejuvenation Spa Day. Donna donated her prize back as a challenge next month.

Communications reported that the blog is up and going with survivor spotlights. Please leave comments as these are passed on to the survivor. Donna did an excellent job on the Press Conference. KATV is doing a spotlight every Monday morning featuring one of the restaurants participating in Put a Fork in It.

National Sponsors are being contacted to make sure we have everything they need for Race Day.

Pasta Party needs to know what groups need tables. They are going to look at the facilities on October 2 to get the "lay of the land". And they are looking for more silent auction items.

Fitness Program ill have a meeting of leaders on August 25. 170 are currently registered to participate. Kick-off is September 7.

Survivor Luncheon is looking for door prizes.

Three Miles of Men has been getting lot of questions. They can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter. 148 are presently registered for Three Miles of Men. They think this weekend at Dickey-Stephens Park will be a great opportunity to recruit more men to register. Anthony Lucas will be there part of the time.

Registration reported that the bibs are in. They will be set up to register at the Travelers games this weekend. Race Space will be in Pleasant Ridge Town Center beginning October 2. 2600 are now registered.

Early Mail Out will start folding as soon as the shirts arrive. They will have some day shifts this year. Plans are to start mailing on September 8. 107 are registered for Kids for the Cure.

Volunteers is having a party at the warehouse on September 10 as a thank you and appreciation to the volunteers. Everyone will be able to sign up for shifts at that time. Team Captains are invited to this also. 5:30-7:00 p.m. at 2100 Brookwood.

Survivor Breakfast is progressing well.

Skate for the Cure is September 13 from 1-4 with the ice show at 2:30 featuring Steven Evans, Novice Silver Medalist US Championship. This should be a great show.

Sponsorship is still working. We have a new sponsor for the Survivor Luncheon, Golden Corral.

Emily asked that everyone send her the names that need to be included in the Thank You Ad.

We have teamed up with Premium Refreshment (formerly Clear Mountain Water) to bring you Coffee for the Cure, our very own coffee. Bags will be $10 and will be sold in various retail outlets and at the Boutique. It should be ready by October 2. There will also be opportunities for tastings in various locations--definitely at the Pasta Party, Race, Survivor Breakfast and Survivor Luncheon.

Put a Fork in It has 36 restaurants lined up to participate and is negotiating with several others. This list can be found online at www.komenarkansas.org and clicking on Komen Race for the Cure, Race Information and Put a Fork in It.

Next July, the affiliate will be involved with a class to teach mammographers to give mammograms to women with disabilities. They are also involved with other organizations looking at the future of BreastCare. The Community Profile came back with a few changes.

The next meeting is Wednesday, September 16. Sweet 16!

Thanks,
Jill

Registering Multiple People

As most of you know, there is a feature in the online registration so that you can register family members without having to start all over in the process. However, some of you are trying to use it to register team members. Although this works, you need to be aware that the system will time out. If this happens, you will lose all of the information you have already entered.

I know this can be frustrating, but it was designed to register a few people at a time, not an entire team. And we have no control over the time allowed for this.

You are welcome to use this to register team members, but if you time out and call us, all we can offer you is our sympathy. Sorry.

Everything else ok out there?

Thanks,
Jill

Press Conference

Don't forget the Press Conference and Rally on Wednesday, August 12, at 10:30 a.m. at War Memorial Stadium. We would love to have you there.

Please enter the stadium at the North end zone by the office and the big pink ribbon will lead the way. There is plenty of parking and we promise to keep it short. And perfect weather is forecast!

Jill

Tinkled Pink

Tinkled Pink is a unique, fun, affordable sponsorship opportunity for the 16th Annual Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^®. For only $100, a business, school, team or individual can sponsor a port-a-potty at the Race.

This is a great way to advertise your organization with an opportunity to reach 46,000 racers, volunteers and supporters. Where else can you reach so many for so little?

You can visit the website for the registration form and to see a few of the past potties. The form includes guidelines and other information.

In case you missed them, here are a couple of fake potties decorated for the Team Captain Party.


















You can mention that I referred you. Diane and Katherine are giving a prize to the committee member that recruits the most Tinkled Pink Sponsors.


Have fun,
Jill

Three Miles of Men

Don't forget to recruit the guys in your life:

Three Miles of Men (3MOM) is gearing up for another successful year. To help keep participants and racers informed about all of the activities, as well as get the word out to others who have not previously been involved, 3MOM has joined the electronic age on both Twitter and Facebook.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/3MilesOfMen

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Komen-for-the-Cure-Arkansas-3-MIles-of-Men/103721563041?ref

Follow all of the news and announcements related to 3MOM with one or both of these and encourage your guys to join too.

Also, Matt has contributed to the Race blog with a post about 3MOM.

If you have questions, let me know and I'll put you in contact with Matt Propst, 3MOM Chair.

On a personal note, is anyone out there?

Jill

Ropin' 4 a Cure

If you missed the Team Captain Party on Sunday, you missed one fired up lass. Danielle Smith is one motivated woman, and her focus right now is raising money for Because I Care.

Danielle took 3rd place in Because I Care in 2006, 2nd place in 2007 and 1st place in 2008 with over $8000 raised that year. Her goal this year is $20,000. Danielle does this in memory of her mother, Betty Smith, whom she lost to breast cancer

Ropin' 4 a Cure is Danielle's event and she has put her heart and soul into it. It has grown from a one day event to two full days and has grown so much that she hired a company to run it for her. She has companies calling her wanting to be sponsors. The ropers fight hard to win the two pink saddles and a horse trailer. This year, Danielle is requiring all of them to wear pink shirts to participate. Sounds like a fun event!














This year's Ropin' 4 a Cure will take place on Friday, August 7, and Saturday, August 8, at Smith Arena in Rose Bud, Arkansas. Books are open from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. with Rope at 9:00 a.m. They will have concessions but bring your own lawn chairs.

For more information, contact Danielle at smith.arena@yahoo.com.


Jill

Blast Off

Yikes, it's time to register. What do I do now?

The Team Captain Party has come and gone. Wow! It was great to see so many smiling faces yesterday! What was even better was seeing old friends, meeting new ones and finally putting faces with some names. We must have the greatest group around! You are all amazing! I hope you liked the new format.

Some of you are still asking, "What in the world do I do now?" It's all out there, but this might help a little.

1. Go to www.komenarkansas.org


2. Download the Team Captain Kit here (from above, click on Race for the Cure, Race Information and Team Information)


3. If your company is paying the registration, contact Jill at ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com


4. Register (Form a Team)


5. Click on My Race Center, check everything out, set up your Because I Care page and ask friends and family to support you


6. Tell your team members to register (Join a Team) and set up their pages


7. Sit back and enjoy

If you happen to still be registering offline, you'll also need the spreadsheet. We're having a few technical difficulties with that, so you'll need to contact Jill at the present time for it.

Also for offline entries, the Team Entry Form is available by itself here.

For those who missed the party, you also missed the big announcement. We are the 4th largest race in the Komen series!

Well, I have pictures to share, but I'm having slideshow problems, so I'll post those later.

Thanks,
Jill

Organization Paying?

If your organization is planning to pay all or a portion of your team members’ registrations, your team can still register online.

Contact me at ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com to set up a code for your team. Please include in the email (1) your name, (2) team name, (3) a phone number where I can contact you and (4) how the fees will be paid. If they will be paid by credit card, I will call you to obtain all of the pertinent information. If I need to contact someone else for this information, please include their name and phone number in the email as well and tell them to expect a call.

Thanks,
Jill

Online Registration

If you have registered online in the past, it may be a little crazy this year. Please bear with us and be patient. We will help you and your team members through the problems.

Several of us have been busy as little bees this year cleaning up the online database to get it ready for a conversion that recently took place. The database has been “under construction” since the 2005 Race and one or two people have signed up anew each year so that they had up to four profiles. And one or two more registered friends, neighbors and family all under the same email address.

For the conversion to take place, we had to try to get it down so that there was only one of each person, and each and every participant had to have a unique email address. We had to make some hasty decisions as to whether Jane Doe at this address in 2005 was the same Jane Doe at that address in 2007; was Joe Smith born on this date the same as Joseph Smith born on the same date; or was Janice Brown at this address with no birth date the same as Jan Brown at the same address. If we determined that they were the same person, we merged their records together so they would only have one profile.

Because of the lack of information on some and the fact that it was humans working on this project, there is the possibility that some people got merged incorrectly and we now have at the wrong address, wrong birthday or completely merged with another person.

And because everyone had to have a unique email address, we had to make some up. Again, we sometimes had to make a guess as to the true owner of the email.

Oh, and many user names and all passwords were changed with the conversion.

Because of all of this, it is going to be a little difficult for some people to retrieve their user name and password. In some cases, you will be able to have them emailed to you. Please try this avenue first. Go to www.komenarkansas.org and click on Sign In. Scroll down and you will see Email me My Password and Email me My User Name.

If this does not work, please email ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com. We will work with you to obtain your user name and password and those of your team members.

Once you have accessed your account, please review the information to make sure that everything is correct before registering.

We apologize for this inconvenience. Believe me, we weren’t happy about everything, but it will be wonderful when it is all said and done. And it is a one time event.

Thanks for understanding,
Jill

p.s. In case you haven't received the email I sent this afternoon, the website is active, the Team Captain Kit is available under Team Information, and registration is open. Hope to see you Sunday!

Race Committee Meeting #5

The 5th meeting of the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure took place on Wednesday, July 15, 2009.

93 days to RACE DAY!

Ellen announced that Jimmie Lou Fisher, former Arkansas State Treasurer, is serving as Honorary Chair for our 2009 Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure. Jimmie Lou is a recent breast cancer survivor and is undergoing treatment.

Sherrye McBryde announced that we have a new website this year designed through National. We are one of ten pilot affiliates. It should be active, hopefully, tomorrow: www.komenarkansas.org. Sherrye also demonstrated to the committee how easy it is to design your personal Because I Care page and communicate with your friends to ask them to support you once you have registered for the Race online. One small kink in the process can be adding photos to your page; they can only be 200kb in size. You can go to www.shrinkpictures.com and create a smaller image of your photo for this purpose.

Our honored guests today were Caroline Cline and her sister Elizabeth. Caroline is the winner of the 2009 Kids for the Cure art contest. Her design will be featured on the KFTC t-shirts this year. (I’ll post the design in the next few days. It will be announced Friday on Channel 7’s Good Morning Arkansas at 9:00 a.m.)

Mary-Margaret reported that we are channeling our inner teenager and pumping up for the Team Captain Party on Sunday at the Hayes Center in North Little Rock from 2:00 to 4:00. Everyone was encouraged to put on their active wear and head for the center for a great time. It will be interesting to see the creativity of some of the booths. Sounds like there are going to be some yummy booths in addition to Papa John’s Pizza. She kind of reminded us that “it’s MY RACE to win.”

Susan Talley Brown reported that the Team Captain Kit is being finalized and is now available online. The buttons are in and you can get yours at the party on Sunday. The team captain gift has been ordered – and you are going to love them.

Volunteers are needed to help people register at the Arkansas Travelers game on August 21, 22 and 23. We are planning a Volunteer Round-up Party on September 10 at the warehouse instead of an after-race Volunteer Thank You Party.

Communications has been getting media requests already and it is 93 days until the race. The race blog is now active: http://komenarkansasblog.com.

The Press Conference is scheduled for August 12 at 10:30 a.m. at War Memorial Stadium on the field in the south end zone. Donna said she will keep it short but exciting. It might be a little noisy at the beginning – what surprise has Donna cooked up for us?

Fit for the Cure is set for kick-off on Labor Day at 6:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium on the field. The program will be for six weeks on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30. This is for everyone who wants to prepare for the Race whether they plan to run, walk or walk quickly. Volunteers are needed as leaders. Tbyrd promises to have someone there to help make that happen (whatever that is) for those participating. The only way to register for the Fitness Program is to register online and pick the Fitness Program from the options on that page. It is limited to 500 participants!! Register early.

Pasta Party will be selling tickets at the Team Captain Party. The Pasta Party will be at Dickey-Stephens Park this year.

Three Miles of Men has been contacted by other affiliates wanting to learn what we’re doing. For the first time, we have an Honorary Three Miles of Men Chair, Anthony Lucas, former Arkansas Razorback and NFL player. He will attend the Press Conference, Pasta Party, Tailgate Party and who knows what else.

Tinkled Pink has their fliers ready. The form is available on the website. This sponsorship is a lot of bang for the buck at $100 to decorate a porta-potty that will be seen by MANY people.

Put a Fork in It has secured 34 restaurants to participate so far. The restaurants will be listed on the website. These restaurants will give Komen 10% of the gross sales of race day. So, go eat after the race at those restaurants.

The Pink Martini Party is shaping up for September 12 at the home of Chip and Cindy Murphy. Tickets are $75. They will have a live auction and live music. Dress is casual chic.

Sponsorship Committee has outdone themselves. Great job!

Ellen, our fearless Chair, celebrated the 8 year anniversary of her diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Cancer last Friday with a haircut. As she came out of the salon, she was greeted by her friend Mary Ellen, her mom, her daughters and I’m not sure who else. Mary Ellen uses the same hair dresser and, in honor of Ellen’s 8 years, also got a haircut and donated 8 inches to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths.

The next meeting is Wednesday, August 19.

Thanks,
Jill

Komen Captains

It's been a while since I mentioned our social network, Komen Captains (click here for previous post), and wanted to remind you to join if you haven't already. I think activity will pick up next week after the Team Captain Party.

We've also made a change in regards to joining Komen Captains. For some reason, some of the invitations that I have sent out for people to join have not been received. That is not good. With this change, you no longer have to receive an invitation to join. Just go to www.komencaptains.com and sign up.

While signing up, you will be required to provide a photo for your profile. I was running a test using a computer that didn't have a photo on it, so I wanted you to be forewarned.

After I approve your request to join, an email will be sent notifying you of the approval and that you can now access the network.

My apologies to those who have tried to join and been unable to do so. I hope this will take care of the problem.


Also, if you have any questions or issues that you think I need to cover here or would like to put your 2 cents worth in, please let me know.

Thanks for all of your support,
Jill

Kids for the Cure

You don’t have to be a grown-up to participate in the Race or to raise money to end breast cancer. Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^® has added a new participation event this year, Kids for the Cure^®.

Kids aged 12 and under are encouraged to register. Children who register as Kids for the Cure^® will have their very own youth sized t-shirts. However, only 3000 shirts will be ordered, so kids need to register early.

The winning design of a recent art contest will be the artwork for the 2009 Kids for the Cure^® Race shirt! Channel 7 will announce the winner of this contest on Good Morning Arkansas on Friday, July 17, at 9:00 a.m.

In order to receive one of the T-shirts, children MUST be registered in the Kids for the Cure^® program.

Funds from the Race for the Cure® are used to help eliminate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease and are used for education, screening, treatment and research programs.


OK, I can’t emphasize enough that you need to get your team to register ONLINE and register early once registration opens. If kids sign up for this using the offline forms, it’s a pretty good bet that they will miss out on this. There will ONLY be 3000 shirts ordered and there will NOT be another order and there are no shirt substitutions. It will also be hard to exchange sizes – you can’t until race space opens and then only if they are available. Sizes will be issued as requested while that size lasts. Once a size is gone, we will go to the next size. Let me say again, when all 3000 Kids for the Cure^® shirts are gone, they are gone; there is no reorder or substitution.

I have a feeling that questions are going to come up regarding children 5 and under (who normally do not pay). Children 5 and under still do not have to pay, BUT they do NOT receive a t-shirt. If you want a Kids for the Cure^® shirt for a child 5 or under, they must be registered for Kids for the Cure^® and pay the entry fee.

Please remember that these shirts are Youth sizes Small, Medium and Large.

Thanks,
Jill

Team T-shirts

Some of you have started plans on your team t-shirt, so I thought it might be a good time to go ahead and get this information out to you.

Over the years, many of you have asked what criteria we use in judging the t-shirts. It's probably not the answer you want, but we do not have any set criteria. It's basically what appeals to most of our judges. The judges vary from year to year. It could be committee members or other volunteers. I know, I'm not much help. Sorry.

I thought photos of last year's winners might spur you on. I was unable to obtain photos, but the team captains did provide me with graphics of their designs. Please remember that these are in no special order. We select three winners, not first, second and third. Also, remember that the theme last year was This One's for the Girls.

This first one was Arkansas Federal Credit Union. I missed most of the shirts last year but absolutely loved this one. No, I didn't judge.


Stephens.

















And USPS.











And here's the information regarding the submission of your t-shirt:

Show your Team Spirit and promote your organization by creating a Team T-shirt. It is up to each team to create their own t-shirt design and have their shirts printed. These are NOT provided by Komen. And it is NOT a requirement.

Three awards will be presented for the Best Team T-shirts. This is not a first, second, third place; just three awards, period.

Please have an extra shirt printed to submit for judging. Team T-shirts must be received no later than Friday, October 9. They can be submitted with your Team Packet; mailed to the Komen Office at 904 Autumn Road, Suite 500, Little Rock, AR 72211; delivered to the office Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; or delivered to the Race Space at Pleasant Ridge Town Center during operating hours.

T-shirts will be displayed at the Race Space and at the Pasta Party (weather permitting). Awards will be presented at the Pasta Party.

DOs and DON'Ts
-Team t-shirts CANNOT use the Race logo.
-Team t-shirts CANNOT be pink except those to be worn by survivors.
-Teams can use a pink ribbon but NOT the ribbon used in the Komen logo.
-Teams can use the phrase Susan G. Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^® as long as it appears exactly as written here (including the ® symbol).

Happy designing,
Jill

Why?

Why would my team members want to register ONline?

1) It's quick and easy.

2) Race t-shirt and bib will be mailed directly to the participant at the address they use when they register.

3) T-shirts should be received sooner than those for OFFline team registrants. (Although shipping does not begin until about the first of September, ONline registrations are processed pretty much in the order that they are received. We will not begin processing OFFline teams until after the middle of September.)

4) Chances are better to get the correct size t-shirt as processing begins for ONline first.

5) Your team member can register for Train for the Cure at the same time. (This is limited to the first 500 who register.)

6) If a child is interested in registering for Kids for the Cure, they have a better chance by registering ONline early. (There will only be 3000 Kids for the Cure t-shirts available.)


Why do I want my team members to register ONline?

1) For all of the above reasons.

2) Easier on you. Once they have registered, you can pretty much sit back and relax other than arranging for a team t-shirt or any special events or treats if applicable.


Remember that the Team Captain Party is Sunday, July 19, and ONline registration should open the same day. Even if your team registered ONline last year, you will need to register yourself and set your team up so that your team members can join the team. Personal information carries over from year to year but team information does not.

Thanks,
Jill

Team Captain Party

2009 Team Captain’s Party

Susan G. Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure

NEW FORMAT for this event!!!!

Please join us
Sunday, July 19, 2009
2:00 to 4:00
Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center
401 West Pershing
North Little Rock, AR 72114

NEW FORMAT:
In an effort to improve our meeting, we will be having a "fair"
with booths for the different parts of the race.
You will be able to go to any and all of them
to meet your need for information.
Don’t miss the Boutique.

Thank you Papa Johns for the pizza.

Teams are sponsored by:


Updated website available around July 15: http://www.komenarkansas.org/

Team blog: http://arrftcteams.blogspot.com/

Team Social Network: http://www.komencaptains.com/

Race Committee Meeting #4

The 4th meeting of the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure took place on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

125 days to RACE DAY!

The Put a Fork in It Committee sent out 175 letters to local restaurants asking them to participate in this event. Responses are starting to come in. A brochure will be printed to let Race participants know which restaurants are included.

A blog is being developed for the Race.

Sixty entries were received for the Kids for the Cure art contest. The committee has narrowed this down to 20. They hope to announce the winner within a couple of weeks.

The Team Captain Party plans are underway. It will be set up kind of like a career day or science fair. (Don’t forget that the Boutique will also be set up and will have items available now that will not be available by the time Race Space opens in October.)

The Team Captain buttons have been ordered and they are working on a Thank You gift.

The Hot Pink Heroes Luncheon has been scheduled for Thursday, July 16, at Juanita’s. The Because I Care t-shirts will be purple this year with white lettering. The newer ribbon (in the Komen logo) will be used for the I. Top prize will be a travel package to include luggage and airline tickets. Second prize is a piece of jewelry from Stanley’s Jewelry.

Tinkled Pink is working on a flyer but has already “sold” some of the porta-potties to prior participants. (Let us know if your organization is interested in decorating one. Fee is $100 and you do NOT have to do the un-decorating.)

We’re going to Paint the Town Pink. If you have any ideas for this, please let us know.

Remember to register for Train for the Cure when you register online for the Race. There will be a button to click on for this. It is limited to the first 500. This option will disappear once 500 have registered. The first session will be on Labor Day, September 7, at War Memorial Stadium from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sessions are on Mondays and Thursdays. (I imagine this will be a fun time for all with Tbyrd heading it up.)

Sherrye McBryde provided the Executive Director report:

We are very close to the conversion of our new software and website. We have been cleaning up the database and getting it ready for this conversion.

The Community Profile has been completed. This helps to know where to focus the money which is raised. A brief summary of the profile shows that 12.5% of Arkansas families are at or below the poverty level; the median income in Arkansas is $37,555. Both of these put Arkansas 49th out of the 50 states. 22.7% of Arkansas women aged 18 to 64 have no insurance. One positive note is that our mortality rate is equal to the national average. Through this report, the affiliate has determined that they should focus on 20 of the counties in their service area which have no fixed mammography services.

The next meeting is Wednesday, July 15.

Thanks,
Jill

Runway to the Cure

Fashion Show & Luncheon
July 24
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
St. Bernards Auditorium

Raffle tickets will be available during the
fashion show for $5 each or 5 for $20
for several valuable prizes. Must be present to win.

Get your tickets today!
VIP Tickets (first 2 rows - 104 seats available)
$30 each or $150 for 6
Regular Tickets
$25 each or $120 for 6

www.stbernardsfoundation.org or call 870-336-5009

Proceeds benefit the Arkansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®

Race Committee Meeting #3

The 3rd meeting of the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure took place on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. LOTS going on!

Paul Allen with the Arkansas Travelers attended to make a presentation of the money raised at the Mother’s Day at Dickey-Stephens Park. The Arkansas Travelers will also have 3 days in August that people who register for the Race will get into the ballgame free.

Ellen Kreth, 2009 Race Chair (16th race)
and Donna Easley, 2010 Race Chair (17th race)
in their pink Arkansas Travelers jerseys
Publishing Concepts sponsored the pink jerseys that were worn by the players and auctioned off after the game. Shari Erwin also told us that Publishing Concepts is working to recruit the largest team of nurses, Nurses for the Girls. They have already begun registration at nursesforthegirls.com.

The theme for the Race this year is It’s MY RACE to win. The focus for this is to do something (the Race) for you. We tend to do things for others, so this one is for you. Concentrate on yourself and remember that your health is important too. (Please note that we are no longer allowed to have our own race logo. This is simply the theme.)


Team Captain Kits are in process and will be ready for download by the Team Captain Party on July 19. Mary-Margaret has everything under control for the party in spite of her new baby boy—William Terry born April 3. Congratulations, Mom and Dad Marks! And Donna is getting ready to order Boutique items to have on hand.

Train for the Cure has been confirmed at War Memorial Stadium and will be limited to 500 participants. You can register for this program when you register online for the Race beginning July 19. Once 500 have registered, this option will no longer be available.

The Press Conference has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, also at War Memorial Stadium.

The Pink Martini Party has been scheduled for September 12 at the home of Cindy and Chip Murphy. Cost will be $75 per person and will include a live auction.

AND the Three Miles of Men Tailgate Party has been set for October 9 at Diamond Bear. Three Miles of Men will also soon be joining Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Arkansas (go join as a fan if you have not already done so) on Facebook.

There was much discussion on Kids for the Cure. I have already posted about the art contest for the t-shirt and I think the other details deserve a post of their own, so I’ll skip that part for now. However, Komen will have a booth at Dino Dash on May 30 to hand out the rules and information concerning the Kids for the Cure T-shirt Contest.

The committee is working on Put a Fork In It. They are contacting restaurants to ask them to donate a portion of their Race Day proceeds. These restaurants will be listed in various places to encourage participants to patronize them after the Race, including the Jumbotron. If you know of any restaurants that might be interested, please let us know.

Vickie Metrailer, Komen Board President, gave us an update from the Board and thanked us for all of our work. That thank you extends to all of you, as we could not have a Race and raise the money without each of you. She began her work with Komen in 1996 when there were 7400 race participants. Last year, there were 46,000 participants and grants were given this year to the total of $1.1 million. THANK YOU!

We also ended the meeting with a presentation. Gracie Kreth attends Crestwood Elementary in North Little Rock where the 5th graders held a Charity Fair. Each charity represented had a booth and each booth had an activity to raise money for their charity. Gracie’s charity was Komen. She had a Mini Race for the Cure and raised $97.75. Way to go, Gracie!

Gracie and Ellen Kreth
Next meeting is Wednesday, June 17.

Thanks,
Jill

Kids for the Cure®

Kids T-shirt contest sponsored by

The Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is hosting a T-shirt design contest to kick off our new Kids for the Cure^® program in this year’s Arkansas Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock on October 17, 2009. Kids will have the opportunity to register for the Race as a Kids for the Cure^® participant.

The Arkansas Affiliate invites children 12 and under to submit an original drawing for our first ever Kids for the Cure^® T-shirt. The winning artwork will be used as the signature design on the 3,000 T-shirts ordered for this program.

The rules for the competition are:

• Artwork must be submitted on 8 ½” x 11” white paper or cardstock and mailed flat (folded paper cannot be formatted for T-shirt printing) to Komen Race for the Cure, 904 Autumn Road, Ste 500, Little Rock, AR 72211, by Monday, June 15.


• Incorporating the theme of this year’s Race: “It’s MY RACE to win” is suggested.


• Design should incorporate the Komen pink ribbon somewhere in the art. (Take note of the ribbon in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure logo at the top of the right hand column of this blog.)


• Only markers should be used in the artworks. Do not use crayons or colored pencils, as they do not transfer well onto T-shirts.

On the back of the artwork, please include the following in pencil:

• Designer’s Name and Age


• Name of school


• Year in school


• Home address


• Parent or Guardian’s name


• Contact telephone number and email address

By submitting a design, the designer and the designer’s parent or guardian consent to the entries becoming the property of Susan G. Komen for the Cure^® and agree to the entry being used for promotional purposes. Entries will not be returned.

The winners and their parents or guardians will be asked to attend the 2K Family Walk on October 17, 2009, as part of the Race Festivities.

The entries will be judged by a panel of judges based upon creativity, neatness and the overall spirit of the Race for the Cure^®. The judges’ decision is final.

Funds from the Race for the Cure^® are used to help eliminate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease and are used for education, screening, treatment and research programs.


More on this new program later. With this deadline quickly approaching, I wanted to get this information to you as quickly as possible. It can also be found on the Komen Arkansas website.

Jill

Letter to Team Captains

A letter went out on Monday to the Team Captains that we have in our database. In case you have not received yours, here's the info:


May 15, 2009

Dear Team Captain:

Sweet Sixteen! The Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is celebrating 16 years of fighting breast cancer on behalf of the women of Arkansas. We are excited about the 2009 Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^®. Leadership is essential in building a great team and we can’t do it without you. Please join us to make Saturday, October 17, 2009, another record-breaking event.

We have new and exciting things happening this year and we don’t want you to miss any of it. This year’s theme for the Race is “It’s MY Race to Win” and the colors are pink and plum.

We are no longer maintaining a team captain database and email list. Announcements will be made via our two new methods of communication. We have our blog which is designed specifically for Team Captains, http://arrftcteams.blogspot.com. It includes general team information and a list of all upcoming activities. In addition, we have our own social network, Komen Captains. You can read about it and learn how to join on the blog (Exciting News posted on 4/7/09).

We are now on Facebook! Look for Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Arkansas and become a Fan. We will post fun and important info!

We also announced our start date for the Train for the Cure program: Monday, September 7th (Labor Day) at War Memorial Stadium. Our run/walk clinic will meet every Monday and Thursday night from 6:30 to 7:30. You will be able to register for the clinic when you register online for the 2009 Race, but space is limited.

The Team Captains Party will be held July 19th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center in North Little Rock. We have changed the format in order to provide Team Captains more time to ask questions, to visit with other team captains, and to learn more about some of the other activities that take place preceding the Race.

While we have made great strides in Arkansas, there is still so much that needs to be done to help uninsured and underinsured women. And to do that, we must raise additional funds for mammograms. Please encourage your team to participate in our online (and very easy) email fundraising, Because I Care™.

We look forward to working with you as we celebrate Sweet Sixteen. If you are not the Team Captain for your organization this year, please forward this to the new captain.

Sincerely,

Susan Talley Brown
2009 Teams Chair


Thanks,
Jill

Vote for Kris Allen

Just to keep things straight, this is not a Komen "authorized" post. This is purely my views. The ladies with Komen may or may not agree. In other words, I'm not asking at this time. :o)


I received an email this morning that said it better than I can:

Ok you guys, this is it!!!! Please watch American Idol on Tuesday, May 19th, AND vote, Vote VOTE for Kris Allen!! You can vote by calling toll free or by texting (there is no extra charge for texting by American Idol just At&t; if you have a texting package, then it goes by that. I encourage you to get an unlimited package, at least for this month to use to vote.)

You can go here to Kris Allen Nation for ALL the details for voting and events happening this week for support!!!!

Voting will be open for 4 hours this Tuesday instead of just two--8pm to 12am. Please vote as long as you can, as many times as possible...voting is unlimited on how many times you can vote. I know this seems like a long time, but this is the last night! If you can’t vote the whole four hours, please vote as many times as you can...some people have been able to get 4000 texts done in 2 hours so with 4 we will get so many more!

Remember to think positive on his winning and visualize Ryan Secreast saying “Kris, you are our New American Idol” and it will come to pass!!!!

Please pass this on to your friends, family and co-workers!

Thanks!!!!!!



There's also information at B98.5 and Fox 16.

Don't forget--VOTE!
Jill

New Sponsor - Genghis Grill

Raise Money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and eat at one of Little Rock's newest restaurants - the new Genghis Grill!

Mike Pierce, Jr., the owner of the new Genghis Grill, is donating 20% of all food sales during the Grand Opening on May 18th, 19th, and 20th. That's this coming Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the 19th, please join us at Genghis Grill for a press conference at 2:00 p.m. where the Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen will be introduced.

Genghis Grill is located at 12318 Chenal Parkway in west Little Rock.

We hope you all can go to Genghis Grill for a delicious meal and come to the Press Conference for a big showing in support of Susan G. Komen and our generous sponsor!


And thanks, Emily, for this announcement.

Jill

Mother's Day with the Arkansas Travelers

Don't forget the Arkansas Travelers' Game this Sunday, May 10, Mother's Day at Dickey-Stephens Park. The game starts at 2 p.m. The Travelers will wear pink jerseys in honor of Komen. After the game, the jerseys will be auctioned, and the proceeds will be donated to the Arkansas Komen Affiliate! Please come out and enjoy the fun and support Komen.


Jill

Race Committee Meeting #2

Hey gang! The second Race Committee meeting took place last Wednesday, April 15. However, I was on my way home after a great few days in Branson celebrating my birthday instead of attending the meeting. Our fearless leader and Race Chair, Ellen Kreth, was kind enough to contribute a summary of the meeting for your info.


Take it away, Ellen:

We had a great meeting on the 15th.

We opened the meeting with the Race video from 2008. What a great year it was!! Let me hear you say, "Sweet!" This is Komen's Sweet 16!!

We are gearing up for the Team Captains Party to be held July 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Hayes Center in North Little Rock. We're excited about the format change. We are hoping to provide Team Captains with more time to ask questions, to visit with other team captains, and to learn more about some of the other activities that take place preceding the Race. We also announced our Team Captain Party Chair had a baby boy April 3!!

This year Komen gave away more than one million dollars in grants. We certainly applaud ourselves for that. But, we also learned from our grants committee that so much more is needed. Komen was submitted needed grant requests for more than triple that amount. That is why the Because I Care pledge program is so important. And, this year, the prizes for the winners of the Because I Care pledge program are even better than last year! While we are so proud of our Race, in that so many people participant, we realize how important our pledge program is and growing it to raise even more money so even more women can receive treatment for breast cancer.

We also announced our start date for a Train for the Cure program -- Monday, Sept. 7 at War Memorial Stadium. Our run/walk clinic will meet every Monday and Thursday night from 6:30 to 7:30. You will be able to register for the clinic when you register online for the 2009 Race, but space is limited.

We are now on Facebook!! Become a fan!! Look for Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Arkansas!! We will post fun and important info!

And finally, for the most fun part(y): May 10, Mothers Day, is also Komen Day at Dickey Stephens, and we are so excited. The Arkansas Travs are going to celebrate Komen by wearing Pink jerseys during the game. Those jerseys will be auctioned off at the end of the game and the money will be donated to Komen. You don't have to be a part of the committee to come to this fun game. We want all friends of Komen there to cheer on the Travs and raise money for Komen!!

Our next meeting is May 20!!


Thanks, Ellen! I also have it on the side that Alana updated the committee by telling them about our Komen Captains. Membership isn't taking off like I expected. Where are you? See the April 7, 2009 post if you missed that information. It's going no where without all of you contributing. Please send me comments or emails if you have suggestions or comments. I'll even take complaints--please be kind. :o)

Hugs,
Jill

Happy Easter

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy and Blessed Easter.


Jill

Exciting News!

Bryan Jones and his team at Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods were so kind to set up a social network just for us. I’m sure all of you are at least aware of Facebook (if not completely immersed in it) and probably plenty of other networks out there. Well, Komen Captains is the facebook for all of you (along with us) to be friends.


We would like to keep this as a small group (relatively speaking) to include our team captains and co-captains, so please do NOT invite your whole team to join.

Komen Captains has several features that I think you are really going to enjoy. You can share your stories, comments and ideas with other team captains. New captains can learn from seasoned captains and seasoned captains can learn from new captains. You can share your photos and videos. You can blog. You can read others’ blog posts and see their photos and videos. You can, hopefully, get ideas from others’ projects that have worked and learn from those that didn’t.

I am especially excited about the Forums. I have wanted to set up a message board where all of you could talk to each other, answer questions and share experiences. Forums is my answer. I have set up categories pertaining to different areas of the Race season with a General Chat in case I’ve missed an area. Others may be added as we go.

When starting a discussion, please check to see whether there is already a discussion underway regarding your topic, put it under the category that best fits your topic and create an appropriate Discussion Title. After all, we don’t need all of the discussions under Three Miles of Men to be titled Three Miles of Men. Be a bit more specific. And please play nice.

Moderators will be following along to help and assist where needed. We will also close or delete any discussions we deem inappropriate. There is a Moderator category where each moderator will tell you a little about themselves. If you wish to get in touch with one of us, please feel free to email us.

Have I totally lost you by now? I’m sure all of you just want to know how to join. As this is a private network, you can only join by invitation. Email me your name, team or company, and the email address you want to use at ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com. PLEASE also use your name for the Subject of the email. (That helps me.) We will then send you an invitation. Please be patient as we may be flooded with requests here at the beginning.

Once you join, the web address for Komen Captains is www.komencaptains.com.

And, in case you are wondering, the blog will continue.

Jill

Arkansas Ride for the Cure®

Arkansas Ride for the Cure®
Benefiting the Arkansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Bicycle Ride Through Beautiful Northeast Arkansas
10, 20 & 50 Mile Routes

Saturday April 18, 2009 - Jonesboro, Arkansas

Cyclists from all over Arkansas are invited to the first ever Arkansas Ride for the Cure® benefiting the Arkansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure on Saturday, April 18, 2009. Proceeds from the event will provide funds for education, screening and treatment programs for breast cancer. St. Bernards Healthcare, HMG (Healthcare Medical Group), St. Bernards Sports Medicine, and Gearhead Outfitters are the proud sponsors of this event.

For more information or to register online, click here or call 1-870-931-3627.

2009 Survivor Conference

Susan G. Komen for the Cure
"Renew the Promise"
Breast Cancer Survivor Conference

April 4, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wyndham Riverfront Hotel
#2 Riverwalk Place
North Little Rock, AR

Deadline to register is April 1, 2009
For more information, contact Nikeba Davis
nikeba.davis@baptist-health.org
(501) 202-4394

1st 2009 Race Committee Meeting

We're off to a wonderful start! It was great to see old friends and new alike. We had a great turnout for the first meeting! Let's see what news you would like to hear...

The color this year is PLUM and this is our SWEET 16. Health will be a major focus. Great news is that the Race Space will once again be located at Pleasant Ridge Towne Center. Of course, it doesn't open until October 2, but we like to know well in advance. We don't know the exact location at this time.

Report from the 2008 Race: Total registration was 45,938. (Sherrye said all but 8 were at the race. haha) Total amount raised was $1,875,000. After expenses, contribution to national research grants was $403,000 and grants given in Arkansas totaled $1,050,000.

The committee got their first look at the blog.

Team Captain Party is Sunday, July 19. There will be a format change. Instead of the sit down meeting style, there will be booths for different areas (i.e. Because I Care, Three Miles of Men) around the room that you can go to for information and to ask questions. Please make plans now to attend.

Three Miles of Men are planning their Tailgate Party and other events again this year.

New this year is a Training Program. This will be a 6-week program to get participants ready for the race. This is designed for people of all ages, but you must be registered for the Race to participate. They will meet twice a week at 6:00 p.m. for 1 to 1.5 hours. Kickoff is August 29, but I do not know yet where this will be taking place or how to register. It will also be available online and in the Democrat Gazette.

Because I Care had 28 Hot Pink Heroes in 2008. These are participants who raised $1201 or more during the Because I Care Campaign. Their luncheon will be sometime the week before the Team Captain Party. New levels and prizes are being planned for 2009. $150 will remain the level for a Because I Care t-shirt. 18 of the Hot Pink Heroes raised over $1501 each. The top fund raiser came in with over $8000, so start planning your strategy now.

We're very excited that the Pasta Party will be at Dickey-Stephens Park. It's shaping up to be a great change of venue. A Mother's Day Fund Raiser is also planned at the park. (More on that in a few days.)

Another new "event" planned for this year is Put A Fork In It. Various restaurants around town are being asked to donate part of their proceeds the day of the Race. You know we all want food after that great exercise we get on Race Morning. I'll keep you posted on what restaurants are participating so that you can make your plans accordingly.

I think that's about all of the news and reports. I'll be updating the calendar soon so that you don't miss anything. AND did you notice that I moved the Team Photos to the top?

Jill

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you wearing green? Did you eat green eggs and ham? Don't you know that it's a fun day in Ireland today.

Just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day.



The Arkansas Affiliate is about to kick off the 2009 Race for the Cure "Season". The first Race Committee meeting will take place tomorrow and Race Chair, Ellen Kreth, and the affiliate staff are busy getting last minute things ready for the meeting. I can't wait to find out all of the fun things planned for us this year. I'll check back with you after the meeting to fill you in on everything.

If you have ideas to share with other teams, please let me know. You can always email me at ar.rftc.teams3@gmail.com. And don't forget to send your team photo if you haven't already.

Thanks and have a green day,
Jill

Musings of a First Time Participant

I participated in the Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure in Little Rock for the first time ever on October 11, 2008. I had heard of the race before, but I didn’t know the specifics of the event or the extent of its reach. When a coworker here at National Park Community College in Hot Springs sent out an email inviting those who were interested in participating in the 5k walk/run to register, I thought it sounded like a good cause and a unique, special way to spend a Saturday morning.

I was in no way prepared for what would take place
that Saturday morning. Thousands of women lined the streets wearing various team t-shirts, outfits, and accessories. There was everything from pink feather boas to pink reindeer hats. Spirits were high as women drifted in and out of various sponsor booths collecting sunscreen, bottled water, and an assortment of giveaways from vendors. Music was playing from a loudspeaker and celebrity MCs were giving away prizes and making motivating pep talks. You would think with so many people there would be chaos, yet everything was organized. At the starting time, the runners lined up in the front and walkers floated toward the back. Suddenly, we took off. I didn’t hear a starting gun, but I’m sure there was one. It was a beautiful day and a spectacular sight to see all of those women as far as the eye could see. The sidewalks were lined with men cheering us on by doing everything from whooping and hollering to throwing us beads. The crowd favorite was the fire truck full of firemen dancing.

As we crossed the finish line, I felt blessed that I was able to be a small part of something so inspiring, humbled that I was one of the lucky ones that had not been touched by breast cancer so far, and acutely aware that someday I, or someone I love, might be.


Suzanne Hendrix
National Park Community College

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Thank you to Suzanne for sharing thoughts on her very first Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure^®. Please remember that the logo used in this post was for the 2008 Race. We will share information regarding the 2009 Race as soon as it is available. -- Jill