Second Committee Meeting~Honorary Chair Announced!!

The second committee meeting took place on April 20, 2011. Lots of exciting things continue to be announced.


We were excited when Jill announced Deena Burnett Bailey as our 2011 Honorary Race Chair. Deena was the wife of the late Tom Burnett who helped to overtake the terrorists on UA Flight 93 that went down in PA on 9-11.

Equally as exciting was the announcement of McDonald's becoming one of our newest sponsors. We couldn't be more excited to have them on board. Thank you...Thank you!!

















Plans continue to be made for the Team Captain Kick-Off on June 5, 2011. Be sure and check out my other post with all the information on this. Keep a watch for all of the up-to-date information right here for the Kick-Off and all other events. We look forward to seeing all the 2011 Team Captains there!!

Next meeting in May! :)

Shawna Long
TEAMS Committee

First Race Committee Meeting with 2011 Race Chair Jill Winholt

The first Committee meeting took place on March 16, 2011 with our 2011 Race Chair Jill Winholt. The Honorary Survivor for this year Dianne Woods, an 8 year survivor, was introduced and she opened the meeting with a prayer.

All members in attendance told how long they have been associated with the Race and what committee they serve. I myself have been a team captain for the past 4 years and this is my first year serving on the TEAMS Committee. I'm so excited and feel so blessed to be a part of such a great cause. So, needless to say, it was exciting to hear about the ones that have been serving for several years....giving so much of their time to help find the CURE!!

Donna Easley, the 2010 Race Chair, announced the exciting statistics about last years race. We had 45,948 participants with 56% of them being apart of a team. 2334 survivors were registered and 2832 Three Miles of Men. $2,059,843 was raised!!!! WoW!

Jill presented the theme this year....drum roll please.....

We have so many exciting events coming up all leading up to this year's Race for the Cure such as Dine out for the Cure, Kids for the Cure, Team Captain Kick Off, Skating for the Cure and much more! The Plant it Pink Event and Firefighter Calendar Event was announced both of which we have had and, as you will see in my upcoming posts, were GREAT events!

Please watch the blog for all the latest updates on upcoming events you don't want to miss.

Shawna Long

sizzlin' news

I am staring out the window, watching the clouds going by. It looks cool and peaceful, but we all know that isn't the case--summer is sizzling out there--and so are the Komen folks! They are buzzing about like bees, so let's jump in and get started with all the news.....

We had our July meeting yesterday (July?! already?) and we had some proud grandmothers announcing the births of their newest grandchildren! Sherrye McBryde and family welcomed grandson Miller (photo below) this week and Shelia Vaught's family welcomed a brand new granddaughter. Congratulations all! It was good to see Amy Treadway back in the fold--lots of hugs to you, Amy.


Now, down to business:
Kids for the Cure design contest has a winner--Owen, a preschooler from the Anthony School. Thanks to our judges from Channel 7 and Burger King for choosing the winner. There were some awesome designs, so I know the judges had a hard time just picking one. Be sure to look for Owen's drawing on the website. Don't forget, the Kids' Race for the Cure will be October 3rd on the State Capitol grounds. Kids who register will get a tee shirt with Owen's winning design. Click here to see the design.

On Sunday, July 18th, Mary Margaret and her crew held an awesome Team Captains Party at the Patrick Henry Hays Center in North Little Rock. Around 150-200 team captains were there to gather Race information, eat Papa John's pizza and win door prizes generously donated by Dillard's! We appreciate Channel 7, Today's THV, and Fox 16 for covering the event. A good time was had by all. If you weren't able to attend Sunday's soiree, please visit the Komen website at www.komenarkansas.org for all the latest news, registration info, blogs, and Facebook pages.

TByrd and her group will continue Fitness for a Cure this year, along with an online Fitness Program for those who do not live here in Central Arkansas. To register for the program here, please register and pay your $10 online. This is limited to the first 500 people. The online program will be no charge.

Changes for the Pasta Party include an earlier starting time at 5:30 pm, up a half hour from previous years. Why the change? Well, you'll just have to be patient and keep an eye on the website! We do need items for the Silent Auction, so if you would like to donate something, please contact us at Komen. Thanks! We're also looking for one or two portable cooktops to borrow.

August is just around the corner, and that means you will find Donna, Sherrye, Emily and many others gathering at the Junction Bridge for the Kickoff Press Conference. Join us, won't you, at 10:30 a.m. on August 11th? We'll see you there.

Men! Registration for 3 Miles of Men is now open! What do you get when you register? A smokin' hot 3MOM tee shirt, and a chance to entertain, encourage and amuse 45,000+ ladies! There's also a Tailgate Party, hosted by Diamond Bear Brewery, which will be happening on October 8th. Contact Matt Propst at mjpropst@pinnaclebsi.com for all the 3MOM happenings!

Tinkled Pink--who doesn't smile at that? Let's encourage our teams to plonk down $100 to be decorators for the day! I know I visited a decorated port-a-potty last year--and even tho I knew that there was a line outside, I had to linger a bit to check out all the pictures & chotchkes that were inside. It certainly tinkled me pink!

Errin Dean had lots of news for us at this gathering. First off, did you know that you can now raise money for Komen by texting? Send "KOMEN" to 20222 and you will have instantly donated $10. You may text up to 3 times, $10 each time. Remember to save 1 of those times so you can text in and donate on Race Day, October 16th.

And if you are visiting any of your doctors between now and September 6 2010, encourage them to be involved with "Doctors for The Cure". For $1000, your doctor will have their name included & prominently displayed at the Survivor Luncheon and Breakfast; they will have their name included in the recognition of "Doctors for the Cure" on the Komen website; they will receive a "Doctors for the Cure" tee shirt, and will also receive a framed certificate of appreciation for participating in the program. For more information contact Amy Treadway or Donna Easley, and encourage all your doctors to be involved.

Also, for $1,000, your business, team, you, anyone can have their name or logo painted on a block along the race route. A pretty inexpensive way to have at least 45,000 potential customers!

The Hot Pink Heroes Luncheon was held June 30th at Cajun's. The people honored were the top fundraisers for last year's race. Honorees included Danielle Smith, who holds "Ropin' For A Cure" every year in memory of her late mother B.J. This year the top 5 fundraisers will win some fabulous prizes--so join in the fun! For starters, $150 will get you a fabulous pink & white "We > Me" tee shirt. A spiffy way to stay cool and stylish while raising money, doncha think?!



And this summer and fall, while you are riding the CATA buses around town, be sure to look for our Komen breast cancer awareness messages inside all the buses and trolleys.

Stay cool!

Peace & hugs,

Judi

Lazy days of Summer? NOT!

Summer has arrived! Lest you think your RFTC committee is out tanning by the side of the pool, think again--Donna has us busy as bees! Fundraising, organizing, getting the registration site ready for operation, just all kinds of good things.

In case you haven't gotten a Team Captain letter, go to the link listed here and read all the good happenings that are coming your way!

http://www.komenarkansas.org/assets/images/team-captain-letter.pdf

Don't forget the Team Captains' Party which is July 18th at 2pm! We will be looking forward to seeing old friends and new.

Looking for something for the kids to do this month? Check out the Kids for the Cure^® t-shirt design contest which is being sponsored by Burger King & KATV Channel 7.

The Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is hosting a T-shirt design contest for the Kids for the Cure^® program, part of this year’s Arkansas Race for the Cure in downtown Little Rock on October 16, 2010. 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 Kids for the Cure® T-shirt. The winning artwork will be used as the signature design on the 1,500 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 14.

Incorporating the theme of this year’s Race: “we > me” is suggested.

Design should incorporate the Komen pink ribbon somewhere in the art.

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 16, 2010, 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.

*Hard copies of this are available at the following participating Burger King locations:
Benton: Congo Road Bryant: Reynolds Road
Cabot: Bill Foster Memorial Hwy, West Main Hot Springs: Central Ave, Grant Ave
Little Rock: Rodney Parham, East Broadway, Chenal Parkway, Cantrell, Col. Glenn
Malvern: Martin Luther King Blvd
North Little Rock: East McCain, Camp Robinson Road, Maumelle Blvd
Pine Bluff: North Blake Street, Olive Street
Sheridan: Hwy 167
Sherwood: East Kiehl

New for 2010--the Team Captains Facebook group! This will take the place of the 2009 Race's Komen Captains. The group name is "AR RFTC Team Captains."
While you are browsing Facebook, don't forget to check out our other pages--"Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Arkansas" and the "Komen for the Cure Arkansas--3 Miles of Men."

Danielle Smith held her annual "Ropin' for a Cure" over Memorial Day weekend in Rosebud, AR. It was a great event and raised lots of money. Everyone had a great time. Way to go, Danielle!

The next committee meeting will be June 16 at noon.

For other information and upcoming events, you can follow our blog. If you have a Komen event, please let us know!

Have a fun summer!

Lovely (and busy!) Month of May 2010

Hi y'all!

This has been a very busy month for us all, and summer hasn't even started yet! I want to thank Jill for covering for me at last month's meeting--thank you so much. I did get to attend the latest meeting, which was last Wednesday, May 19th.

I love listening to Donna Easley talk--she began by telling us about the Arkansas Travelers' Mother's Day game. The Travelers all wore pink jerseys, which were auctioned off after the game. She was modeling one for us- If you want one, save your pennies & come next year for your chance at a stylin' pink jersey!


Note from Jill: Above, Donna (right) is sporting the 2009 jersey while I (left) was honored to be presented with the new 2010 style jersey. Thank you, Donna!!!! Below, Donna is chair of the 17th Race (2010) and I will chair the 18th Race (2011). Fun times!!!!!!!


In case you haven't seen it already, our 2010 Race theme this year is (drum roll, please):

we > me

Just think about this--we can accomplish so much more as a team than just 1 person. There is so much strength when two or more are in this together. So, how can you accomplish this? Simple: become a Team Captain. Encourage your whole team to fundraise. Volunteer. Join together as a team to find a cure for breast cancer. This year is even more personal for me as one of my "church mommas" has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. So I will be there with my church, my team, and you all to help find a cure for this disease. "Bring it on breast cancer...we've got the passion and the power to take you down!"

Watch this video from the creative minds at Thoma Thoma. Specific details about the race will be sent next week. Use this link to watch on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wGzQXTQVfs).

And we are happy to report that the Sponsorship committee is doing an outstanding job obtaining donations this year. Thanks to so many of you all, and to new Sponsors such as Go Running, that just opened up in the Heights. They will be a sponsor for the "27 minutes and under" runners so go visit the good folks at Go Running and support them. They have lots of great merchandise. Check them out when you go shopping for your RFTC gear.

Alana Harris is sending out the Team Captains Newsletter -- she worked really hard on it, and it is chock full of great information for all the Team Captains. So be on the lookout for your copy.

Such items include:
The Team Captain Kick-Off Party which will be July 18, 2010 at 2pm at the Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center in North Little Rock. "This will be a time to ask questions, visit with other team captains, learn more about activities leading up to the Race, and learn what a vital role you can play when it comes to educating people, ensuring quality care for all, and energizing science to find the cures."

New for 2010 concerning Teams Communication, announcements will be made through two methods of communication:
1) The Team Captain Facebook group! This will take the place of the 2009 Komen Captains. If you are looking for us on Facebook, the group name is "AR RFTC Team Captains." While you are on Facebook (and we know you are!) be sure to become a fan of these great pages: "Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Arkansas" (We now have over 10,000 fans!) and "Komen for the Cure Arkansas- 3 Miles of Men" (they have over 400 fans on Facebook!)
2) You can also follow our blog designed specifically for our Team Captains at http://arrfcteams.blogspot.com. Here you will find general team info, list of upcoming activities, and tips to help you Race for the Cure! Some of the hot topics include Fundraising Ideas, Recruiting team members, Team Captains Members, Team Captains blog, Team Captains Facebook group, Team Registration, Team SPIRIT!! and, last but not least, prizes!

We are still looking for door prizes, so please let us know if you have some that you or your group or business would like to donate.

Other news going on:
"Kids for the Cure" will be looking for a new design for this year's race. Information has been sent out to Benton schools and the LR schools. Burger King, as a sponsor for the event, will put Kids for the Cure t-shirt contest rules in their kids' meal boxes. Oct. 3rd will be the first ever event for Kids for the Cure. It will be a race of about one mile and will take place on the State Capitol grounds. More details later.

The Pasta Party people are looking for ways to have Macaroni Grill prepare the food for the party directly at Dickey Stephens Park; if you have any ideas or equipment they can borrow, please contact us. Thanks!

The Arkansas Affiliate has won another award! From the Wesley Chapel United Method Church comes the "Outstanding Womens Service Award". Awesome! What dedicated folks we have--you all get gold stars.


Finally, don't forget to mark your calendars for Sept. 12! Arkansas Skatium on Bowman will host their annual fundraiser for Komen, Skate for the Cure, by showcasing up and coming talents from the ice skating world. The cost is $10 to get in, with $8 going to Komen.

So much info, but so much fun! Thanks again to Jill for covering for me last month.

Peace and Hugs,
--
Judi
royalpinkbeatle@gmail.com

p.s. Don't forget Ropin' 4 a Cure at Smith Arena in Rose Bud this Saturday and Sunday. Click here for details.

April 2010

Sorry for the delay in reporting to you on the latest Race Committee meeting. It has been crazy!

The meeting was held on Wednesday, April 21, and started with tears and laughter with the showing of the 2009 Race video. You can access it here. You might want to have your tissue handy.

Donna issued a challenge to have 10,000 "people who like us" (fans was much easier to type) in Facebook by the end of April. If you're a facebooker, please join us at Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure: Arkansas.


Melissa and Wade with Thoma & Thoma were our special guests today.


They have been working with Donna on this year's theme and have lots of exciting plans. The theme, you ask?


The grants luncheon took place on March 31. $1.2 million were given to 24 grantees. Sherrye also reported that UAMS has been given a Promise Grant from national in collaboration with several other organizations to give a "vaccine" to women considered high risk for breast cancer. Is the CURE around the corner?????

Committee Reports:

Online Fundraising is working on the Hot Pink Heroes Luncheon, t-shirts and prizes.

E-Chair - please let Ann know if you have anything to communicate. Angela is looking for stories about interesting people for the blog.

Sponsorship has certainly been busy recruiting new and returning sponsors for the Race. Channel 7 will be on stage this year. Thanks to Thoma & Thoma, we have a beautiful color sponsorship brochure this year, and we have added some special sponsorship opportunities. A new addition this year is a Kids for the Cure sponsor, Burger King. This announcement was made by Ann Brown in costume.


Another new sponsorship this year is the Block Adoptions. This sponsorship provides the company/organization/individual with a 3' x 5' banner of their logo in the intersection of their designated block. The cost is $1000. Let us know if you are interested.

Kids for the Cure is working on a new event this year--an actual race for the kids! We don't have details yet, but this will NOT be on Race Day. Kickoff of the t-shirt contest will take place at Dino Dash and we will be contacting school art teachers to encourage them to have their students participate.

Training Program - Tbyrd promises that participants will do the race at a whole new level. Walkers to joggers to runners to racers. They will work on both health and fitness. The 6-week program will begin just after Labor Day and will meet at War Memorial Stadium on Tuesdays and Thursdays with one Wednesday. There will be a $10 fee.

Three Miles of Men has also issued a Facebook challenge to have 400 "people who like us" by the end of April. Again, if you are a facebooker, please join us at Komen for the Cure Arkansas- 3 Miles of Men.

Put a Fork In It is looking for new and returning restaurants to participate. Also, KFC currently has a promo with their Buckets for a Cure. For every pink bucket, they will donate 50 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. A KFC in Lexington, KY painted their store pink. You can also go to www.bucketsforacure.com and post a breast cancer story or message.

Executive Director Report:
Sherrye reported that BreastCare has less money for their program. We are working on public policy......
Kelly Kreth received the National Co-survivor Award.
The Travs will once again auction pink jerseys at their game on Mothers Day at Dickey Stephens Park.

The meeting closed with Donna presenting door prizes to Melissa and Wade--no, not the crown.


I know that Judi's reports are more exciting, but she was unable to attend. Pray that she is healthy and available for the next meeting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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