An Evening At Hope Lodge

Thursday night, I attended an American Cancer Society reception for pacesetters -- people who raise $2,500 for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

NYC’s Hope Lodge: The venue has helped more than 3,000 patients from all over the globe

The reception was held at Hope Lodge, which provides lodging and support for cancer patients and caregivers. Most patients who come to Hope Lodge have breast cancer, including 42-year-old Lisa Francis.

Lisa Francis a.k.a. “Cancer Killer” moved everyone with her courageous story

A Trinidad native, Lisa has been through three surgeries and chemo since being diagnosed last December. And she’s lost a 32-year-old friend back home to breast cancer.

“It is because of the American Cancer Society that I am standing here,” she told us. “If I was back home, I wouldn’t be celebrating my birthday.”

Four-time cancer survivor and makeup artist Jilladair was also on hand to talk about how she’s battled the disease, and to share her animal-free cosmetics line. She’s created a fabulous Tickled Pink lip gloss in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Jilladair and me at the reception

During the reception, I chatted with fellow past pacesetters Erica and Annette. Annette has been battling breast cancer for a decade. Like me, Erica is an annual participant in Making Strides because she lost her mother to the disease.

My mom once said that she believed there would be a cure for breast cancer in my lifetime. I’ve been making strides for 12 years now to help make her vision a reality.

Mom died a week before her 58th birthday. The theme of this year’s walk is a world with more birthdays. I hope you’ll click here and support me in taking steps toward that world and toward becoming a pacesetter once again.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will take place on Sunday October 18th.

Walking And Rolling: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Yesterday, I participated in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Central Park. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Making Strides and my 11th year being a part of it. And, because of my recent foot surgery, it’s also the first time I did the walk in a wheelchair.

My fabulous friends and fellow striders Caroline, Cindy, Leila and Sara burned some major calories as they pushed me along the four-mile route. I couldn't have done it without them.

Making Strides Together: (from left) Cindy, Sara, Caroline and Leila joined

me in Central Park yesterday

Before making the trek, each of us pinned signs on our backs in memory of my beloved mom, who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 57 ten years ago.

According to the American Cancer Society, 182,460 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,480 women will die of the disease. The money raised at Making Strides goes directly to ACS programs including cancer research, education and support for patients.

I’m thrilled that, for the third year in a row, I’m a Pacesetter -- someone who has raised more than $2,500 for the fight against breast cancer. And I’m looking forward to making strides, with the best group of friends a girl could ask for, until the day when there’s no longer a need for it.

It’s not too late to join me in making a difference. Click on the link to the right and donate whatever you can. Every dollar counts and brings us one step closer to crossing the finish line of making breast cancer a thing of the past.

What It Means To Be A Pacesetter

For the last two years in a row, I have had the honor of being a Pacesetter for the American Cancer Society. A Pacesetter is a person who raises more than $2,500 for the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in October. In 2007, 115 Central Park Pacesetters raised more than $560,000 -- 20% of the $2.9 million raised.

Last week, the ACS hosted a reception for Pacesetters to share fundraising tips and stories about what inspires them to Make Strides every year.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2007: Me and my friends in Central Park.

For some, participating in the five-mile event is a rite of passage after surviving breast cancer. A five-year survivor spoke with pride about being one of the top 5 Pacesetters, while a three-year survivor said she is now proactive about taking care of her health, working for the first time ever with a nutritionist to maintain an cancer-fighting diet.

It’s a family affair for other Pacesetters. One man talked about the fundraising competition between him, his wife -- a one-year survivor -- and one of their daughters. Their other daughter has tested positive for the BRCA-2 gene, which means she has a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Many of the Pacesetters present, like me, Make Strides because breast cancer has taken someone they loved. One woman said she walks in memory of her grandmother, another spoke of honoring her late sister. I’ve been walking for more than a decade in memory of my beloved mom, who lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 57.

The 2007 Memorial Wall at Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

Every year, I put my mom's name up here.

During the reception, ACS Regional Vice President Maureen Fitzgerald told a chilling tale of how the economic downturn is affecting cancer patients. She spoke of a woman who doesn’t eat on the days she goes for treatment -- because she can’t afford both food and the cab ride home.

As Maureen said, it’s during economic periods like this one that it’s more important than ever to support the American Cancer Society, and to continue working toward the day when cancer will be a thing of the past.

After she got sick, my mom told me that she believed there would be a cure for cancer in my lifetime. I want to do whatever I can to help make her prediction come true. Every dollar raised for the ACS counts, so click on the link to the right and help make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer will take place on Sunday, October 19th. For more information about the walk, visit http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PAR/PAR_2_Making_Strides_Against_Breast_Cancer.asp.

A Look At Fernando Mereilles' Blindness

The other night, I went to a Variety Magazine-sponsored screening of the new Julianne Moore drama “Blindness.” Based upon José Saramago’s Nobel Prize-winning novel, “Blindness” is about a sudden epidemic of sightlessness and what follows when the victims are quarantined and essentially left by the government to fend for themselves.

From the movie’s first frame, director Fernando Mereilles captures with searing honesty the panic of each character suddenly going blind. The chaos that ensues is uncomfortable to watch but impossible to look away from. There’s some relief at the end, but “Blindness” is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore in "Blindness"

Moore proves once again why she is one of the most gifted actresses of our time, delivering a raw, riveting performance as the only person immune to the virus. Witnessing its dehumanizing impact, her character takes charge when a villainous opportunist (Gael García Bernal) hatches a plan to extort an excruciating price for food rations. Moore is matched by affecting turns from a talented supporting cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Alice Braga.

After the screening, some of the cast stopped by for a Q&A with the audience.

Danny Glover (center), Mark Ruffalo (right) and an unidentified cast member

at Variety's special screening

I had the pleasure of exchanging smiles with the genteel Danny Glover, looking unusually thin, and Mark Ruffalo—yes, he’s even cuter in person. There's something about meeting celebrities right after seeing them perform that invariably makes me a little starstruck.

Coming up…a special evening for participants in the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and my Top 5 romantic restaurants of all-time.

Making Strides Kickoff

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Yesterday, I attended the kickoff breakfast for the October event at New York's Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square.

I’ve participated in the five-mile walk in Central Park since 1996, when my late beloved mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the years, I’ve walked in memory of her, and in honor of the amazing women in my life who are survivors of the disease -- my sister-in-law, my cousin (diagnosed at the age of 40) and my aunt.

Hundreds of us striders filled the Marriott Marquis’ Broadway Ballroom for yesterday’s breakfast. WABC-TV anchor Diana Williams introduced a panel of speakers whose powerful stories reinforced the importance of events like Making Strides. A nine-year survivor diagnosed on her 50th birthday expressed gratitude that her recovery has enabled her to care for her disabled daughter. A more recent survivor was overjoyed to be at the breakfast, having made a videotaped appearance last year because she was undergoing treatment at the time.

Among the sobering statistics presented -- Congress only provides funding for 1 in 5 low-income or uninsured women to get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society provides access to free mammograms. It’s one of many life-saving programs supported by money raised during the Making Strides walk.

Last year’s walk in Central Park raised $2.9 million for the fight against breast cancer. This year, the ACS has set its sights on crossing the $3.2 million mark. On October 19th, I’ll be rounding up my best gal pals and putting on my walking shoes to help the ACS reach this ambitious goal, and my own personal goal of $4,500 (I raised about $4,000 last year). Hope you’ll join me in my efforts by clicking on the link to the right.

I’m looking forward to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, because every step taken is one step closer to making this disease what it should be -- a thing of the past.