Stand Up To Cancer

I like my hair. Even as it begins to turn grey (early!), it remains un-damaged by dyes, presses, perms, regular blow-dryer use, excessive product. (My puny little blow-dryer comes out for very special occasions only: high school prom, MFA graduation, the really big moments.)

I don't remember how I got the idea, but I was a single-digit age when it first occurred to me to chop it all off and donate my precious braid to Locks of Love. Something about that act was so satisfying that I have been doing it every two or three years since.

It wasn't until I started working with Stand Up To Cancer, however, that I really understood what my act meant. Unlike most of my colleagues, I am fortunate in that my direct connections to cancer are of the "early detection" variety. While I've known associates who have battled the disease to the point of baldness, none of my confidants have needed my support as they experienced the sorrow of losing their tresses (and, for some, identity) to a treatment for an illness they could not fight alone.

I am not alone: since the launch of the SU2C website, visitors have been writing to info@standup2cancer.org, divulging stories of repeat donations to LOL. Almost every time I tell someone I am working on the Stand Up To Cancer website, that someone tells me about their daughter, friend, uncle, etc. who recently sent in a 10" braid.

It is such a simple, small act. But it offers dramatic, tangible life improvement for whoever receives the hair. I am proud to be one of many who see this as something easily done repeatedly.

But almost every time I've gone in for the haircut, I've been the hairdresser's very first client requiring a 10" braid. Clearly, not enough people know about this small action they can take! Consider it. For most, ten inches grows quickly. And while my hair is un-permmed, un-dyed, un-abused, my type of hair is not the only type needed. LOL takes hair of any type except bleached/dreaded. Many different styles of prosthetic head-pieces are needed!

And if you feel that you would prefer to reach out beyond Locks of Love, perhaps to adults, consider any of the following:

• Locks of Love - www.locksoflove.org
• Wigs for Kids - www.wigsforkids.org
• Pantene Beautiful Lengths Campaign - www.beautifullengths.com
• Look Good... Feel Better - www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org

Please use blog comments to suggest your own resources!

-- Rain, SU2C.org Technical Supervisor

Posted on June 25, 2008 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This is a shitty week. It's the anniversary of my mom's death from metastasized lung cancer. This year is marginally less shitty than last year because I feel like I'm taking all my anger and sadness and doing something really great to help fight this disease.

But that doesn't change the fact that she's gone. I miss her. I miss her blueberry pie.

I'm probably not supposed to say that. I'm probably supposed to say something noble like "I miss her enduring soul and big heart." But I miss the pie. The pie was good. And she knew it. Nothing gave my mom greater pleasure than to cook for us (we are, after all, Italian). Nothing gave me greater pleasure than to eat it (ibid).

So, in honor of this anniversary, I decided to leave my mom a note on her star in the constellation, and reminisce a little bit about her blueberry pie. This is also a great excuse to test out all the new features that we just added to the constellation.

First, I logged into StandUp2Cancer.org and went to The Constellation, http://www.standup2cancer.org/constellation. I clicked on "Search The Constellation" so that I could find my Mom's star. It automatically populated my window with any stars that I launched or left messages on, which is a cool new feature. I clicked on "Search For A Star" at the top, and entered my mom's name, Marion DiBiase, in the search box.

Her name comes up right at the top of the search so I click on "See This Star" and, again, something cool: it brings up my Mom's star, but also other stars that have shared donors - other people I might be likely to know.

I click on my Mom's star and see that my sister Carolyn has left a note. I have wanted to leave a note a while ago, but during the first days after we launched The Constellation, it wasn't working quite right. It's fixed now. (speaking of which, if you left a note or launched a star during this time and you don't see it yet, PLEASE contact us at stars@standup2cancer.org... we think we fixed most of them but we don't want to miss anyone!)

So I clicked on Add To This Star, and it reminds me that I have to make a minimum $1 donation first. Donating is much easier now because the system automatically remembers my credit card info from the last time I donated. I give $25, and "Enter The Constellation" to add my note.

Once I've honored my mother and her unrivaled cooking, I have the option to share my star with some friends. I decide to send it to my brothers and sisters. Maybe they are having a hard time this week too and adding a note and thinking about the taste of mom's blueberry pie may make them feel just a little bit better too. I'm already starting to think about which of her culinary specialties I'll e-eat next year...

-Jules DiBiase, Editor-in-Chief of SU2C

Posted on July 7, 2008 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am a dancer. I have always loved to dance. When I was little I spent countless hours dancing around the living room to Pat Benatar, Gloria Estefan, and Michael Jackson. I created some pretty mind-blowing early 80's dance choreography, I must say. As an adult, my passion for dance led me to become a performer in New York City and dance in the aerial off-Broadway show "De La Guarda".

Dance is an amazing way to express yourself, to interact with others, and have fun. As part of the SU2C web team, my passion for dance led me to investigate all the ways dance can be used in the fight against cancer. What a great way to bring attention and fundraising dollars to this cause. I read about a danceathon that will take place on March 14, 2009. This fundraiser hopes to raise $250,000 this year. Check out their website: www.danceathon.org

Another amazing group helping in the fight against cancer is the Cancer Dancers. Their goal is to spread the message of hope and inspiration to young people and their families suffering from the devastating effects of cancer. They not only perform; they also mentor kids currently in treatment. They recently performed on the television show "The View." The troop was created by Christine Grimaldi who is an exercise and wellness practitioner at the Integrative Therapies Program for Children with Cancer. They are a truly inspiring example of how dance can be used to inspire and uplift those in need. Check out the website: Cancer Dancers

Another amazing way dance can positively impact those affected by cancer is through dance therapy. Dance therapy can improve self-esteem, reduce stress, decrease isolation, and encourage a sense of well-being. Dance is an excellent form of exercise and creates community. You can check out the website: Massey Cancer Center.

Another great article from the American Cancer Society is called "Dance Therapy". This article offers clear and reliable information about dance therapy.

I am currently combining my passion for both film and dance to create a Dancers Stand Up to Cancer Public Service Announcement. I am looking forward to exploring my own and my dancer's relationship to cancer through dance. I hope to finish the project in a couple of weeks.

Create and submit your own short films through the SU2C Filmmaker's Challenge. The deadline is August 1st. Check it out!

www.su2c.org/filmchallenge

-Amanda Boggs

Posted on July 14, 2008 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Be warned: May contain spoilers if you haven't yet experienced Mr. Nolan's social commentary on this epic disease.)

It's simple. In "The Dark Knight," the Joker refers to himself as "an agent of chaos." Guess what Cancer's self-proclaimed nickname is. Being a member of the SU2C web team, Cancer is unfortunately a co-worker of mine, which means I get to see him every day. It's not a party.

With Cancer hanging around the office all the time, I never get any work done. In "The Dark Knight," can you imagine if Lieutenant Gordon was constantly putting down his paperwork to deal with the Joker's interruptions? Like, "What is it this time, Joker?" I'm assuming the Joker always steals Gordon's pencils for mobster intimidation. I'm telling you, I've already lost count of the number of pencils Cancer has stolen since I started here.

When I went to see "The Dark Knight" with Cancer (he invited himself), he had embarrassingly dyed his hair green and had refused to shower for days. Also, he kept smacking his lips. I couldn't tell if it was the caramel corn or what, but it was irritating. I'll never see another movie with Cancer again. (Unless it's "Stepmom.")

Like Lieutenant Gordon, I'm pretty neurotic. I like to keep my files organized and my white-out plentiful. I bet he also uses a Post-It dispenser. But Cancer will just come right in, knock all my papers off the desk, and wreak havoc on my life's order and stability! Then he'll walk away giggling, like he just blew up Gotham General.

If we had the bat signal here at Stand Up To Cancer, I would totally use it so Batman would come and kick Cancer's butt. I guess the thing to do instead is to get you guys to donate to our website. I swear I'm not saying this as an insider. I'm saying this as a really disgruntled employee who wants to get rid of Cancer once and for all. I want my pencils back. Please help me get my pencils back. Donate now. (Not pencils. Money.)

--Mollie Lief, Cancer-Hater,SU2C.org

Posted on July 28, 2008 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For the past 14 years I've felt guilty. Extremely guilty. And I need to get it off my chest. So here's my confession:

I cannot--for the life of me--remember what my mother said to me when she broke the news that she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Most normal people can remember this. They remember being in shock, crying, long embraces. Me? Nothing.

Granted, I was in the 4th grade (do the math, I'm now 23) and I had just come home from school. I probably had some "big" news to share (of the multiplication tables or recess variety) and I couldn't wait for my parents to get their "little" talk over with so that I could go on and on about 4th grade things.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed (I can remember that much) and my feet didn't touch the ground. My dad was peering in from the doorway and my mom, well, she was right there in front of me.

Her words are like a blur, and as an adult who adores life's little details, I'm still trying to cope with my faulty memory.

Perhaps as a vibrant nine-year-old, the option of losing my mother didn't exist. She was a super-human. She was invincible. She was my very own superhero.

On top of my overactive imagination, there's a good chance that I didn't really understand what breast cancer could do to a woman--how it could steal her breast, her hair, her immunity, her confidence, her life.

Or maybe it was just a hunch that this woman I called Mom was pretty damn strong.

I think it was the latter.

But now that I think about it, I'm glad that I can't remember the "before." I do, however, remember the "after."

I remember her coming home from the hospital, bandaged and reconstructed. I remember making her do her exercises to regain her strength. I remember her graying hair as the chemotherapy set in. I remember forcing her to return the wigs she bought "just in case." That wasn't how I wanted to see my Mom. I didn't care if her hair was falling out. I wanted no cover-ups or lies. Just her, cancer free.

This year, I'm going to forgive myself for not remembering her words that fateful 4th-grade day. Instead, I'm going to focus on the now. My Mom is alive.

-Amanda Rossie

Posted on August 11, 2008 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Show night. We've been waiting nearly a year for this. Preparing, helping in any way we could. Sure, Stand Up To Cancer is where the end of cancer begins, and in a way the show was the start. But it was also the end of the beginning, if that makes any sense. And we were freaking out. We had helped conceive of, helped build a website, been a part of making the show a reality, and now we couldn't of course head into the truck where Director Louis J. Horvitz and producer Laura Ziskin and an amazing tech crew were about to work their magic. Like passengers on a commuter flight, we had to let the pilots take control. Now, on the precipice, we had to resign ourselves to simply going along for the ride. So we snuck into the house at the Kodak and snagged a few seats. And then we looked at each other and smiled. You could feel the electricity in the building, the lump in your throat rising, the work and ideation and sometimes frustration maybe we hoped we hoped we hoped becoming reality and success. Louis got on the loudspeaker to thank the crowd, to thank the networks, and to let us know we were 1 minute from an hour of live tv. We locked eyes again, remembering that getting a show of this magnitude in under an hour wasn't going to be a cakewalk, even for people as world-class qualified as Louis and Laura. The house lights came down, and the Manifesto began to play. Did we mention the Sidney Portier is a Godhead? Ridiculous. As the hour wore on, with Patrick Swayze's appearance propelling a theater and hopefully millions of viewers to rise up out of their chairs, Jamest Taylor and Sheryl Crow delivering a heartbreaking rendition of "Fire and Rain," Errol Morris's film package on survivors, the Simpsons, the Divas, Brad Garret, Dana Delaney. Don't mean to just list every star but we're still awed that this happened (under an hour!) We began to forget the anxiety we felt everytime the crowd applauded and the seconds grew longer, everytime a line was delivered with an extra word, a song sung with an extra chord, and just sank into the show. We couldn't help it. No matter how many times you see Errol's film and we've seen it a lot), you can't help but tear up. Specific to cancer but universal it's about family and community and sadness and finaly empowerment and in a way embodies the whole show, the entire message: this sucks. It's sad. It's terrifying. And we have to do something about it. And it was funny and Jack Black hit the nail on the head and relieved the sometimes tension of rich people asking for your money just by shining a light on it in his Jack Blackian way. Meryl Streep reminded everyone that we (the pubic) have gotten together to beat seemingly unbeatable odds with terrible disease(Polio) before, anf through a confluence of celebrity pleas and public donations, no less. The musical performances were mindnumbing. When Melissa Etheridge delivered her Stand For Life (a special for SU2C version of I Run For Life), we snuck up on stage at the end, along with a few others from the crowd. Everyone was smiling. Everyone was remarking that they'd never been quite so proud to be part of a benefit like this (believe us, this was one of many benefits that these stars get invited to). For many, this was too special, too impactful, and possibly too influential and revolutionary to be anything but exceptional, even in the exceptional world of charity work.

We cried during the show and we cried afterward because it had happened. Because it was an unqualified success. Because now things really begin. We hugged and laughed when we saw Laura. The entire thing was surreal, and after so much planning and work, lighting fast. But it was also unendingly rewarding. We believe this will make a difference. It will because of those of you who watched and donated and continue to build these moments of triumph into a movement and force that doesn't stop until we win, until the need for a show like this and an organization like Stand Up To Cancer no longer exists.

We had so many favorite moments in the show (all of them, really, though finding out we hadn't gotten in on time and not gotten cut off at the hour mark was a pretty startling and gratifying moment in itself), but the fact that the show started, that it happened, that things have really begun, the moment the lights went down and we found out it was really and truly happening, that was our highlight. You?

Julia & Eli

Posted on September 19, 2008 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last Friday, I had the privilege of attending Z100's Jingle Ball All Access Lounge in NYC. For those of you who don't know, the Jingle Ball is a huge concert that happens every holiday season at Madison Square Garden. This year, Z100 generously donated $1 per ticket to SU2C!

The All Access Lounge was a place where fans could go to win tickets or win a chance to meet there favorite artists. SU2C had a booth there - we gave away buttons and t-shirts and great DVDs of Just Stand Up. Tons of people came to the booth to register at SU2C, join the Stand, or add a star to the Constellation. It was a young and excited group, and everyone was really supportive. The sad part of it was almost everyone who came by the booth knew someone really close to them who had cancer.

I was very fortunate to meet a woman, Marge Lee, who, as a result of watching the Stand Up To Cancer show, went to get a colonoscopy and found out she had cancer. Amazingly, only three months later, she has undergone treatment and is cancer free. Congratulations, Marge.

Also at the event was Stacy Goldberg, a pediatric oncologist and the captain of one of our winning teams from the last team challenge. The team Crush Kid's Cancer David Archuleta's Angels has raised more than $40,000 since late August. Stacy, Marge, and Marge's two children were able to meet David and thank him for all his support for all kinds of children's health issues, including cancer.

We would like to thank everyone at Z100 and all the fans who came out to the Jingle Ball All Access Lounge. With your continued support, we can all make a difference in the fight against cancer.

SEE MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR!

Watch a video from Jingle Ball!

- Jules

Posted on December 17, 2008 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The mood at the Rose Bowl was upbeat and spirits were high as we set up our Stand Up To Cancer booth at the Amgen Bike Tour of California. Ginnifer Goodwin, Greg Grunberg, Luke Wilson and SU2C cofounder Laura Ziskin were on hand to help raise awareness for SU2C.

A wide variety of people passed by the SU2C tent. There were amateur bikers, regaled in full spandex and cleats, wheeling all kinds of bikes alongside them: mountain and road bikes, two-seaters, unicycles, and dog carriers. There were couples young and old, families, gray-bearded cyclists and kids with their first training-wheels-free bikes. Lance's fans were out in droves, many wearing their Livestrong bracelets. We were inspired by the many, many visitors whose lives had been touched by cancer - some of whom were even survivors.

We had our SU2C buttons in a glass bowl on the table, and people grabbed them as they went by. Many of them also took one or two of our cards, which had promotional codes on the back allowing the person to launch a star in our constellation for free. A few people even registered on standup2cancer.org right there on the spot.

Just before the finishers began their final laps, Ginnifer, Greg, Luke and Laura spoke about why supporting cancer research was important to them. Ginnifer spoke passionately about her mom, a cancer survivor, and about the importance of supporting friends and family who've been affected by the disease.

As the racers came into the area to make their final laps around the Rose Bowl, we joined the crowds of people heading over to see the action. We stood on our tiptoes and held our cameras high over our heads to try to capture the cyclists as they sped through the finish line each lap. They were going at breathtaking speed - I heard someone say it was near 50 mph. Everybody cheered loudly when the Peleton came by with their entourage of motorcycles and support vehicles.

After the final lap, the winner was announced over the PA to much cheering and applause. The crowd began filtering back to the festival grounds, and we hustled back to our tent to hand out more fistfuls of buttons. The sky was clouding over as it neared 4:30 p.m., and many of the cyclists began to disperse to avoid the possibility of a rainy ride home. We packed up the laptops, rolled up the Stand Up To Cancer banner, and called it a day.

--Lys

Posted on February 27, 2009 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At 6:30 am on Sunday the streets surrounding Busch Stadium were already packed with runners and walkers heading for the start line of the MLB All-Star Charity 5K. The race marked the first-ever collaboration between three major cancer foundations for an event of this kind. The spirit of optimism and unity was palpable in the air. Stand Up To Cancer teamed up with Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, along with SU2C celebrity ambassador Shawn Johnson, to host the event.

I was at the race, along with several other Stand Up To Cancer team members, to set up and man our booth and hand out SU2C T-shirts at the start line. We were also lucky enough to have the help of several volunteers from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, who proudly wore Stand Up To Cancer t-shirts and rallied other runners to support SU2C.

The race kicked off with a welcome from the foundation heads (Sherry Lansing, Nancy Brinker, Michael Milken) and one of our favorite and youngest SU2C ambassadors, Shawn Johnson! Shawn wore an SU2C t-shirt and a huge smile. Runners cheered when Shawn greeted the crowd with her infectious grin and an enthusiastic wave, and when she gave Sherry Lansing a huge hug. The Stand Up To Cancer team and our PanCan volunteers posed with Shawn and Sherry for a special photograph.

Check out photos of the race here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/su2c/sets/72157621291306149/

At the finish line it was so perfect that Shawn, herself an Olympic gold medalist, was the one to place medals on the winning runners. With her was baseball hero Vince Coleman, a legendary speedster for the St. Louis Cardinals. After the closing ceremony, participants came to our booth where they could watch SU2C PSAs, share their personal stories with us, and collect our cool gear.

Working at the booth, I was blown away by the dedication, warmth, and interest that people showed in Stand Up To Cancer. Countless runners had attended our Sheryl Crow concert the night before and were excited to meet the team that had organized it with MLB.

(Image credit: Rich Pilling/MLB Photos)

Though exhausted from our 4 a.m. wake up call, the entire SU2C team was thrilled at the amazing turnout. We had witnessed firsthand the power of collaboration, the overwhelming energy of our supporters, and what it looks like to truly make a difference - all before 10 a.m. on a Sunday.

--Mary Pomerantz

Posted on July 14, 2009 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October. Baseball fans start counting down the days to this month sometime after Christmas. No matter how many postseasons you've experienced, it always feels like you're living it for the first time. October 7th at Dodger Stadium was no exception. The crowd was brewing with anticipation. LA fans have a reputation of arriving late and leaving early. Not tonight. Dodger Blue had come out early and come out strong. The postseason began on the West Coast with a great match up between two of baseball's most beloved and storied franchises: the Dodgers and the Cardinals. For fans, nerves run rampant and tension mounts throughout the introductions, the warm-ups, and the last note of the national anthem.

When Ryan Ludwick's pop-up dropped for a single in the first inning to put the Cardinals ahead, a collective uneasiness set in for Dodger fans. Was this a sign of things to come? Were the predictions right? Were the Cards going to run away with it?

In baseball, as in life, things can turn around in an instant. Such was the case when Matt Kemp stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the first and hit a monster shot into straight away center field. For Dodger fans, that home run was a jubilant sigh of relief and the lead. For Kemp, that home run was his first in postseason play. And thanks to MasterCard, that home run meant a $1,000 was donated to Stand Up To Cancer-- which means more innovative "dream team" research projects are on their way to being funded.

This postseason, fans have even more reason to cheer when a player goes yard. MasterCard will donate $1000 to Stand Up To Cancer for every home run hit during the postseason. In addition, "Hit It Here" signs will appear in the outfield during Game 3 of the World Series and if a home run ball strikes those signs, MasterCard will donate $1,000,000 to SU2C.

No matter how many times you've seen it, there is an almost surreal feeling watching a ball travel over a fence, especially during the postseason. Now those home runs mean more than ever. Every dinger helps scientists move closer to ending a disease that affects one out of every three women and one out of every two men. With so much at stake, here's hoping there are many more Matt Kemp moments this season.

-John Koch

Posted on October 9, 2009 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)