Date: 2006-04-08
To: The Ask, Part II -by Righty
Miles today: 0.0

by RightyFor months Lefty and I struggled with the decision of whether or not to raise funds for a cause. Neither one of us are very good at asking people for money. (OK, Victor, don't laugh at that!!) We couldn't come to any decision, partly because we couldn't agree on the type of organization to sponsor. It actually came to a point where the indicision and disagreement was taking all the fun out of the planning and preparation stage. I was ready to capitulate ... but Lefty changed her mind AGAIN and we were back to "let's just hike and have fun".It took an outside force to help us make the final decision. After I told my management team at Wal*Mart that Lefty and I were going to hike the AT as a mother-daughter breast cancer survivor team to raise awareness of the importance of the early detection of breast cancer, my manager reminded me that Wal*Mart has a matching dollars program and they would match whatever funds we raised. There no longer was any indicision on my part. I had made MY decision. In addition, I knew I wanted to raise funds for a smaller, local organization. When I told Lefty about the matching dollar program through Wal*Mart, she, too , was excited and committed. We actually AGREED that it would be a good idea to support more than one organization and that way people would have options if they wished to make a donation.The reason I was so determined to go smaller and local in the organization I chose was because of my experience with breast cancer. I was diagnosed with carcinoma in situ 11 years ago. If you can be fortunate with breast cancer, this is the type to have. I had a lumpectomy of the right breast and was able to be treated with oral chemotherapy. At the time, I was new to Myrtle Beach. I was working full time at a resort hotel. Sounds luxurious ... huh??? No, no insurance. It's tough enough to deal with having breast cancer without having to worry about finances. I was single, no money, no insurance and no support team. At that time there wasn't an organization like A Cure In Our Lifetime. I was able to find (through SOS) a Surgeon who accepted me as a patient, pro bono. Once I had a Doctor, I was able to make financial arrangements with the hospital. It took me 10 years to pay my hospital bill. I feel very comfortable representing and supporting A CURE IN OUR LIFETIME. It is an organization dedicated to raising funds and providing financial assistance with medical expenses to individuals in Horry and Georgetown counties. It is a totally non-profit organization. It's founder and all board members are volunteers. If you wish to make a donation, you may do so by mailing your check made out to A Cure In Our Lifetime, PO Box 1193, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578. Please put "ATHIKE" on the "For" line so they will know that the donation came from the efforts of Righty and Lefty. You can check their website out at http://www.cureinourlifetime.com. You can also find a direct link to their site by viewing our guest book's second entry. Kathy Sellers, Founder and President of A Cure in Our Lifetime is following our hike very closely and is a frequent signer of our guestbook (and we love that). Thank you for your support and interest in this cause.