*Friday Night Hope with Cynthia*

Well, last night three of our team members and I took our "first step" in training... we walked 3.2 miles in 55 minutes! YAY! We had so much fun walking around east campus of the University of Georgia. Who knew how invigorating that would feel? The only thing that would have made it better was if that last hill we climbed stopped escalating sooner...what a doozie! My legs are still mad at me for that one!

I'm even more excited that next week we are going to continue with our second training, this time at Angela's house! Even better, before our walk we are going to have arts & crafts time! The preschool teacher in me is so excited!! On Thursday we will be making paper mache watermelons that, once decorated, we will disburse to different companies all over Clarke, Oconee and Barrow Counties! I'm so excited!

Another wonderful thing happened last night, I received my first e-mail for "Tutoring for Ta-Ta's"! Not only did I receive my first, but I also received a second, third and fourth! I have a feeling it has something to do with the tremendously difficult test that we took yesterday...but I have a feeling for these students, no test is going to be difficult for them in the Bio field anymore!


Additionally, I am in talks with some local artists in Athens and we might be doing what college kids do best here for fundraising.... A BENEFIT CONCERT! I am so excited right now I could do a happy dance! Oh what the heck, I'm going to! Until next time, stay fresh!

It's happy dance time! *doot doo doo doot*

Take A Look At Our Cans!

Happy Wednesday everyone. We're half way through the week already and tomorrow is our first official day of training. We were rained out last Saturday and we've rescheduled our training walk for tomorrow evening. I'm so excited to get started as I know everyone else is too!

At our last meeting we discussed using our old baby formula cans, pickle jars, etc.. as donation cans/jars. We will decorate these cans & jars to sit out at local businesses to help collect money for our team. I've made 2 cans this week and they are already out in the area. For the first time, I'm wishing my daughter would drink a little faster so that I can get started on another can! Also, if you would like to have one of these cans placed at your business, on your desk at work, etc... please let one of the team members know or just respond to this blog. We will get one to you as soon as possible. If you see one of these cans or jars out in town please feel free to drop in your spare change. It will be greatly appreciated and you will feel satisfaction in helping others that aren't able to help themselves! Every penny counts! Our team has committed to raise $19,800 and we are well on our way with $4,862.01 raised already! Keep up the good work everyone!

'Til next week....Stephanie

Tips for Tatas

Hey Everyone,

So thursday is our first trainning walk and im excited...why? well, ok i'll admit because i'm going to buy some new shoes to start breaking in and lets just all admit...girls love new shoes :) but also because it will literally be my first "step" towards trainning for the walk. I really think it will just help make the walk a reality to me which in turn will excite me even more!

Also, im working on my own fundraiser called "Tips for Tatas" at my work Beef O Bradys. I'm hoping to gather between 5 to 8 coworkers and have one night of basically working for free because all tip money would be in the form of a donation to our team. I already have two people who have agreed to serve that night for free and they are the only two I've had a chance to ask...so it's looking really promising!!!

I'll have to post pics next tues. of our first trainning walk...us "huffing and puffing it" around athens :) well, hopefully it wont be that bad....untill then....

cya! Angela

Breast Cancer Greeting Cards for Sale!

Hi there, I'm Jennifer, and I am very excited to be on the Miles & Memories for Melons team. I have never taken on a challenge quite like walking 60 miles, but I am determined to do it! I wanted to do this walk a couple years ago, but the fact that I had to raise $2,200 in order to walk kind of scared me. I have decided to take on that challenge, though, and I'm actually having fun with it.

In addition to asking my friends and family for donations for the walk, I have started making greeting cards (with a TON of help from my mom!). I am unprepared this week and don't have the cards available to post, but I am making "Thank you" cards as well as cards that have "Believe" on the front with a verse about hope on the inside. They are all white cards with a pink background, and both kinds of cards have a pink ribbon in the shape of a heart on the front. I am selling 10 cards for $15, and everything I make from the cards will go towards my fundraising goals. Next week I will post photos of the cards if Mel hasn't posted the samples of them that I gave her.

On another note, we were supposed to have our first training walk this morning, but it had been raining for the past day, and we decided to postpone our first walk for a nicer day. We will have to walk in the rain if that happens during The 3 Day, but some of our team members have been under the weather, and we figured we'd have more motivation to continue training if we didn't get discouraged with rain on our first walk! We hope to start training some evening this coming week, so I'm sure someone will give an update on that once it happens.

Saturdays are my day to blog, so until then stay tuned in everyday to read everyone else's blog. Oh, and tell your friends and family about our site!

*Friday Night Hope with Cynthia*

Hello world of blog readers! My name is Cynthia and I will be your blog personality on Fridays. I know, I know, You're so excited you can't contain yourself. That happens to most people when they get around me. Okay, enough with the chit chat. Let's talk Operation: Boobie Freedom.

First off, I am so excited to be working with the Susan G. Komen Foundation again! I have a lot of great ideas that I hope will get my friends, family, parents and fellow classmates fired up about donating. Here are a couple of things that I have started up to get some donations rolling in:

1. BABY SITTING FOR BREAST CANCER- So the name basically says it all but for you parents out there whose eyeballs just perked up...
*You want a night out? Well I'm here to sit for you M-F after 5pm and any time on Saturdays and Sundays!
*Rate: $7.00/Hr. Flat rate, it stays the same whether you have 1 kid or 7. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and you can pre-pay at my personal web page for the walk .... http://08.the3day.org/goto/CiCiMari ... or I can bring a donation form with me which you can fill out at the end of the night. Remember, THIS IS A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION!

2. TUTORING FOR TA TA'S- Again, catchy name that sums up what I'm doing! Again, tax deductible donation gets you a session with Cici. Book me for your kids, I can tutor in any subject from Math to Spanish. I am also available for some college courses as well (mainly in the Biology dept). Help me Help you!
*Rate: $20.00 for a 1 hour session. Remember, this is TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Well, I've got to go on to some less pleasant tasks (ahh...Spanish homework). So until next Friday, stay fresh!

~Cynthia

"Walking For The BREAST Reason"

Well girls, are you ready?! I'm looking forward to our first training on Saturday. I know a few of you have already started and I think that's awesome! Honestly, walking 20 miles a day has made me start questioning myself.Can I really do this? I used to walk 6-9 miles a day and I started that from nothing, so surely I should be able to make 20 miles a day with training, right? I know I can do it and I WILL do it. My inspiration for walking was just here at my house last week visiting my baby girl,Madelyn. She considers Madelyn to be her grandchild since her son is likely to never have any children of his own. She looked GREAT, not at all what I was expecting. I had prepared myself for her to look totally different, like someone I wouldn't recognize. No way! she looked just the same as always. This was her first time seeing Madelyn since she was undergoing radiation when Madelyn was born (last September). It was so amazing to see them together and seeing her now as a breast cancer survivor. Her visit gave me reassurance that I am willing, able and ready to do whatever it takes to try and save others from such pain. I know everyone is not as lucky, but my hope is that they all will be soon! so here's to walking to find a cure "60 miles for BUST"
I'm Stephanie and Wednesdays are my blog days. I hope to meet you here again next week.

Move over Mel!!!

SORRY THIS BLOGSITE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE

IT WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN 5 SECONDS......


OK OK APRIL FOOLS!


Hehe, yea, im a lame-o. But as we journey through the 6 month adventure ahead that will lead us to the 3 day, Miles and Memories for Melons team wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to voice their experience. So tune in on Tuesdays for the Angela Blog served with a side of sarcasm and goffiness (is that a word?).

So one of our first goals is to set up t-shirt sponsors for our group. These sponsors will be featured on the back of our team shirts that we will sell to help raise money and also that we will wear for three days on the walk. So thats what I've started working on first.

I have to say, I was anticipating how hard it would be to talk people into handing over $150 for an ad. It seem so measly, the cover letter and t shirt form that explained everything. I was wishing there was a way to pour my heart out and let everyone see how much my mom means to me, what our family went through when she had cancer,and how difficult and how horrible of a thing the word "cancer" really is.

But with one sponsor under my belt already, i made one phone call today and now of the possibility of 6 sponsors through it. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed....cross yours for us too!

Just Scrappin' Around!

If you're like me, I never have time to scrapbook. I can take the pictures, but for some reason, my creativity ends there! I'm one of those people who gets 2, 3, 4 or even 5 projects going, but never has the time to finish them. UNTIL- wonderful people like Mandie Pierce create these wonderful things for you, like pre-designed scrapbook layouts! I discovered that these exist last year and now I'm hooked!
Mandie is one of my fellow bloggers/photographer/mommy/friends who wears many hats. Several of her scrapbook layouts have been published in scrapbook books and magazines. Why am I telling you all this? Because you now have the chance to buy one of these very resonably priced layouts AND it go to a great cause- our team! One hundred percent of the profit goes to the Susan G. Komen foundation for research to cure breast cancer. Now there's an opportunity you just can't miss!

Check them out!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5687485

Wow.

All I can say is WOW. Simply put? Yes. BUT...Wow!

To be more precise? When I signed up for the 3-Day three weeks ago, I could of never imagined what it had in store for me. Every day, I check my email and there is another "A Donation was made on your behalf" email and I just cry tears of joy. It is an amazing feeling when you know that you are reaching out for help in finding a cure for such a horrible disease....and people are reaching back.

I get chills with every donation. Why? Everyone is effected and touched by the stories, the experiences and the desire to end this FOREVER. God is blessing me and each and everyone that is helping.

Just today I had three people come to me asking to join my team. THREE extra people means that $2,200.00 per person or $6,600 more will be raised to help end this battle. How WONDERFUL that I chose to be a part of this already amazing experience. I can hardly believe that I get to continue to feel this outpouring of love and support all through the year until October. It is truly amazing. Truly.

Thank you so much for all of those who have reached out and donated. My heart will be with each and every one of you as I continue to raise monery and with every single mile I walk this October. Please continue to pray for me as me and my growing team as we continue to raise money. Pray for us as we begin to plan our fundraisers, pray for us as we begin to train. Most of all, please pray for those who are battling this horrible disease at this very moment....I am only walking only 60 miles; they deserve to walk for a lifetime.

Begining this April, each one of our team members will be assigned a day to post their journey as we get ready for October. I challenge you to grow with us and be a part of something that will not only change others lives, but just might change yours too!

~Melissa

T-shirt Sponsorships now available!!

Yes! Starting in March we will have T-shirts! We will be selling sponsorships for $150/ea. on the back. Only 10 spots are available and they will go quick!
These t-shirts will be worn by our team in front of thousands of people during our 60mile walk. family and friends of the team members.

Family and friends will also be able to purchase the T-shirt in March.

(This is a picture of the girl's t-shirts. Men's COMING SOON!)






CLICK "DONATE" BUTTON TO ADD YOUR BUSINESS AS A SPONSOR!

What kind of world do you want?

Please take a moment and enjoy a brief walk in the day of a 3-Day participant:



As I walked through the doors of the West Cobb Memorial Library, a wave of anxiety hit like a freight train. You see, I have recently found that it's hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. On top of that, I am not the best morning person and that morning involved a 6:30am alarm.

That morning, however, was different. Today I would swallow back my fear as I stepped throught the door and be brave. I knew that, despite my fears, I had a important job to do. My responsibility was much more than an extra five minutes of sleep. Much more than a few moments of feeling uncomfortable. I was there to start something great. To make a difference. To change lives and fight the battle to end breast cancer.

Sounds impossible doesn't it? That's the same thing I was thinking as I heard the alarm go off that Saturday morning at 6:30am. I made it though...and that means I am one step closer.

Try not to think of it as this huge task, but instead, this wonderful goal that is attainable in little bits and pieces. Henry Ford changed the world by creating mass production. The idea? To take a big task and divide it into little jobs. Brilliant, eh?

Why not take that idea and apply it to this deadly disease? With the 3-Day Walk for the Cure, that is what we are working towards! :)

Since the walk started in 2003, there have been over 94,000 walkers, 4.9 million miles walked, 72 Breast Cancer 3-Days and $295 million donated towards the research for the cure.

Now it's your turn. Help support our team as we walk in this amazing 60 mile life-changing event. As this year's slogan says, "Everyone deserves a lifetime." Now you can help give it to them.