A Decade of Diamonds Fashion Show 2017

http://thevictorycenter.org

On February 17, 2017, The 10th Annual Victory Center's Luncheon and Fashion Show, A Decade of Diamonds raised over $55, 000 that will go towards supporting their services that are offered to cancer survivors and co-survivors.  I volunteered at this event with registration and gathering up the gift raffle items to be presented to the ticket winners.  I'm always happy to be able to help out the Victory Center where I can and this event surprised me with special guest taking stage, Calysta Bevier singing a couple of hit cover songs, Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" and Sia's "Alive" portraying her own fight, a ovarian cancer survivor in her early teens.

The Victory gals Carol,
TNBC sisters Melissa and Rita

Victory Center volunteers,
Melissa and Devorah

Calysta Bevier and Melissa
I'm a big supporter of our local arts and music!

Rockets for the Cure 2017

9th Annual Rockets for the Cure was held on January 28, 2017 with an University of Toledo 74-72 win over Central Michigan women's basketball.  The Rockets for the Cure event offers free tickets to breast cancer survivors to attend the game as they are honored for their fight against breast cancer.  This 4,309 in attendance event brought awareness and education on breast cancer, which I think is very important for these young college women students to learn the importance of breast health and self awareness.  $10,488 raised from auctioning off the basketball players pink game jerseys benefits UTMC Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center and Susan G. Komen of Northwest Ohio.

Breast Cancer Survivor, Anne French
sings the National Anthem

Toledo Rocket ladies go pink for awareness

Breast cancer survivors,
Melissa and Barb Oxner

Triple Negative Breast Cancer sisters,
Joyce Bettinger and Melissa

Toledo Walleye Hockey Benefits The Victory Center 2017

On January 28, 2017, After attending 2 basketball games benefitting cancer research, I attended a third event that evening at Toledo Walleye Hockey with proceeds from jerseys auction benefiting The Victory Center.

Melissa and friends

Always love Toledo Walleye Hockey!

Hoops for a Cause Girls Basketball 2017

On January 28, 2017,  I attended the girls basketball game hosted by Ottawa Hills High School where their girls team played against Maumee Valley Country Day School girls Hawk team in their Hoops for a Cause event in partnership with Lambie's Legacy.   Funds raised at this event supports cancer research and to Good Grief which provides assistance to families in need of support during their grieving process.  Emma Stout, niece of  her late aunt, Margaret Lamb Guyton Stout; spoke on behalf of Lambies Legacy during the game's halftime. Sadly, Lambie passed from breast cancer in 2011 at the age of 42.

Emma Stout speaks on behalf of Lambie's Legacy

Maumee Valley Country Day School Hawks (in the blue)

Pink Sisters Christmas Parties 2016

Center for Health and Successful Living
Christmas Party hosted by Dr. Amy Thompson

Christmas with the Victory gals
Kim, Beth, Melissa J., Laurie, Rita, Linda, Joyce, Carol,
Diane, Areena, Peggy, Traci, Jyll, Lori,
Elaine and Melissa P.

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Komen Holiday Friend-raiser 2016

On December 8, 2016, I attended a fundraiser event benefiting Komen of Northwest Ohio at the Pub at Paula Brown's Shop supporting my high school friend, breast cancer survivor, Amy. Amy Thorpe, Board Vice President of Komen of Northwest Ohio and Gretchen Awad of Komen hosted this lovely event.

Amy, Gretchen and Melissa

Celebrity Wait Night 2016

So much fun at Celebrity Wait Night on September 20, 2016 with raising lots of cash benefiting the Victory Center.
I spent the night volunteering to sell 50/50 raffle tickets to our guests, and they were buying $5 to $20 worth at a time in addition to gift basket and wine pull raffles.  It was a western theme... tho, I didn't win best western costume, I was still a "rock star" in paying it forward.  The wait staff consisting of many local doctors and other well known people of our local community had also participated in raising tips that were also donated to the Victory Center, a cancer wellness center serving Northwest Ohio.
http://thevictorycenter.org

Not your typical rock star

Selling hundreds and hundreds of dollars 
worth of raffle tickets!

Our 50/50 raffle ticket winner!

Victory gals pink sisters
Sandy and Melissa

Melissa and one of our celebrity waiters,
Dr. Mabry, Breast Surgeon

Komen of Northwest Ohio Breakfast 2016

Our annual get-together of us Victory gals at the annual kick-off breakfast for Komen for the Cure.  The kick-off breakfast is dedicated to the first 500 breast cancer survivors that register for the breakfast event.

The Victory Center Gals: Joyce, Jill, Melissa P.
Diane, Lynnette, Rita, Kim, Areena,
Carol, Lori, Deb, Traci, Beth and Melissa J.

Pink sisters, Elaine and Melissa

Triple Negative Breast Cancer
 Sisters, Melissa and Audrey

Pink sister, Mary, Melissa and my favorite
event emcee, Chrys Peterson

Remembering Tatum...

TNBC sisters Tatum and Melissa

Tatum, one of our Victory gals was so inspiration to all of us and were very saddened with her lost to Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Tatum's battle began in 2014 when she was diagnosed with PR+/ER+ breast cancer.  In 2015, not even a year out of treatment, Tatum had discovered a lump in her neck and learned that her cancer has returned metastatic to her lymph nodes, and had actually "morphed" to Triple Negative Breast Cancer. On August 20, 2016, Tatum Hummel was taken from her three very young children and husband.

All of us Victory gals after attending Tatum's funeral
We love and miss you Tatum!

Toledo MudHens Pink Out the Park 2016

My MudHens in pink!

Fun times with the ladies and the men in pink, supporting breast cancer awareness day at the Toledo Mudhens benefiting Susan G. Komen of Northwest Ohio in July 2016.

First base

Linda, Devorah and Melissa

Melissa J., Jamie, Dave, Devorah and Melissa

Pink in the Park, Downtown Toledo

UT Survivorship Conference 2016

On June 25, 2016, I was happy to be a vendor exhibitor representing Young Survival Coalition at The University of Toledo Center for Health and Successful Living Survivorship Conference.  As a Young Survival Coalition State Leader, I was able to provide young survivors with information about the resources that YSC has to offer and bring attention to the organization in my area.

Representing Young Survival Coalition with our
exhibit table

My beautiful friend, 
Breast cancer survivor, Barb Oxner

Guest speaker, Rev. April Hearn

Dr. Thompson

Relay for Life, Lucas County Ohio 2016

www.relayforlife.org/lucas

I participated at  Relay for Life on June 18, 2016 at Lucas County Fairgrounds where over $117, 000 at this year's event.  I set up an exhibit table for The Victory Center and met up with pink sister, Carol for opening ceremony, walking the survivor lap and having a luncheon.
Local cancer survivor, Caly Bevier was a junior honoree who spoke of her fight against ovarian cancer at the age of 15 and sang, "This is my Fight Song."  This young lady was amazing!  We watched a lip-sync contest where cancer survivor friend Valerie gave a great performance of Cher's cover, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves." 

Selfie with Cat Trick

Calysta, "This is my Fight Song"

Survivor lap

Pink sister Carol, Pink Panther
and Melissa

16 yr. old Ovarian Cancer Survivor,
Calysta and Melissa

with Captain America and Ariel

Stress relief...

Leaving my mark on cancer

Valerie's lip-sync contest

VIP treatment

My vendor table set-up for The Victory Center