THANK YOU!!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success. We raised $1,793 for the American Association for Cancer Research. But it isn't over yet! It would be great if we could get that up to $2,000, don't you think? We are still accepting donations, send us an email at swim_for_hope@yahoo.com and I'll let you know how you can help us out even more.

Thanks to everyone who came! It was a lot of fun! (:

I wanted to thank all the volunteers at the event, it was really neat seeing/meeting you all. And I'm so glad you helped me with this. Also, I need your addresses, please! You can send me an email or message on Facebook so the whole world doesn't have to see them.

Special thanks go out to Kathryn, Elizabeth, K.D. and Josh who helped me make this crazy dream of mine become a reality. I owe them so much, and I'm so glad they helped me. They're amazing people.

Thanks yet again to all those who donated, particularly the companies that donated money as well as prizes for our drawing. Also, thanks to everyone who let us post flyers.

It means a lot that so many people were willing to help me (to some, a stranger) try to make a small difference against the big problem that is cancer. We've all been touched, but I want to stop that trend. We have enough in common that we don't need cancer. So thank you so much!!

On another note, I'm interested in trying to do this again, next year. Unfortunately, I'll be gone to college, so I need somebody younger (or older) to help out. I'm not gonna start working on it for a while, so you have some time to think about it, but I'd really really like your help. (:

--Ariana! (:

We're in the News!

Hey guys!
In case you missed the article in The Columbian last Friday, check it out! Please let us know if you want to participate by emailing us at swim_for_hope@yahoo.com! Everyone welcome! Thanks!

We Want You!

This event is an open swim meet, for everybody. We don't care if you're an out of shape high school swimmer, an award-winning club swimmer, or someone who can barely dog-paddle. We have races for people of all levels, with fun races involving pool noodles and the sort, as well as more serious races, such as IM's. Please help us out by participating, and spreading the word! To participate, please email us at swim_for_hope@yahoo.com! Thanks so much! (:

More Gifts for the Drawing!

4 Discovery Days Certificates

Our drawing is becoming more exciting! Recently we acquired 4 certificates to Discovery Days, each valued around $30. In addition, we also have a $20 gift card to The Coachmen. If you are interested in winning these certificates, come to our event and buy tickets--$1 each, or 10 for $9. You get one ticket with admission, but why leave it at that? Buy some more and increase your chances to win some of these great prizes!

Thank you for your donations!

I'd like to thank the following companies for helping us to make our project a success:
We have almost 200 flyers that need posted so we can get the word out about our event. If anyone wants some to help post them and encourage participants, I would be more than willing to share with you. In the mean time, please help us spread the word, and thank you for all of your help!

Thanks to PEFY for donating 100 flyers!

Thanks to PIP for donating 100 flyers!

Thanks for donating a $25 gift certificate for our drawing!

Registration

Registration for our event is now open! If you wish to register, Email us!. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, and free for children 6 and under, with paying adult. This cost will raise at the door, so be sure to pre-register now! If you have a Facebook, let us know if you are attending on our event page: Swim for Hope. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us!

We are still looking for stories about how cancer has touched your life, as well as volunteers, donations, and sponsors.

Thank you for our your support!
--Swim for Hope team:
Ariana, Elizabeth, Kathryn, K.D., Josh

Drawing

2 Meals

At our event, we will be hosting a drawing with wonderful prizes from various companies, including all prizes listed here. The prizes have been donated from the Fisher's Landing locations. We will be selling tickets for $1 a piece, with 1 free ticket included with the registration cost, and a special deal of 10 tickets for $9. These prizes are highly valued, so please enter!

$25 Gift Certificate

3 Month Membership

Free Pie

3 Haircuts, Hair Products

Lunch Sack

How Cancer Has Impacted My Life

Being diagnosed with cancer at age 48 after a physical giving me a clean bill of health was like a slap in the face. Having had cancer has completely changed my life.  I have only been dealing with my new life for 4 years so the memories and emotions are still very raw.  I look at life a lot differently now. I don't feel very confident that I will live a long life.  It is always in the back of my mind that maybe the cancer is somewhere else in my body right now and I just don't know it yet.  My life is different now because the scars are a daily reminder of how with God's strength and grace I was able to escape death;....this time.  I look at each day in more detail now.... I notice the little things... a beautiful cloud in the sky, a flower that has just bloomed in my yard, the dragon flies that float effortlessly in my yard on a sunny summer afternoon.  I stress less on housework and more on staying healthy.  I think more about what I put in my mouth everyday...is it chemiclly enhanced or organic?  I appreciate the realationships I have with a greater value...they are precious and priceless!  I sit back and watch my family members with more focus... capturing every word and action as a picture put into memory to keep for days when I need more strength...days when the cancer meds send me to bed with devastating migraine headaches that take me out of the game of life for sometimes up to 24 hours.  Why did I get cancer when no one in my family has had it... including my healthy 95 year old mother?

Although I do not understand the reason why I was chosen to get cancer I am thankful that I was able to fight through the process after diagnosis and have made it just to the other side of what is a new life path for me.  I am thankful for everyday and very scared because I don't know how many tomorrows I will have to enjoy.  I want many more because I have so much more living to do... I have so many more memories to create with my loving husband and two beautiful sons.  Cancer has taught me to never take anything for granted, to take time for the little things in life, to enjoy every minute that I have on this earth, and to know that even though fighting cancer is a lonely battle, God is always there to hold me up even when I am too weak to help.  Having cancer has given me a "new" life to live and it has given me the opportunity to connect with people, to share my story, and hopefully help others to find their disease early enough to fight back from it and find their "new" life. 

 

 

Candy Blankenbaker

Breast Cancer Survivor!

Thank you Clark County Title!

Thank you to Clark County Title for generously donating $250 to help us reach our goals!

If you are interested in participating, sponsoring, volunteering, or sharing a story, please leave a comment below, send an email to swim_for_hope@yahoo.com or call Ariana Hoyer at (360)-253-6822. Thanks!

Remembering My Sister Pam

Does your chewing gum loose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? My sister, Pam, requested that this wacky little song be played at her celebration of life service. Of course, it was. I think about her every day. I miss her easy laughter, her irreverence and her insights into human relationships.Pam, my sister, died five years ago of lung cancer and it struck me especially hard because she was younger than me, she hadn’t smoked for thirty years and she was much too loved to die.

Pam was an intervention counselor for substance abuse and she was good at it. During her memorial service, when learning I was her brother, several people told me she saved their lives. Wow, my little sister with her infectious sense of humor and collection of wacky songs, had a lasting and profound impact on peoples’ lives.

People were drawn to her and wanted to be near when she was telling a funny story or listening with heartfelt empathy and understanding. She pulled you in and you always felt loved in her presence.

When discovered, the cancer was too advanced and too virulent to be arrested. I often wish that I had had a few more years with her but I know that she’s in heaven distributing joy and uplifting messages to everyone she meets.

--Denny Scott

My Story

Like many others, cancer has touched my life in many ways. In fact, on my father's side, my grandmother, two aunts, and a cousin, who was slightly older than me, have died of an aggressive form of breast/ovarian cancer. Through research, we have learned their cancer was caused by the BRAC gene. Fortunately, it's unlikely I have this gene, since my father was tested for it and is not a carrier. Unfortunately, there are no doubt others in my extended family who are not so lucky. Much more research is needed to help find ways to prevent and treat this and other forms of cancer. 
-Martha Maier

Why we Relay

Note: Relay for Life is an event benefiting the American Cancer Society. Swim for Hope is not affiliated with Relay, but this story was written by people with whom Ariana participates in Relay. This story explains why they participate in Relay.

The reasons we walk at Relay for Life are many and varied. We walk in honor of survivors and those still fighting, and we walk in memory of those lost, but most of all, we walk with hope for a cure.

In September of 2006 I lost a colleague to cancer. Gordon Galbasini taught elementary students with special needs, those whose learning disabilities caused hurdles both academically and socially. He genuinely loved those kids, empowering them to face their disabilities, and overcome the stereotypes that are often assigned to students who struggle academically. Gordon taught them to persevere and face their challenges bravely as he continued to teach throughout his fight, knowing that his cancer was not curable. 

My own son became Gordon’s friend, and chose to participate in his first Relay for Life to honor the fight Gordon was waging against cancer.  He wrote the following on his fundraising website:

Gordon and Alec

I am an 11 year old, walking in honor of my brave friend Mr. Gordon Galbasini, so that one day, others like him may be cured of cancer. Mr. G is a special teacher who is funny and understanding. He has great wisdom. Cancer will take away the gift he gives to children like me. Please join me in helping people like Gordon be cured. Your gift to the American Cancer Society will allow researchers to continue to search and find a cure. Thank you, Alec 

We continue to walk each year, keeping in our hearts the memories of those we have lost to cancer, and praying that we can one day stop adding names to this list. 

--Laurie and Alec Burpee

Questions?

If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share, send them to swim_for_hope@yahoo.com, our official email.
Find us on Facebook!  Swim for HopeThank you so much. :)

How Cancer Has Touched Me

Cancer first touched me at a very young age, and it has impacted my life significantly ever since. I’ve never personally had it, but I’ve watched so many loved ones suffer because of it.

My earliest memories include some of my Grandmother. I remember her relaxed in a La-Z-boy chair, with relatives chastising her for chewing her pills. I also remember being at a restaurant and something happening causing firemen and an ambulance to come. Unfortunately, that something happened to my Grandmother. Also unfortunately, those are the only memories I have of her, as she died when I was three, from lung cancer. This was particularly shocking since no one in my family smokes, particularly not her. Pictures are the only reason I know what she looked like. I’ve been to too many funerals to count throughout my life, and they’ve all blended together, so I don’t specifically remember hers. It was the beginning of my long relationship with the disease that began taking my loved ones from me.

I have some more memories of my Grandfather, whom I affectionately called Pop-pop. I remember how he always drank dry milk, and how we’d go for walks and look at the stars. I especially remember showing him a rock I thought was particularly special that I found from his rock pile. He was in the hospital, and he jokingly accused me of theft, sharing smiles and love with me even in his last few days. We had gone to visit him, to say goodbye, and we were only home for a few days before we had to return for his funeral. I remember being angry for having missed a field trip, thinking that he could have waited just a few days before passing on. As a kindergartener, I did not completely understand the significance of his funeral, and I no longer feel resentment for missing the trip.

When I was in 6^th grade, the mother of one of my closest friends was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was the first year I attended Relay for Life, and when cancer became extremely personal. I watched her lose her hair and get wigs, so I started donating my hair, dealing with bad haircuts while constantly reminding myself that it would be worse to not have hair at all. Andrea was someone that I knew was always there for me, and she was a great role model—kind to everyone, very loving and forgiving. I knew she always cared about me and what I had to say, even when I was young. She always believed in me, even if I didn’t believe in myself. Instead of dwelling in her pain and struggles she took time to care about the inconsequential things that I thought were a big deal at the time. I hope, pray, and wish that one day I can be half the person she was. We all thought she was recovering, but freshman year when she went to the doctor, hoping to hear she was in remission, we learned there was a tumor in her brain. She passed away in January this year, after a long struggle and a brave fight.

My Aunt, with the tallest stick on the left with family

While I was coming to terms with Andrea’s struggle, my great aunt died. While she did not die from cancer, I feel this is a good place to begin the story of another of my close friends’ mother, who, incidentally is also my Aunt and my mother’s only sister. She planned the funeral for my great Aunt, and  was sick at the funeral, with what everyone believed to be pneumonia. We learned a month later that she had been misdiagnosed; she actually had the same incurable lung cancer from which my grandmother had passed away. A month later, it was her funeral that I was attending, the closest to home of the seven funerals that I attended my seventh grade year. She died suddenly, with no chance for goodbyes.  She was a constant presence throughout my childhood; watching me while my parents worked and while they travelled, as well as every time we visited, which was often because of how close she and my mother were and how close my cousin and I am. She was also very caring and kind, sacrificing a lot for the sake of her family, and I feel I never appreciated her fully until she was gone.

While these deaths were difficult for me, it has been particularly painful to watch my family and friends deal with these losses. I’ve seen how relationships are strained from the pain of watching someone slip through your fingers and how much losing someone you truly love really tears you to shreds. Cancer has taken many of my loved ones from me, but it has given me many things in return. I have tended to take people for granted, assuming they’ll always be there for me. When they suddenly weren’t anymore, I realized how much I loved them and how much they’d done for me that I’ll never be able to repay. Because of this, I’ve taken care to make sure those who I care about know that I do, before I lose any opportunity to tell them. I value my family and friends so much—I never truly realized how much until several loved ones were torn from me. I also now have a passion for “saving” people from the fate of experiencing cancer themselves or watching a loved one go through that pain, while feeling utterly helpless. I’ve donated my hair and attended Relay, but I’ve really wanted to make a difference. Hence, my desire to make Swim for Hope a success. Please help me in my quest to find a cure by supporting this event, either through donation, participation, or simply keeping it in your thoughts and prayers.

-Ariana Hoyer

Our event will be held on August 27th, at Cascade Athletic Club, from 9-12 AM. It will be a mock-meet with fun and serious races to entertain swimmers of all ages and skill levels. Everyone welcome! 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=209607699074412

Thank you Sigma!

Sigma Design has graciously sponsored us $350 for this event. Thank you so much for all your help and support!
www.sigmadzn.com

Pools and Dates

We finally have a pool! Cascade Athletic Club has graciously allowed us to use their Vancouver location for our event, on August 27th, from 9-12 with no charge to us. Thank you! www.cascadeac.com

We are still working on acquiring sponsors. If you have any suggestions or are interested in helping us, either by volunteering or through financial aid, please let us know! Thanks. :)

About This Blog

This blog is for all things Swim for Hope related. Swim for Hope is the name of the event we are trying to create for the American Association of Cancer Research. The AACR donates over 90% of its proceeds directly to cancer research. We are currently attempting to acquire sponsors to aid us in paying for the costs of a pool.