Zinner has been a sponsor of The Gathering Place’s annual event – Race for the Place – for several years now and I’ve always heard great things about this organization and event.
However, I didn’t actually participate until this year, when this event had even more significance to me than simply helping a good cause. My Mom was diagnosed with breast Cancer last September and it was an unexpected shock to our family, to say the least. And although she handled the news and her treatment like a real trooper, I knew the experience would be a life-changing one for all of us.
Supporting her was tough, because I often felt helpless. There is not much you can do to help ease the pain, discomfort and fear when someone is dealing with the unknown, but we surrounded her with as much distraction, love and prayer as possible during the hard times. We even has a family hair shaving ceremony, where all of us (including grandchildren) took a turn cutting off locks of her hair and finally shaving it into a short, soft layer of peach fuzz.
When her hair finally fell out, she embraced her baldness whole-heartedly, as she does with everything in her life. She finished radiation in May and is in the final stages of chemo and she’s now sporting a really “hip” short hairdo.
In organizing Team Zinner for the event on June 6th, I had the pleasure of going to The Gathering Place to see what it was all about and it warmed my heart to see what so many wonderful people are doing to help support people like my Mom.
The facility is beautiful, especially the Serenity Garden in back, and well thought out in terms of what kind of things are needed to get Cancer patients through the ups-and-downs of their battle and hopeful recovery. I’m so thankful that an organization like this exists and that so many people volunteer their time and contribute generously to the cause.
And speaking of generosity, Zinner graciously offered to support my Mom by honoring her with the name TEAM LIBBY on our firm t-shirts and allowing me to put together a group of Mom’s friends and family to walk with her.
There were over 50 of us total on Team Zinner and we raised over $1,000. A couple of our team members even placed in the top slots of different age categories. And despite the threatening dark clouds above us all morning on the day of the event, the rain held out until the final person crossed the finish line. I was proud to support The Gathering Place and thrilled to walk along with my Mom for a cause so near and dear to my heart. See you next year on June 5, 2011 (look for the TEAM LIBBY hats)!!
Please visit www.touchedbycancer.org for more information.