World No Tobacco Day

Today is "World No Tobacco Day"!

Created in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes, it concentrates on Tobacco-free Youth this year, calling for a total ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products and creating 100% smoke-free environments.

Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world, the only legal consumer product that can harm everyone exposed to it - and it kills up to half of those who use it as intended.

This year, tobacco will kill more than five million people - more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.

For more information, go to: "World Free Tobacco Day"

Joan

Our CSL friend Joan passed away last week after her third bout of cancer. She was 48.

Cancer shaped her, but she was a true warrior through it all: even with chemo she still ran the Livestrong Challenge 5K and also went and got her brown belt in karate. Most of all her attitude to never give up, to hope against all odds and her warm smile will be remembered. A hero and role-model for many, this is a profound loss to the cancer community and especially her loved ones!

When we're doing the 5k Livestrong run in October, we're going to include her by wearing one of the "In honor of/In memory of" BIBs. I'm sure she would've done the run again this year, so now she will take part through her CSL friends!

This is exactly why this whole event is so important- remembering and honoring everyone touched by cancer, the warriors, survivors and angels.

Rest in peace, Joan!

Un-(bleeping)-believable!

This was supposed to be a different post, and I know that most people who read this have no interest whatsoever in baseball, but quite frankly, this kid is amazing and it doesn't get much more inspiring than this! (Never mind that he's playing for the Red Sox, he's also a fellow capricorn and cancer survivor- how's that for similarities ;-))

Jon Lester was diagnosed with a treatable form of lymphoma in 2006, got back to spring training in 2007, and won the series-clinching Game Four for the Red Sox in the World Series. After that game, fellow cancer survivor and Red Sox player Mike Lowell had this to say about Lester:

"He’s obviously a fighter and he got presented with an awful thing and he never complained and never said, ‘Why me?’ He just went about beating it. And then to come back in baseball shape and have to develop himself as a pitcher on top of it, I’m telling you, I can’t wait to see this kid and what the finished product is because it’s going to be exceptional!"

Well, we got the first glimpse of that last night (which got me to stay up really late or rather quite early), when Jon Lester added a no-hitter to his stats. He already came close late April against Toronto, so we all knew he could do it, but to actually see him do it, watch the team and the whole crowd at Fenway cheer for him, was just a very emotional experience.

Jon Lester often said that whatever happens to him from here on out, whatever challenges he’s given, he can persevere. Let's just take that attitude and stick with it, why don't we!?

Congratulations, Jon, you're Un-(bleeping)-believable!

LIVESTRONG Army Europe- uniting Europeans in the fight against cancer!

If you're a reader of the LIVESTRONG Blog, you might have read about the LAF's plan to investigate how they may best serve the international community as well. You can read the post by clicking here.

As the International Mentor for the LIVESTRONG Challenge, I'm so excited to see the LAF investigating a way to make an even bigger difference in the global fight against cancer.

In Europe, there's a serious problem of funding cancer programs. By the year 2005 the US spent 7 times more money on cancer research (per person) than the 25 members of the EU. Plus, research is concentrated very much on basic scientific research at the expense of preventive and clinical research.

Just recently, the European Union addressed the fact that often cancer research in Europe has the problem of competing interests and researchers. That of course results in duplication of research and slows down research that would be more effective and/or covering a broader spectrum. We need national and international collaborations to concentrate our efforts- we should all remember that it's not about personal gains or prestige, but all about uniting as a global team to fight cancer.

One example of joining forces in the fight against cancer is the partnership between the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. To read the press release (04/25/08) click here.

MORE THAN 25 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE LIVING WITH CANCER.

MORE THAN 11 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER THIS YEAR.

ONE IN THREE PEOPLE WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER DURING THEIR LIFETIME.

As Europeans, we have a voice when it comes to fighting cancer- we just need to speak up louder and unite. So, in an effort to unite Europeans, and because I got a lot of feedback from Europeans who were interested in supporting the LAF on a personal level, I started a new LIVESTRONG Army Europe group. It's a place to get and discuss the latest cancer news, the latest LAF news or even plan events to get other people involved and raise awareness.

The LIVESTRONG Army-Europe is just a small step on the way to a more global fight against cancer, but we need to start somewhere, right?

So, if you're either living in Europe or know someone who does and who might be interested in joining us, please pass along our group's page: http://groups.myspace.com/livestrongarmyeurope

Thank you!

Good Morning America

Just a quick note for those of you who didn't watch ABC this morning.
Lance made an appearance on Good Morning America. He talked about LIVESTRONG Day and the LIVESTRONG Summit.

Lance on Good Morning America

Livestrong Day, May 13th 2008

May 13th is LIVESTRONG Day. There are tons of events all around the globe- and here are just a few examples organized by people I am honored to call my friends. Some events are still waiting for approval, so I’ll hopefully get to expand the list within the next days.

If you want to participate in the fight against cancer on this special day, but can't visit any of these events, you can either plan your own event, or consider making a small donation.

You can also register for the Livestrong Challenge. If you plan on attending the Austin Challenge, please join our team 08 Cancer Warriors http://austin08.livestrong.org/cancerwarriors by clicking on “Join Our Team”, agree to the waiver and then fill out your personal information.

Please note: All participants must pay $50 at the time of registration. However, if you join on Livestrong Day -May,13th 2008- and enter a code that will be displayed here, you'll get 50% off, so it'll only be a $25 registration fee.

For a complete list of events, please go to: View all Livestrong Day 2008 events

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• LIVESTRONG DAY Evening Dining at "SOBO american bistro"- Boulder, CO

SOBO american bistro
Boulder, CO
05/13/2008
5:00 pm-midnight

An evening fine dining in the relaxed yet elegant atmosphere, in one of newest and nicest restaurants in Boulder, CO, for cancer survivors, and cyclists to raise awareness of cancer advocacy and survivorship.

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• LiveSTRONG Day Unity Walk

Roosevelt's Billiards Bar and Grill
Farmington Hills, MI
05/13/2008
5:30 pm-10:00 pm

Wear Yellow and join us for a Family walk through our neighborhood. The walk will start and end at Beechview Elementary School; located at the end of Westmeath Street in the Kimberly subdivision. Start time for the walk is 5:30 pm. Following the walk, dinner, drinks and games at Roosevelt's Billiards Bar and Grill (under 21 allowed untill 9:00pm). Roosevelt's will donate a portion of the nights proceeds to the LAF.

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• LIVESTRONG Day on the New Hampshire Seacost

Synergy Health & Fitness Center, Exeter Hospital
Exeter, NH
05/13/2008 2:00 pm-6:00 pm

Healing Arts Class Exhibit led by Kathleen Robbins MFA
Tuesday, May 13, 4:00 to 6:00 PM

Synergy Health & Fitness Center
5 Alumni Drive
Exeter, NH

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• Livestrong Day Pampered Chef Show- San Antonio, TX

Stoneybrook Apartments Club Room
San Antonio, TX
05/13/2008
7pm- 9:30pm

A Pampered Chef fundraising show to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation via the Livestrong Challenge. We will cook healthy meals and have the opportunity to order Pampered Chef cookware as well as hear about the message of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I'm going to try to have a silent auction during the event also.

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• Vicky Fletcher's Cookies for a Cure Bake Sale (she is the LIVESTRONG™ Local Army Leader Utah Valley).

WHERE: In Front of The Orem Wal-Mart SuperCenter, 1355 S SANDHILL RD, Orem, Utah.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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• LIVESTRONG! Cycling Spinning for Cancer Awareness- Seattle, WA

Puget Sound Plaza Sidewalk
Seattle, WA
05/13/2008
11:30am-1.30 pm

Come join in as I ride my bike on a stationary trainer in downtown Seattle, raising awareness of the Livestrong efforts to support cancer survivorship. You can cheer us on, join in the spinning (just bring your bike and stationary trainer), or drop by to pick up LIVESTRONG Literature. It was a great event last year, so please drop by to provide support! Please contact me if you are interested!

A topic close to my skin ;-)

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!!

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer - accounting for about half of all the cancers.

The best way to lower the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer is to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time. But don't sweat it: you can continue to exercise and enjoy the outdoors while practicing sun safety at the same time. There are some guidelines for sun safety:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Seek shade, especially in the middle of the day when the sun's rays are strongest. If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun's rays are at their strongest.
• Slip on a shirt. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot see through when held up to a light. That's also a great tip for people with sun allergies.
  
• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days. Use it generously and reapply when needed.
  
• Cover your head with a wide-brimmed hat, shading your face, ears and neck.
  
• For those of you who prefer baseball hats: remember to protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
• Wear sunglasses with 99-100 percent ultraviolet (UV) absorption
  

Get familiar with your own skin- check the pattern of moles, freckles and beauty marks. Let someone else check your back. Changes in the number, size, shape or color of spots should be reported to your doctor/dermatologist.

Don't use tanning beds- not only will they make your skin age much faster and let's face it, who wants to have wrinkles at an early age?- it also has lasting effects on your skin. Besides, pale is the new tan, right? ;-)

Time 100 List

Great news from the LAF! Check out the new TIME 100 List:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733756_1735280,00.html