Orange County Director of Volunteer Services Honored

Congratulations Cindy Brenneman!

Cindy Brenneman, Director of Volunteers Services for the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® was honored with an Excellence in Leadership Award by Leadership Tomorrow. This honor is well deserved as Cindy works tirelessly to motivate Orange County residents to become volunteers and breast health advocates. She has inspired and engaged countless people in the community to become involved in the breast cancer movement and is key in recruiting and retaining stellar volunteers. Under her leadership the Orange County Affiliate has consistently retained more than 2,000 committed volunteers for various projects ranging from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® to the Pink Tie Ball®. Her work continues to further the Komen mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever.

Most importantly, Cindy practices what she preaches and is an active volunteer herself. Cindy is receiving the award for her work with the Orange County Affiliate, the Costa Mesa Community Emergency Response Team, the Costa Mesa Community Foundation, OC Medical Reserve Corps and the Mesa Verde Homeowner’s Association.

Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Article by Nate Winkler, Juggernaut Training System www.JTSstrength.com

Why does it seem that women’s health and fitness is full of warning labels and caution signs? 2010 is the year we need to get informed, get fit, and enjoy the process of getting healthier.

The two obvious areas of focus are nutrition and exercise; no I won’t tell you that it’s ok to eat burgers and fries, and yes you will have to sweat to lose weight. What I will tell you is that you can reach your health goals in 2010, and actually enjoy your diet and exercise routine!

Here are some tips:

• For dieting, your first meal sets your metabolic rate for the entire day, so make breakfast count. Carbs are turned into lean muscle more than proteins right after hard workouts, and should only be avoided during the late evening hours and low activity days.

• Healthy chocolate has great benefits, 10X more antioxidants than spinach, chocolate decreases blood clotting, inflammation, and improves mental alertness.

• Reach for Green tea, no other natural, non-addictive caffeine source burns abdominal fat better.

• Raspberries have a variety of natural chemicals that reduce cellulite.

• Blueberries are packed with vitamins and other benefits that keep you looking young and fight against age related diseases.

• Veggies are a must every day.

• For exercising, circuit training is the most productive, time efficient exercise regimen (only 45 minutes). Spend 30 minutes doing 3, 10 minute circuits that have a cardio (treadmill), leg strength (lunges), and an upper body (push up) component, this will allow you to keep intensity up and continuously shock the body, resulting in maximum calorie expenditure.

• Steady state exercise, i.e. jogging for 30 minutes, teaches your body to conserve energy and reduces caloric use, so if you have little time and big goals circuit training is your best choice.

• Spend 10-15 minutes stretching at the end of your workouts, this will relax muscles, and reduce stress which lowers cortisol levels, a major contributor to increased body fat and lowered immune system efficiency.

• Set Goals and stay committed, results are only a few workouts away!

For more information on how to make 2010 your healthiest year ever call or click Juggernaut Training Systems

949-215-7378 or JTSstrength.com.

Break Out the Party Hats

Bring your party self to Komen on Wednesday, February 10!

Are you ready to party? And party for a purpose? Plan to be at the Komen Orange County office on Wednesday, February 10 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (or earlier) for the Passionately Pink for the Cure Party. “Passionately Pink” is code for raising funds and awareness for Susan G. Komen for the Cure with a strong emphasis on fun.

Plans for February 10 include Stampin’ Up, a line of decorative rubber stamps, a pink dessert baking contest and an opportunity drawing with great prizes. You can be assured that pink wigs, hats and boas will be worn. The party planner extraordinaire is Komen staff member Stacy Davis. (Trust us, she’s good at this.) All the details can be found at www.komenoc.org under Upcoming Events and you must RSVP by this Friday, February 5.

Passionately Pink for the Cure is a national program that you can customize into your own party any time during the year. It’s passionate because the need to end breast cancer is urgent. It’s pink, because we love to accessorize with pink. Party ideas and recipes to get you thinking about the baking contest are at www.passionatelypink.org. Please join the party and help us reach our first goal of $625 so we can extend the fun into March with Executive Director Lisa Wolter. (Check out the incentive on www.komenoc.org.)

Send a Letter Today

Are these tough economic times? Yes, especially here in California and there is a direct consequence for women’s breast health. The “Every Woman Counts” program, which provides mammograms to 350,000 underserved women in California each year, was closed to new entrants January 1, 2010, and will not start screening women again until July. And when the program resumes, services will be denied for women age 40 to 49 — only women age 50 and above will be eligible.

“Every Woman Counts” is a joint program of the state Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

The seven California affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure have banded together as the California Collaborative and agree that the situation is not acceptable. “We fully understand the tough economic situation our elected leaders face and the difficult choices they must make. Yet balancing the budget on the backs of our state’s neediest women is a mistake,” said Donna Sanderson, the Executive Director of the Komen Sacramento Affiliate and spokesperson for the California Collaborative.

You can help by sending a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about the importance of breast health screenings for all women. Information and a letter template can be found at http://www.komenadvocacy.org/statelocalactions.aspx?id=90 Your time and support will send a loud message that every woman should count, even in tough economic times.

Tell Us Who Helped You

February is days away, which means lots of talk and images about LOVE.  Here’s a suggestion on how to express love in a very meaningful way – nominate someone you know for one of Komen’s awards. The Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is seeking nominations for: Most Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor, Outstanding Breast Health Advocate, and new this year, Most Inspirational Breast Cancer Co-Survivor.

The titles are self explanatory. These awards recognize remarkable people who have battled breast cancer personally, who have volunteered to further Komen for the Cure’s promise or who have helped others endure and thrive through a tough time. Trust us, when you hear the stories of the winners, you will be inspired.

First you must take the time and effort to nominate the inspiring person you know. Visit www.komenoc.org to download the nomination form and start writing! Your deadline is February 5. The winners will be announced and honored at the 2010 MasCUREade: A Celebration of Breast Cancer Survivors and Co-Survivors on Friday, March 5.

Shasta, Supercross and Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Any Supercross fans out there? Here’s a story that we hope will inspire you as much as it did us. Shasta Johnson is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 2007 at the young age of 35. For Shasta, it was an echo of a recent family tragedy – in 2005, her sister Fiona passed away from the disease at only age 29. Ever since, Shasta (second from right in the photo above) has participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk, along with a team of family and friends. Even in the year of her diagnosis, she made it a full 25 miles. 

Not content just to walk for the cure, Shasta has turned her efforts into a massive fundraiser in conjunction with motocross championships around the country to raise money for the cause! And she’s doing it again, this February 13th at Monster Energy Supercross at Angel’s Stadium. The event will take on a pink theme, and contributions will go to Komen for the Cure.

“Monster Energy Supercross fans have shown an unprecedented outpouring of support in my efforts to raise awareness and funds this year, encouraging me to continue in 2010,” said Shasta. “It is very rewarding to know my commitment has brought so many people in our industry together in support of my team’s bold efforts to raise funds to end breast cancer. The fans really are phenomenal.”

Want to be part of the action? Buy your tickets for Anaheim Supercross on February 13th right here!

Volunteer! Meet Real Characters!

Volunteer for Komen and you could go to Disneyland for free.

There are so many great reasons to volunteer for Komen, and this year Disney has added a fun incentive – the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion. It’s perfect for everyone in Orange County since we have Disneyland Resort in our backyard. To promote volunteerism, Disney is coordinating with many non-profit organizations and will reward qualifying volunteers with a one-day ticket to Disneyland or Walt Disney World in Florida.

There are rules and conditions, of course. First you must register with Disney www.DisneyParks.com for the Give a Day program. To find your volunteer day of service, we suggest you enter the zip code 92626 for Komen’s office. Then select Health and Human Services as the category and scroll down to the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Zippity do dah! The volunteer opportunities will be posted 60 days in advance, so know your calendar. You should get confirmation within a few days.

Cindy Brenneman, Komen’s Director of Volunteer Services in Orange County, says the volunteer jobs are assigned on a first come-first served basis. If your first attempt to volunteer is already filled, try again. Komen Orange County has opportunities all year long. Cindy says the 2010 Give a Day “has a huge value” because it will introduce new volunteers to Komen and will increase volunteerism overall.

Please let us know your experience with Give a Day and Komen. Let the magic begin!

Orange County Funds Research

Research holds the key to the cure for breast cancer.

Thank you to everyone in Orange County who walked in Race for the Cure last year, played golf in the Reds, Whites and Greens tournament or who donated money in honor of a family member. Collectively you all made a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

For the current fiscal year, the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has contributed $725,287 to Komen headquarters to specifically fund research. Applause! This is a significant donation to help find and FUND a cure.

How important is research? Komen for a Cure has a strong commitment to supporting research that will identify and deliver cures for breast cancer. This commitment has resulted in important progress that has contributed to every major advance in breast cancer over the past 25 years.  Komen is now the largest non-government funder of breast cancer research. Komen currently manages a portfolio of 759 active research projects reflecting a $298,004,655 investment. You can learn more about Komen’s research and grants program at  www.komen.org.

Small dollars add up to big dollars, and every donation can make a difference to unlocking the key to the cure. Thank you!

Two Sisters Invite You

Sisters Rebecca and Laura invite you to MasCUREade on March 5.

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”  – Albert Schweitzer

That wonderful sentiment is a driving force for the sisters and co- chairs of MasCUREade, the upcoming event for breast cancer survivors and co-survivors. Rebecca Hultquist, one of the co chairs, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. She continues to be grateful for the support of her husband, three daughters and her sister Laura. “I chose Laura to help me chair the MasCUREade because she completely fulfills my definition of a co-survivor. Mask or no mask, we’re all just everyday women trying to get through a breast cancer diagnosis together,” says Rebecca.

With that motivation, they and their committee are planning a terrific event for the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  The evening will be a celebration of wellness for survivors and co-survivors, with education and inspiration in the mix.

Save the date: Friday, March 5 from 6 to 11 p.m. for MasCUREade. Go to www.komenoc.org to learn more, to register and to read Rebecca’s special message.

Help Comes in Many Ways

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer, many organizations and programs can provide assistance. Here are two diverse programs you should know about:

The Susan G. Komen for a Cure College Scholarship Program is now open for high school seniors and undergraduates to apply. The college scholarship program was started to help students who would find attending college to be a significant financial burden due to the loss of a parent or guardian to breast cancer, or their own breast cancer diagnosis at age 25 or younger. The scholarship is $10,000 a year for up to four years to attend a state university. All program details are listed at www.komen.org/scholarship. The deadline to apply this year is February 15.

If you know a woman currently undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, please tell her there is a service that provides free house cleaning – one time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming treatment. Information is available at www.cleaningforareason.org. Cleaning for a Reason has over 500 partner cleaning services nationwide, including several in Orange County.

Blessings come in many ways! Please pass along this information to anyone who might benefit.