First Male Committee Chair Brings New Dimensions to 2014 Race for the Cure

This year, we are proud to announce Doug McKay as the first male Race chair for our 23rd annual Race for the Cure on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. This year’s Race theme is, “Race for Impact, Race for Breakthroughs, and Race for Futures”. Doug will be leading the efforts for our largest annual fundraising event to inspire action and hope for all those who have been touched by breast cancer.

Doug lost his wife to cancer at the age of 27. He has been through the challenges that a family has to overcome when faced with cancer and carries an understanding and passion for those who encounter similar situations in their lives.

As Race Committee Chair, Doug hopes to follow in the footsteps of individuals who have done an excellent job of laying the ground work. He will work alongside Komen OC staff in strategic planning, leading monthly race committee meetings, visiting Race Teams and speaking on behalf of the organization and its mission of ending breast cancer forever.

Doug has been volunteering with us for the past three years, and this year, he is revitalizing the traditional Race by adding new dimensions aimed at inspiring support from future generations – and also helping to raise critical funds for local breast health services, education and outreach. New to the 2014 race is a One-Mile Fun Run and Family Walk, and all children who register for the event will receive pink shoelaces.

Along with leading the 2014 Race for the Cure, Doug is also involved with multiple non-profits – from health, social services, education and art-based nonprofits – in his role as District Grant Chair at Macy’s, where he oversees Macy’s district and community grants all across Orange County.

Impact | Breakthroughs | Futures is this year’s theme for the Race for the Cure Orange County.  Doug and his team are working toward a goal of 20,000 registered participants, looking to exceed last year’s totals.  Awareness and involvement are key in achieving this goal.  Either as an individual or team, your participation makes a difference.

Haven’t registered yet? Do so today by visiting: www.komeoc.org/race. What inspires you to Race for the Cure? Share with us in the comments below!

Upcoming Events

July 24 – Team Captain Interactive Workshop at Noon and 6 p.m.

Team Captains and Co-Captains are invited to join us to learn more and ask questions about leading a Race for the Cure Team. To attend, RSVP to teams@komenoc.org.

August 10 – Survivor Celebration & Awards Luncheon

Celebrate breast cancer survivors and recognize our awards recipients for their outstanding commitment to the Komen promise of saving lives and ending breast cancer forever. Tickets are $35 per person / table of 8 is $280.

Girls Love Mail at the Race for the Cure

Girls Love Mail, a charity based in Sacramento that gives the gift of hand-written letters to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, will be hosting a booth at the Race for the Cure on September 23, 2012.

Founded by breast cancer survivor Gina Mulligan, Girls Love Mail collects hand-written letters of encouragement and distributes them to breast cancer patients through local cancer centers and doctor’s offices. To date, the charity has collected over 1,800 letters from all across the country!

In May 2012, Girls Love Mail participated in the Sacramento Race for the Cure with a small booth where they handed out information about the charity, offered health tips and provided stationery to write letters.

Their booth at the Orange County Race for the Cure will offer the same opportunities. The letters that are collected will be delivered to patients in Orange County.

Join Girls Love Mail in the MILE OF MAIL 2012 campaign to deliver 5,280 letters this year. Find out more at http://www.girlslovemail.com/. And look for Girls Love Mail at the Race for the Cure on September 23rd. Stop by their booth and write a letter!

Team Captains Ready to Race

On Tuesday, June 19, Susan G. Komen Orange County hosted team captains at the Race for the Cure Team Captain Kickoffs. As teams helped raise about 50 percent of the 2011 Race for the Cure’s revenue, group efforts are key in the organization’s goal of serving women and saving lives.

Two kickoff events, one at noon and one in the evening, allowed captains to not only learn more about the Race for the Cure and understand the impact of donations, but also share ideas to fundraise. From simple conversation to using a jar to collect change, these teams are inspiring one another and others in the community in the fight to end breast cancer forever. Team captains also received brochures and other collateral in order to spread the breast health mission and to create more buzz about their own teams.

It’s never too late to sign up your team for this year’s Race! Early bird registration is still available for a discounted rate of $30 and fees will go up June 30.

The next Team Captain Kickoffs are:

• July 26, 12 p.m. or 6 p.m., at the Komen Orange County Office
• August 25, 10 a.m., at the South Coast Collection Registration Suite

To reserve your spot for one of those dates, email teams@komenoc.org.

Mobile Edge supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Mobile Edge is a corporate sponsor for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and works closely with Komen OC. Mobile Edge donated 2,000 Cancer Survivor Bags and Komen Laptop Bags to help Komen OC reach our fundraising goal.

Mobile Edge booth

During the Race, Mobile Edge’s booth gave away three different laptop cases to participants who stopped by. Mobile Edge created the Caring Case Collection, which is comprised of pink-themed laptop bags all toting the symbolic pink breast cancer ribbon. Mobile Edge donates 10 percent of the retail selling price of each case in the Caring Case Collection directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

More than 300 individuals signed up to win. The winners of the drawing will be announced in the next blog post.

My Race for the Cure: Carla, Bob, Marie and Carrie Cammack

The four members of the Cammack family have been dedicated members of the Komen OC community for many years. Their history with the Race for the Cure goes all the way back to 1995, when Marie, then a freshman in high school, walked in support of her beloved middle school teacher who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Two short years after Marie’s teacher lost her battle, Marie’s mother, Carla, detected a lump in her left breast during a routine mammogram in 1997. The family rallied in support of Carla and walked alongside her as she participated in her first Race as a bald chemotherapy patient. The Cammacks were overwhelmed by the words of encouragement and cheering along the Race course — and after a second year as participants, they felt compelled to give back at an even higher level.

Now a 14-year breast cancer survivor, Carla Cammack has served three terms as Race for the Cure chair (2006-2008), won multiple volunteer awards from Komen OC, including the 2010 Komen Warrior Award, and remains steadfastly dedicated to creating a world without breast cancer.

Carla has passed the Race reigns over to her daughter, Marie, who serves as the 2011 Race for the Cure chair as we celebrate 20 years of saving lives in Orange County. Marie has previously served as pledge co-captain alongside her father, Bob, who has returned once again to fill this role, as well as countless other tasks that led the Komen OC Affiliate to name him Volunteer of the Year in 2010. To make it a true family affair, Carla’s second daughter, Carrie, is now back in Southern California and will join the family at the 20th Annual Race for the Cure, after volunteering with the Sacramento Valley Affiliate and organizing her company’s Race team while living up north.

Join the Cammacks as they Race for the Cure on Sunday, Sept. 25 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. It’s not too late to register – sign up online at www.komenoc.org/race or sign up in person by visiting Carla and her great team of volunteers at the Komen Race Registration Suite at South Coast Collection: 3303 Hyland Ave Costa Mesa, CA 92626.