Sixty Miles for Sarcoma
July 19-23, 2010, in Cornwall, United Kingdom

A Sixty mile trek along the North Cornwall Coast over five days, starting Monday 19th July. We will be walking from Bude to Mawgan Porth Beach, taking in some of the best views in Cornwall. Visiting Tintagel, Padstow and Port Issac, home of TV’s Doc Martin. Anyone can join us for the full 5 days or for part of the walk.

• For more information, please contact Brian Lewis.
• Learn more about this event on Facebook.

What inspired you to organize a Team Sarcoma event?
When our son, Logan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the pelvis, the cancer took control of our lives. As parents, we could support our child and focus on immediate issues, but there was always an underlying feeling of helplessness, and hope was in the balance.

Four months into our son Logan’s chemo, I saw the video “A Forgotten Cancer,” and I learned about International Sarcoma Awareness Week. I liked what I read about the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative and FJC. We trusted the high rating given by Charity Navigator and the fact that no one was taking a percentage of our donations over a small 3% administrative fee. I contacted Bruce Shriver and was instantly on board and dedicated to contributing to International Sarcoma Awareness Week. This was a month following Logan’s hemipelvectomy (the amputation of his left pelvis, leg and foot), and I asked Logan what he would think about us doing a 24-hour soccer event to raise money for sarcoma research. He had played soccer his whole life and was excited with that idea. So, “Soccer Round the Clock” came to be. Organizing our TSI event was a way for us to lessen the feelings of helplessness, and it increased our hopes for the future for all people fighting sarcoma cancers.

How did you go about envisioning and planning your event for the first time?
I visualized what I wanted Soccer Round the Clock to look like (and sound like and feel like), and I used that vision to plan.  I jotted it all down and discussed it with my husband.  Together we refined things.  We identified our needs, including safety, resources and media.  With our goal in mind and a detailed vision of our event we started talking to people about it.  We talked to those who have strengths in different areas to give us expertise.  We had several acquaintances throughout the greater area soccer community and although they did not know us well, they were eager to help and became a core group of volunteers.   Many of those people had connections to valuable resources, and things fell into place quickly and more easily than I would have ever imagined.

We invited the core volunteers to a planning meeting at a local pizza place, and as we shared a pizza dinner (on us…gotta take care of your volunteers).  We presented the event to them, showing and describing what we already had in place.  We had the logo for the T-shirts, posters, flyers, registration forms, and a website in various stages of development, and we were able to share visuals that excited the core volunteers on this newly established planning committee.  Then we talked about what we still needed, and as we went through the list we each began volunteering to complete tasks.  By the end of the meeting we had offers for help with several major areas needing attention.  Each volunteer left with a task to complete, and all were given materials for soliciting donations.  From that day forward whenever we went anywhere, we talked about Soccer Round the Clock.  Through those efforts we received promises of food donations, water for the players, someone to run concessions, etc.

At our second meeting we all had exciting updates about what we had accomplished.  A printing company volunteered to print the posters, a graphic artist helped us design a logo, and several area companies stepped forward to donate food or other supplies.  Some of the most forthcoming contributors were the major fast food franchises; they are often are locally owned and like to show their commitment to the local community.  They readily offered stacks of coupons for free items to be handed out to volunteers as well as participants.  They also were very willing to provide food items to feed our volunteers and in some cases our participants and spectators!  Anything that creates good will helps to strengthen the pull of an event as well as the strength of the message.   Local grocery chains were willing to donate food and other supplies as well.  These types of businesses often have an application process to go through, but if you have an organized description of the event written up along with a list of items you need donated and give them a couple months advance notice, they have always come through for us.  Many businesses will help out if you have a good cause, a good plan, and a way to publicize their contributions. We again left that meeting with tasks to complete and by the third meeting all of the planning work was done.

We had a plan for setting up, running the event, and cleaning up afterwards. We had media campaigns running on the radio, articles in newspapers and had all posted flyers throughout the city.  We ran a very successful event the first year and accomplished all of our goals!  In addition, we had such an overwhelming response from the community to do it again next year that we knew we were in this for at least another year.

[A few of the more than 300 participants at the 2nd Annual Soccer Round the Clock.
Logan is seated in orange.]

What is the second year of planning like, compared to the first year?
Much less planning is needed because you just follow the blueprint from the previous year. The signs are already made, the contacts are identified and all you really have to do is ask the same vendors and volunteers for their help.  There will be some minor changes you may experience if you have lost a thread to a good contact, but for the most part year 2 is much easier than year 1.

What makes an event like yours (a sporting event, an event run by a family) a success? What are the key “ingredients” of your event?
Don’t be afraid to show the emotional side of the event to the public. Our event is so successful because our son, like all who battle sarcomas, has a tender and exceptional story to tell. He is a young man who has beaten the odds and who is now facing life with ½ of his pelvis, his leg and foot cut away due to osteosarcoma.

Logan was going through chemo the first year and watched every game, except for 4, from the sidelines of the soccer field. The second year he took his rightful position in the goal and played keeper for 3 games and he reffed 1 game. So many people were inspired by seeing Logan in goal again, a survivor and inspiration playing the game he loves so much. Our community has a lot of soccer lovers in it, and it was kind of a “if you build it they will come” situation. We now have teams reserving their favorite time slots a year in advance. It is a family-friendly event and it is just a lot of fun.

What are some of the most useful lessons you can share with a first-time Team Sarcoma event planner?

• If you think you will be repeating your event over a number of years write down the event details as you make them and save EVERYTHING to refer to the following year.
• Make sure you are aware of any regulations, permissions needed, fees that may be attached to the location in which you would like to hold your event. Some cities may require submission of Special Activity Request and approval from a governing body prior to holding your event. Also sign, noise or activity ordinances should be researched and adhered to. I found this information on our city website.
• Once you have your date, times and location secured then you can start planning the details.
• Make detailed lists using the good old reliable “peeling an onion” analogy. Start at the big picture needs- required paperwork, donations, volunteers, advertising, materials, etc. Then break down each of the big picture areas into more detail, continuing with more and more detail until you have listed all your needs, all the way to post-event activity such as thank-you cards, etc. It was easiest for me to just do this on my own simply by visualizing what the event would look like at every angle and fill in the details as I thought things through.
• Make banners generic without dates so you can use them year after year without needing new ones made.
• Contacts usually are a four-step process: 1. An introduction and request for help (face to face if possible). 2. A follow up email describing the agreement you made with this person. Ask the recipient of the email to confirm receipt of the email and that they agree with the details as you have described. Make sure this includes what you will be doing for them. (ie. We will put your logo on our t-shirts, give you paperwork for tax purposes, etc.). 3. About 1 week prior to your event call to make final confirmations and plans for pick up/delivery, etc. phone call to confirm the agreed upon specifics. 4. Send a thank you letter.
• Publicize your success. Let the community know how successful the event was: how many people attended, how much was raised and donated to research and how the community helped. Once you receive any information about specific research projects that have come about from your donations, make sure to publicize that too. People want to see the good that is being done through their generosity.

Lori wrapped up her interview with the following comments: Soccer Round the Clock is a large event and requires months of preparation.  There are definitely less complex ways to raise money than a 24-hour soccer event.  If you would like to duplicate a similar event in your community, we are here as a resource.  Please drop us a line through our guest book.

Inspired to plan your own event? You can make a difference! Learn more.

The 3rd Annual Soccer Round the Clock event will be held in Jackson, MI, at Ella Sharp Park and Justin Mehall fields, located on 4^th avenue near Parkside Middle School. The event will bring together soccer teams of all ages and abilities in the spirit of fun with a purpose: to support sarcoma cancer research. Hundreds of people will volunteer their time to play soccer with registered teams in appointed time slots – to once again achieve 24 continuous hours of soccer play! Local referees have already committed time for the games, and business have committed donations to help support this worthy cause.

This event is a part of International Sarcoma Awareness Week, a global effort to increase sarcoma awareness and research funding. It is inspired by Logan Brasic: soccer goalie and 2005 graduate from Northwest High School in Jackson. Logan was voted MVP and made 1^st team all conference his senior year. He was headed toward college ball when he began to have pain in his hip. It was first treated by doctors as a sports injury.  Misdiagnosis is very common in osteosarcoma, as it generally forms deep inside bones and is often thought to be a sports injury.

Logan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, and his left leg and pelvis were amputated in January 2008. Logan is not alone:  There are thousands of children and families across the globe dealing with osteosarcoma. Children in our area are currently undergoing treatment at MSU’s Pediatric Oncology Hemotology Clinic in Lansing.  The children range in age from 5 to 20 years old.  All have had surgery to remove the cancerous bone.  Two of those surgeries were amputations, and the others were limb salvage surgery, where the bone and joints are removed and replaced with artificial ones.

Because osteosarcoma is a rare cancer, funding for research primarily comes from donations to fundraising efforts like this one. All Soccer Round the Clock registration fees and donations will used for osteosarcoma research through the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. Previous Soccer Round the Clock events in Jackson have raised more than $14,000 for research funding!

• For more information, contact Lori Brasic.
• Join the Soccer Round the Clock Facebook group.

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The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative is a Collective Giving Fund within FJC, a 501 (c)(3) Not-for-Profit Public Charity and a Foundation of Philanthropic Funds. As such, all donations and gifts made to FJC that are designated for the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law. Charity Navigator, an independent agency that evaluates and ranks over 2,500 of the largest U.S. charities on various characteristics, has awarded its highest rating of four stars to FJC. FJC joins a select group that “exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities” in its respective mission.

This event will include live entertainment, auctions and raffles! Details will be posted soon.

• For more information, contact Leigh Webb at mobile 0410688399.
• Learn more about this event on Facebook.

• What can we do to honor and encourage our loved-ones who are affected by sarcoma?
• How can we raise money for funds to help cure sarcoma?
• Can we make a difference if we join the global Team Sarcoma Initiative?
• How many people can we reach with our our vision?

Thousands of people, more than a million dollars
Every year this movement grows, because people realize that they CAN make a difference. Creativity and dedication make things happen! When you commit to start a team, you will find that people rally around you to help. In seven years, Team Sarcoma events have raised more than $1 million for a host of organizations that support sarcoma research, clinical trials, and patient and family services. Even during a recession, participation and funding doubled in 2009. This year, we need YOU to help us meet the growing needs of sarcoma patients everywhere! Read more about getting involved.

Support Team Sarcoma on Firefox
Show your support for sarcoma awareness and research (and get a free browser makeover) by wearing the Team Sarcoma persona.

Get the news and spread the word

• Check out the new photos and links in our Facebook Group.
• Watch the year’s plans unfold on Twitter.
• Learn about local events as soon as we do – sign up for e-mail updates.

We thank you in advance for the success that is to come!

This post is a placeholder for an event description. As soon as details are provided about events, we will post them here. We expect to have the details on events in April, leaving you plenty of time to find an event near you and join in the fun.

If you’d like to get the scoop on events as soon as details are posted, subscribe to receive updates automatically in our web feed or in e-mail.

You can help us reach 20,000 people!

Tired of waiting to see if someone will plan an event in your neighborhood? You can be the person to stand up and make it happen! There are plenty of days during International Sarcoma Awareness Week, and there are endless event possibilities. If you have a supportive community, consider planning your own event and getting everyone involved in the effort to increase sarcoma awareness. Contact us for more information.

Final Count of Participants: 16,894

A report of the week’s events, as published in the Electronic Sarcoma Update Newsletter, follows.

An Overview of the Week

The Team Sarcoma Initiative grew to involve 16,894 people in 2009. That number more than doubled last year’s and far surpassed our goal of 10,000 participants. The following graph shows the rapid growth in participation in the Team Sarcoma Initiative since its inception in 2003.

Growth Trend in the Team Sarcoma Initiative

A wide variety of activities were held around the world to increase sarcoma awareness, and teams raised over $450,000 to support various cancer centers and advocacy groups.

There were 2009 Team Sarcoma events in 14 countries and 28 states in the United States. Nearly all of the 90 events occurred during International Sarcoma Awareness Week, July 18-26, while members of the core team cycled from Cumberland, MD, to Washington, DC. The core team came together from 10 countries and represented 11 types of sarcoma.

An Overview of Team Sarcoma Events

As overall participation increased, thousands of people heard about sarcoma and attended sarcoma-related events for the first time. Lithuania joined the Initiative this year, as did teams in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, and South Carolina. Australia became the country with the most events outside of the United States and added some exciting activities, including dancing and surfing, to the array of TSI events. The Mexico team once again held the largest local event, where more than 2,000 people raced through Mexico City and into the Olympic Stadium. Poland held their first major event, where more than 1,100 people cycled through Warsaw. In North America, tens of thousands of people heard about sarcoma at a Kansas City Royals game and a Toronto Blue Jays game.

From China to Croatia to New York, educational events remained a strong component of the Initiative. Groups of patients, families and friends hosted a variety of creative activities this year. A little girl in Virginia started “Emily’s Lemonade Stand for Sarcoma,”where she accepted donations and shared information about sarcoma with more than 300 people. Several volunteers in Michigan spent all day in the summer heat washing dogs and raising money for leiomyosarcoma research. And the temperatures in Texas soared as a group of friends washed cars in Katy, and runners dressed as superheroes raced in Waco. Online activity increased dramatically when nearly 3,000 people posted information about sarcoma on their Facebook pages. The list of teams and organizations involved this year is truly impressive and is given at the end of this article.

Participation Around the World

We are thankful for the hundreds of people who volunteered their time and talent to create such a successful global Initiative. We also appreciate everyone who participated, many of whom walked, ran, cycled, surfed, danced, hula-hooped and donated to make a difference.

2009 Press Coverage

Many team organizers and participants were interviewed by the media. You’ll find their stories in the right column of this article. The following official press releases provide more information about the Initiative.

Dignitaries Honor the Team Sarcoma Initiative
International Sarcoma Awareness Week
Moments in Sarcoma Winners

Enhancing the Team Sarcoma Initiative Infrastructure and Visibility

Last year we wrote about stepping up our efforts to accommodate growth in the Team Sarcoma Initiative. The dynamic Team Sarcoma website is a result of those efforts, and it has allowed us to keep visitors updated as events occur. During a special project called Moments in Sarcoma, more than 100 visitors wrote in and shared their sarcoma experiences with us. New moments were featured daily on the site from April through August, and two survivors who shared their experiences were awarded sponsorships to join the Team Sarcoma Bike Tour.

There was a drastic increase in the number of visitors to the Team Sarcoma site during July, and many event organizers reported surprisingly high turnouts. We also worked to grow Team Sarcoma’s social networking presence throughout the year, and we now have nearly 3,000 members in the Team Sarcoma Facebook Group, where we post news and event announcements.

We will continue to adjust the way that we work in order to support local teams, communicate personally and effectively with team organizers and the public, and spread the word about the movement. Because of the Initiative’s growth, we are seeking additional volunteers to help with global coordination. We will request that team organizers communicate with us by certain dates in order to ensure that we market events to the greatest extent possible. We also plan to streamline our procedures so that communication is quicker and easier for everyone involved. Your feedback and suggestions are welcome.

You are Invited

Volunteers are already working to coordinate and communicate next year’s global Initiative, which will occur during the week of July 17-25, 2010.

Committed and caring people around the world have made the Team Sarcoma Initiative more successful each year. Our goal in 2010 is to have 20,000 people involved in a life-changing Initiative. Families are invited to plan events in their communities to increase awareness or raise funds for sarcoma research. Advocacy groups and cancer centers are invited to plan events that will strengthen their ties with patients and increase their reach. Whether enjoying a backyard barbeque, an educational seminar, or a thrilling race: Together, we are making a difference! Visit the Team Sarcoma site to learn about getting involved.

Official Team Sarcoma events need to be registered with us before they take place. It’s a very simple process: Send us a note as soon as possible telling us that you’d like to organize a local Team Sarcoma event, and we’ll be happy to provide more information.

About the Team Sarcoma Initiative

Since its inception in 2003, the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative has coordinated the Team Sarcoma Initiative. The effort is achieved through collaboration with numerous individuals and organizations that share a similar vision. Monies raised by Team Sarcoma events benefit many organizations and have funded more than $1 million in sarcoma research, advocacy and support to date.

There were 556 people at the event, which raised $6,155.

The event started off with a forecast of terrible weather (extremely gusty winds, hail, thunderstorms!!!!). We had not had rain ALL summer either. We were a little worried about how the event would go and how many people would actually show up.

During registration (7:45-8:45am) there was lightening, thunder and LOTS of wind and rain. However, people just kept showing up! The race was to begin at 9am and we thought we might have to postpone the race start time. Yet at a little before 9am the rain stopped, the skies actually cleared up and the race started on time! We had a Pastor say a few words before the race along with a prayer, and then Jim Hauser started the race. The runners and walkers were off!

In each registration packet we put a “Sarcoma Knows No Borders” bracelet and Sarcoma Fact Sheet and a t-shirt that had the Team Sarcoma logo on the front, with Team Hauser on the back. We also had bracelets for people who donated at the event, and all 250 were gone at the end of the event!

After the race, there was a Kids Fun Run, where 45 kids ran a mile. Each participant was given a purple ribbon that stated, “I participated in the Kids Fun Run for Hope”, with the Team Sarcoma logo in the middle of the ribbon. At the bottom of the ribbon it said “TEAM HAUSER”. The ribbon looked really neat and the kids were excited to receive a ribbon for running.

Awards and door prizes were given after the race. Jim Hauser awarded each 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner with a prize and a medal that had the Team Sarcoma logo on it. On the back was inscribed “5K Charity Run/Walk for Hope in Honor of Jim Hauser.”

The event turned out to be so tremendous! It was unbelievable to see how much our community supported our event! And…the weather turned out GREAT!

• Read about this event in the Sandusky Register or the Fostoria Focus.

There was beautiful weather and a fantastic turnout of about 150 people for “All Wheels Welcome” 2009. Nearly $13,000 was raised for Sarcoma Research at Johns Hopkins, between registration for the event and generous donations from participants and their families.

We were so happy to see a variety of wheels in attendance this year: scooters, roller blades, bicycles, wagons, and even a wheelchair. We also had walkers and runners join in. Entire families came to the event…parents with their children, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. It was clearly a TEAM effort across the board.

Local area donors who provided fresh fruit, yogurt, donuts, bagels, coffee, juice, water, muffins (Einstein Bros Bagels, Donut Shack, Sheraton Hotel, Marriot Hotel). Our specially designed Team Sarcoma T-Shirt were all donated by the Mulhern Family and were provided with “Sarcoma Knows No Borders” bracelets to participants.

Everyone truly had a wonderful time and enjoyed being out for a good cause. We generated a lot of buzz for next year, and everyone is looking forward to Team Sarcoma 2010!

Colin White renamed his business (normally known as the Kokopelli Kafe & Ice Bar) “Team Sarcoma” during International Sarcoma Awareness Week.  And on Monday, July 20th, he hosted a dinner and shaving challenge to benefit sarcoma research. Even though Colin was the only person to have his head and beard shaved that night, more than 50 people enjoyed the event and made donations. All proceeds from the night, plus donation tins located throughout Portland, were donated to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute in Melbourne. To read both news articles written about the event, click here.

The event was dedicated to Paul Alexander Fraser, who lost his life to Sarcoma Cancer on 20th July, 2008 (aged 31), at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute in Melbourne.