Second Annual 'Stride for the Cure' Held at Meadowlands Racetrack

It is a disease that has a far reaching societal impact. Chances are that a majority of people know someone in their family or someone in their extended social circle who has been stricken with cancer.

Pervasiveness, however, does nothing to diffuse the impact. It was two years ago when Michael Lisa learned that his wife Annette was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"When the disease touched us we went through a panic and asked what can we do to stop this?," Lisa said on Saturday night at the Meadowlands Racetrack during his second annual Stride for the Cure fundraiser for cancer research. "It's pretty overwhelming."

The diagnosis hit particularly hard for Lisa, who lost his mother to breast cancer in 1996. With his wife now cancer-free, Lisa cannot help but think that his mother might have been returned to wellness if the drug advancements of today had been available.

Some of what helped form that opinion was a movie starring Harry Connick Jr., called "Living Proof." "Living Proof" is the true story of oncologist and researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon, a UCLA doctor who helped develop the breast cancer drug Herceptin, and his effort to keep the drug trials afloat.

"It was so encouraging to watch that movie," Lisa said. "The advances that they have made in research and medicine are incredible. Those are the real heroes - the folks in the laboratory."

Researchers may be on the front lines but there is always room to contribute to the eradication of a disease that has caused so much pain - and much of these efforts seem to be working. According to the American Cancer Society's (ACS) annual cancer statistics report, "Cancer Statistics, 2010," cancer death rates fell 21.0% among men and 12.3% among women from 1991 to 2006.
It is that evidence of success that spurred Lisa to create the Stride for the Cure annual fundraiser with the support of the Meadowlands Racetrack and the American Cancer Society. 

Much of the creation of the fundraiser had to do with Annette's readiness.
"I only started to believe I was a survivor this year," Annette Lisa said. "Psychologically each survivor chooses when they claim that they are a survivor."

"Last year I was not ready to proclaim because I was still going through treatment. Certainly the first year was the toughest hurdle to get over. As time passed you want get more involved and give back."

Family friend and Hoboken resident Hellen Mbiad, who is a triple cancer survivor -- breast, liver and ovarian -- said it's important to bring awareness in order to "bring hope to no matter what stage they are." 

Michael Lisa has been under contract as a horse racing photographer at the Meadowlands for 15 years. Because of the public nature of his vocation, he realized that he had a platform in which to bring more attention, and hopefully more donations, to his fundraising efforts.

"There are so many people who can do this but nobody does it," Lisa said. In this its second year, Lisa benefitted from more effort on publicity and family and friends creating awareness through word of mouth. About 100 attendees showed, roughly double over last year. And Lisa's son, Michael J., a music producer, invited his band, "I am Fighting," to play between races.

The next step, Lisa said, is to ask race horse drivers and horse owners to donate a purse or a portion thereof to cancer research through the American Cancer Society, the fundraiser's benefactor.

"I am the worst at asking people for stuff and I am doing this by myself," Lisa said. "I don't really know how to ask for help, but this year I am going to put it out there that I want volunteers going forward and I want people to help in whatever way they can."

Lisa's hope is that one day he will be able to see an annual featured race at the Meadowlands where all bettor proceeds are dedicated to cancer research for a cure.

"I am going to keep doing this until I get it right and it becomes what I envisioned," Lisa said. "I'd like the fundraiser to be a major event at the Meadowlands."