Neighbor News
How the 1,000 Stories Campaign Was Born & How You Can Join Us!
Learn more about our campaign to collect 1,000 stories of cancer within our community & why we're doing it!
I haven't felt inspired lately...
and when that happens I just need to step back. During my month or so of stepping back and just figuring things out; I found what I was looking for.
As many of you know, I'm very active in my local Relay for Life which is a huge fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. I spent quite a bit of my time organizing the event, fundraising & then some!
So back in July, I made the decision that I was going to go big for a 2018 fundraiser. I am setting the bar high for myself- higher than I ever have. I'm putting everything I have into this fundraiser with hopes of it working out. Because if it does work out, we could raise potentially up to $20,000 just in one night!
In order to achieve what I am hoping (details are currently under wraps with the nature of the event), I knew that I had to do something big just to get to the next step & secure a meeting. But I had no idea what that something big was. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, something just struck me while I was sitting at my desk & it all clicked. I knew I stumbled on what I needed to do to make the impact I am hoping for.
As many of you know, I'm very active in my local Relay for Life which is a huge fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. I spent quite a bit of my time organizing the event, fundraising & then some!
So back in July, I made the decision that I was going to go big for a 2018 fundraiser. I am setting the bar high for myself- higher than I ever have. I'm putting everything I have into this fundraiser with hopes of it working out. Because if it does work out, we could raise potentially up to $20,000 just in one night!
In order to achieve what I am hoping (details are currently under wraps with the nature of the event), I knew that I had to do something big just to get to the next step & secure a meeting. But I had no idea what that something big was. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, something just struck me while I was sitting at my desk & it all clicked. I knew I stumbled on what I needed to do to make the impact I am hoping for.
And thus; the 1,000 stories campaign was born.
The thought behind the campaign is for people, especially in my local community & the communities surrounding us, is to show how cancer has effected our lives. I have been participating in Relay for 5 years now, and I have met SO many people who have either battled cancer or have been caregivers, or who have simply known far too many people who have battled this disease.
While I was thinking about all those people & all those stories, I knew that I wanted their faces to be seen & their stories to be heard. I knew that I wanted to show even just a small percentage of how cancer is actively making its way through our community.
And that's what this campaign is all about. It's bringing us back to our roots, back to our experiences, our losses, our celebrations of life.
While I was thinking about all those people & all those stories, I knew that I wanted their faces to be seen & their stories to be heard. I knew that I wanted to show even just a small percentage of how cancer is actively making its way through our community.
And that's what this campaign is all about. It's bringing us back to our roots, back to our experiences, our losses, our celebrations of life.
For the next six weeks, until September 25, 2017, I'm collecting the faces & stories of cancer in our community. I'm asking everybody to do these few things to help us make the impact.
First- make a list of all the people in your life who have battled cancer. Second, print out your favorite picture of each person. Third, directly on the back of each picture, handwrite their story- in any amount of detail you'd like. Fourth, take all your stories- there's no limit per person- and mail them in. From there, I'm compiling all 1,000 (and hopefully more) stories and sending them out to the people I need to meet with!
Just imagine- opening up a box filled with the faces & the stories of people who have all gone through similar experiences. Who have lost so many people to a horrible disease. Imagine reading about the hopeful stories of those who are in remission. Or the inspirational families & friends who have stepped up to be caregivers. Just picture reading story after story, looking at the faces of each person who has in one way or another- been touched by this disease.
This box of 1,000 stories is going to be filled with every emotion out there. There's going to be hope, inspiration, sadness, anguish, anger, happiness, fear, love & everything else you can think of. This box will be proof that cancer is everywhere & that cancer effects so many. This box though, is going to show that even in the darkest of times, there is hope, there is love and there are fighters in all of us.
The goal of this box of 1,000 stories is to make the people opening it feel all of those things. And to then take all of those emotions & not only connect it back to their lives, but to make the choice to fight back with us. To continue to help us spread awareness & to help us continue to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Because not all we do is fundraise, but all we do depends on it.
First- make a list of all the people in your life who have battled cancer. Second, print out your favorite picture of each person. Third, directly on the back of each picture, handwrite their story- in any amount of detail you'd like. Fourth, take all your stories- there's no limit per person- and mail them in. From there, I'm compiling all 1,000 (and hopefully more) stories and sending them out to the people I need to meet with!
Just imagine- opening up a box filled with the faces & the stories of people who have all gone through similar experiences. Who have lost so many people to a horrible disease. Imagine reading about the hopeful stories of those who are in remission. Or the inspirational families & friends who have stepped up to be caregivers. Just picture reading story after story, looking at the faces of each person who has in one way or another- been touched by this disease.
This box of 1,000 stories is going to be filled with every emotion out there. There's going to be hope, inspiration, sadness, anguish, anger, happiness, fear, love & everything else you can think of. This box will be proof that cancer is everywhere & that cancer effects so many. This box though, is going to show that even in the darkest of times, there is hope, there is love and there are fighters in all of us.
The goal of this box of 1,000 stories is to make the people opening it feel all of those things. And to then take all of those emotions & not only connect it back to their lives, but to make the choice to fight back with us. To continue to help us spread awareness & to help us continue to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Because not all we do is fundraise, but all we do depends on it.
So how can you help?
It's easy! Choose to be a part of this movement by making your list (you can check it twice too), printing your pictures, sharing your stories & mailing them to use. Even better- once you do all that (it doesn't take too long either, I promise), share this campaign. I bet you can name 5 other people in your life who have also been impacted by cancer and who could help us.
If you're able to share your stories- we're looking to have them by September 25, 2017! You can mail them all - remember, there is no limit- to:
1,000 Stories Campaign
PO Box 598
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
If you're able to share your stories- we're looking to have them by September 25, 2017! You can mail them all - remember, there is no limit- to:
1,000 Stories Campaign
PO Box 598
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
I am looking forward to personally reading each story- no matter how happy or sad. These stories will remind me of why I choose year after year to fight against cancer through Relay. These stories will reignite that fire & my passion. These stories are going to make a difference, they're going to make an impact.
