Fight Breast Cancer with Strides Campaigns

Fight Breast Cancer with Strides Campaigns

It’s almost October - have you considered fighting breast cancer through your Second Life? The American Cancer Society is the global leader in the fight against all cancers, including breast cancer; and new fund raising tools are now available for anyone and everyone to show their support.

Fundraising tools are free and can be found on the Second Life Marketplace  https://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/222296 or by going to the Strides office on the American Cancer Society island.  https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society/197/209/22

The Strides Campaigns season is filling up with activities in several communities across the grid, but there can never be too many ways to fight breast cancer until we find the cure! Donations help fund initiatives including the Reach To Recovery program, a peer to peer program that matches trained breast cancer survivors with those recently diagnosed; raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and screenings; and funding research for better treatments and earlier diagnosis.

Therefore, we’re inviting as many communities across Second Life to take action now!

If you would like to plan your own breast cancer fund raiser, you’re encouraged to work within your community or group in Second Life to organize your own Strides Campaign. Make sure to let the American Cancer Society know about it by completing the ACS Calendar Event Submission Form so we can share it with others.   http://bit.ly/2mtffHe

All Strides Campaigns must use the official Strides fund raising tools that are provided by the American Cancer Society. Fund raising campaigns may include events, hunts, shows, sales, or simply putting out a donation kiosk at your club or store throughout the month of October.


If you want to fight breast cancer, but aren’t able to organize your own campaign, you can get involved with existing campaigns listed in the ACS in SL Events Calendar. http://bit.ly/2nx74JO



There’s also plenty of ways to get involved in events throughout the month. Check out the events below:

KEY STRIDES DATES

Out Shop Breast Cancer:

Starting Oct. 1 and running the entire month, this event will take shoppers across the grid, exploring and shopping at stores in support of Strides. Store-owners will use American Cancer Society breast cancer vendor kiosks to feature special products in their stores. A directory of participating stores will be available at the Strides office on ACS Island as well as on the Making Strides Second Life website at https://makingstridessecondlife.org.


Pink Powerfest
Oct. 19 to Oct. 26:

Pink Power Fest is an 8-day event that runs from Oct. 19 to Oct. 26. Kicking off the Fest will be the 5th Annual Strides Walk-a-thon. Each day after the kick off will have scheduled events to celebrate the power of pink, as in pink ribbon & the fight against Breast Cancer.  Entertainment will include Live Performers, Tribute Bands and DJs from across the grid, all hosted by volunteer hosts & hostesses. There will be Raffles, Gachas, & Vendors around the Fest as well with all donations & proceeds going to the American Cancer Society fight against Breast Cancer. Capping the Fest will be the Harvest of Hope Gala on Oct. 26, honoring all Survivors & Caregivers, and remembering those we have lost. Everyone is invited to attend.

5th Annual Strides Walk-a-thon

Oct.19

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. SLT

It’s that time again to put your best foot forward. It’s time to register for the 5th Annual Strides Walk-a-thon. This year’s walk will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 19 and be Pink Power Fest. Walkers will start the official laps at 10 am. They will be able to walk as many lap as they can until 6p.m. SLT.  For more information or to get involved, visit https://makingstridessecondlife.org/strides-walk-2019/


MSABC Gala
Oct. 26

Noon to 6 p.m. SLT

The annual gala event will be noon to 5 p.m. SLT on Oct. 26 and celebrate breast cancer patients, survivors and pay homage to loved ones that are no longer with us. This is a chance to meet new people,  reconnect with old friends, and share stories with others about your personal connection to breast cancer. This is a formal attire event with special live performances. Donations are encouraged throughout the event.


Do you want to hold a fundraising event for Strides? It’s easy and fun to get involved! For more information on guidelines for the event, visit https://makingstridessecondlife.org/fundraising/

Making Strides season is about to kick off!

AUG. 30 -- The 2016 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) Across Second Life season is about to kick off and we invite you to join with us!

This year’s theme is  “Blossoms of Hope” runs through Nov. 4, 2016.

"This year's Making Strides theme is "Blossoms of Hope," said Co-Chair Sandie Loxingly.  "We chose this theme to represent the seeds of hope that every person affected by cancer carries with them. Through our efforts in supporting Making Strides, we nurture these seeds and they blossom into a world with hope of a world of better treatments, early diagnosis and less loss from breast cancer."

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Across Second Life raises money for The American Cancer Society and is part of Relay For Life of Second Life.

Some key dates for Strides:

Sept. 1: Fundraising tools to be released
Oct. 23: Opening of the Blossoms of Hope Showcase
Oct. 29: Strides Walk starts at 10 a.m. SLT
Oct. 30: Honor Ball for Survivors & Caregivers
Nov. 4: All donations due from walk
Nov. 5: Wrap-up on Relay dAlliez sim

The 2016 Making Strides Committee is led by Leala Spire-Merchant and Sandie Loxingly. Visit the following link for a complete committee list: https://makingstridessecondlife.org/about-making-strides/organizers/

An exciting change for this year’s Strides walk is that we would like the walkers to reach out to their friends in SL and if you like real life to get sponsors for your walk.   The sponsors would agree that for every lap you walk they will pay a certain amount  to you as a donation.  The more sponsors you have the more you can raise for MSABC! Special awards will be given to top fundraisers.

Please contact Leala or Sandie in Second Life if you would like to get involved with the 2016 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer season in Second Life.

About Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
The chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer some time during her life is about 1 in 8. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
The American Cancer Society estimates for breast cancer in men in the United States for 2016 are:
About 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed
About 440 men will die from breast cancer
Breast cancer is about 100 times less common among men than among women. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. The number of breast cancer cases in men relative to the population has been fairly stable over the last 30 years.

About Making Strides Against Breast Cancer:
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer or MSABC is the largest network of breast cancer awareness events in the nation, uniting more than 300 communities to finish the fight. Every breast cancer walk and event is an incredible and inspiring opportunity to honor those who have battled breast cancer, raise awareness about what we can do to reduce our breast cancer risk, and race money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with research, information, services, and access to mammograms for women who need them.

About The American Cancer Society:
For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has worked relentlessly to save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Together with millions of our supporters worldwide, we help people stay well, help people get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer.

For more information please visit the sites below:
https://makingstridessecondlife.org/
http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/
http://www.cancer.org/