Relay for Life/ Dancing with the Stars

I have a wonderful friend named Sammie who just happens to be a ballroom dancer. She's pretty good (at least I think so, but all I know about ballroom I learned from "Mad Hot Ballroom" and "Dancing with the Stars" so I'm not sure how qualified I would be to judge).

Sammie is participating in a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society through their Relay for Life Program. Except Sammie isn't running in a Relay team. They're having a dance competition. It has been arranged for some local 'stars' to pair up with a member of the USU Ballroom team to learn a dance and then compete, with the overall purpose to raise money to be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Here's Sammie's Story about why she decided to participate:

"I am a choreographer/dancer for the Dancing with the Relay Stars competition in Logan, UT on January 30th as one of the Relay for Life events.  All our money goes towards the American Cancer Society in order to save lives.

It's amazing to think that millions of people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Somebody close to me may be one of them.

A Relay For Life event is not only a way to join my community to fight back against cancer, but it is also a way to inspire hope by raising funds and awareness to help those facing the disease.


I dance in memory of my dear, sweet, wonderful cousin, Jared Allsop who passed away from leukemia on October 13th, 2011.  He was one of the happiest and friendliest people I have ever met in my life.  My experience in the Dancing with the Relay Stars competition is focused on Jared and who he was.  He was someone who was always willing to take chances and lived a full, exciting life even though he died a few days before his 26th birthday.  One of his favorite movies was Titanic and so I chose to dance to "My Heart Will Go On" in memory of him.

Every day, the American Cancer Society helps people take steps to reduce their risk of cancer or find it early when it is easiest to treat. They provide free information and services when and where people need it throughout their journey to get well. They are investing in groundbreaking research to find, prevent, treat, and cure cancer, and are working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight.

Together, we have the power to help create a world where cancer can no longer claim another year of anyone's life."

Sammie has set a goal of raising $500 by the time of the event, which is January 30. If you can help her reach her goal (even small donation add up!) Please visit her page on the Relay for Life site:
Sammie's Fundraising Page

And a big thank you to all who support the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life!

Help Cystic Fibrosis Research

So, this weekend is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides fundraiser walk. My cousins have two cute little girls, both who have CF. As a family we have been able to see first hand the results of fundraising efforts that come from events such as this. Both girls have been approved for new medicines that were developed because funding became available through donors to events such as Great Strides. Both girls have seen significant improvements in their day to day living because of these medicines.
At Great Strides this weekend we have a family team, and still have a long way to go to meet the goal that was set for our team. Please check out the team page and donate whatever you can.  (The link is to my cousin's page, the mother of the two girls.)

http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?walkid=7977&idUser=369367

You can also go to www.cff.org/great_strides/ and search for "Team Bella and Emma" or find a walker Claudia Wardle. 

Thanks for all your support!