Standing Up to Cancer

By Allison Berman
October 7, 2008

My "breast cancer column" ran two weeks ago and l was more than a little overwhelmed by the response. Casual acquaintances stopped me in the grocery store and the library. Complete strangers emailed me about your mothers, your sisters, your daughters, and yourselves. Thank you all for sharing your stories with me. Clearly this is a disease that has touched all of our lives.

I hope you will join me as I try to "Stand up to cancer." I know people who believe they can't make a large enough donation to make a difference. I see that as similar to the "one vote doesn't matter" logic - more on that in a future column- but for now suffice it to say, I don't agree.

I was 22 years old when I convinced my very conservative (read: suit and tie) company to permit employees to participate in Lee Denim day. Employees paid $5 to wear jeans (and a pink ribbon) to work. HR was concerned clients coming to our office would look unfavorably at the casual attire. Not so ironically, clients were thrilled because most people's lives have been touched by breast cancer. I will never forget riding the subway that morning: the sea of blue jeans and pink ribbons, the comradery among complete strangers. While I am sorry to say the event passed, if you are interested in participating in the future or want to donate you can get more information at www.denimday.com).

As a team we donated thousands of dollars - something I never could have afforded to do on my own, but by organizing the company's participation I was essentially responsible for that donation none the less. I learned the valuable lesson that even if you can't give as much as you would like financially, you can always give of yourself - something I strive to teach my own children.

Blue jeans not your thing? The American Cancer Society has a walk in Woodbury Commons on October 19th. You can find more information at www.makingstrides.acsevents.org.

Prefer to drive? October 11th - BMW will donate $1 per mile to the Susan G. Komen foundation when you go for a test drive. BMW's goal is to log one million miles and raise $1 million. You can find the details at http://www.komennyc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=events_2008_bmw.

Are computers more your thing? Help eliminate "drive-through" Mastectomies. Women are being forced to go home hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor. Lifetime Television has a petition drive to show support for the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. Last year over half the House signed on. You can sign the petition by giving your name, state, and zip code at (http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

More of a shopper? Tons of businesses donate money to "pink" causes in the month of October. Just look for the little pink ribbon. You will even find it in your grocery store on everything from Pepperidge Farms's Milano cookies to pink m&ms to Philadelphia cream cheese.

This month do what you can. Shop. Drive. Walk. Write a check.  Together we can put an end to this awful disease. Together, we can stand up to cancer.

Like the Nike ads that used to hang in my college dorm room, Just do it.

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.