Creating a Memory in PR

Last Tuesday my PR Admin. class created a beautiful and memorable night for the Relay For Life Kick-off.  The theme for the event was 'Celebrate A Memory' which was based off of the American Cancer Society's theme for the year, 'Celebrating another Birthday.'   The planning for the event was a long process that required attention to detail, meaning and creativity. 

We planned this event with no budget for a 100 plus people.  To create some money to work with each member of the class decided to donate 5 dollars.  We were also able to get a 100 grant from The GIVE Center.  Thanks to Brooke and her connections we were able to get 90% of the food donated to the event.  The only portion of the food that was not donated were the cupcakes.  We had planned on getting those donated by another class, but that fell through when the day of the event we only received 24 of the 100 needed cupcakes for the event.  We ended up having to purchase the cupcakes last minute which ended up working out just as well.  The 'cupcake crisis' was a learning experience on how communication between parties should be constant especially when donations and volunteer efforts are being made.  The best way to learn how to handle a crisis is by experience.  

Besides the food, the decorations were impeccable and brought the event to life.  A big thanks goes to the decoration committee for painting boxes and banners, and tying a million ribbons!  We decided to go with a purple, black, and white theme to honor the the colors of Relay For Life and to make a classy event.  The venue looked amazing fully decorated especially with the staff (our class) dressed in purple, black and white.  

The best part of the event (in my opinion) was the slide show.  A special thanks goes to Keri and Andrea for putting together a very moving and touching slide show!  To expand the slideshow concept to the decor we decided to put poster-sized pictures of the cancer survivors on the wall.  Thanks to a donation of time and resources from my dad we were able to give the survivors these pictures so they can remember and celebrate a memory.

Through all of these donations of time, resources and money we were able to pull together this wonderful evening for cancer survivors and those involved with Relay For Life.  This event was rewarding and I hope that I will get to work on another event that is just as rewarding in the future.  

A Fighter for Now a Survivor in the Future

In this world there are fighters and destroyers.  There are the people that lift you up and those that bring you down.  There are survivors and those who all too easily admit defeat.  From the first time I met April I knew that she was not later of those groups, she is the fighter, the lifter and most important of all the survivor. 

            “Right now I am a cancer fighter and in the future I will be a survivor,” said April McMillan.  Last January, April found what all women hope to never find, a lump on her breast.  When she first discovered it a million thoughts went through her mind of what it could be.  Of course cancer was on the list, but at the time she convinced herself that it was a cystic fibrosis that is caused from drinking too much caffeine.  “At that time in my life I was drinking three cups of coffee a day” said April “when you are a music major you tend to drink a lot of coffee.”

            Finally in July, two weeks after two of her grandparents passed away (only 38 days apart from each other) she broke down and went to the doctor.  “After my grandparents died I realized that I probably needed to get myself checked out to make sure everything was okay,” said April.  The lump had grown significantly since her discovery in January and the week before the doctor’s appointment it was causing her great pain.

            After the doctor took one look at the lump, she immediately referred her to a surgeon.  The surgeon did a series of tests, commentating that he did not like the look of it.  “I think he has seen this so many times that he knew what it was right there, but still he told me to wait for the results to be positive,” said April.  After waiting two long days April received her test results back from the doctor, only to find out that it was what she had been fearing all along.  “In the back of my mind I knew what is was, but being in that reality and hearing the doctor say it was shocking and scary,” said April.

            April was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.  Since her diagnosis April has undergone chemo treatment and radiation that so far has worked successful in shrinking the tumor.   “The cancer had spread to little parts all over body,” said April,“I only wish that I had gone to the doctor when I first felt the lump then this could have been caught earlier.”

            Since the discovery of her cancer, April has made it a point to do everything in her power to influence women, especially young women the importance of getting a monthly exam.  “I do not want anyone else to go through this,” said April, “I want people to learn from my mistakes.”

            April is not the only person who has fought cancer in her family.  Her grandmother, Jeneane Vinson also had breast cancer and has attended Relay For Life every year since.  April’s great-grandmother also had ovarian cancer.  Allow there is a history of cancer in her family, April’s cancer is not hereditary. 

            April is a senior Music Ed major at Georgia College, she plans to graduate in May and continue her education by going for her masters at GCSU in music education.  Her goal for the future is to teach music to middle school students. Having grown-up in Milledgeville she attend Georgia Military College in seventh grade where she first learned how to play the flute.  “I have always enjoyed music every since I was little,” said April.  Besides having played her flute for a decade, she also can play and variety of other instruments and sing.  She is currently blogging about her experiences on http://aprilee2010.blogspot.com.   

            “Cancer is one of those things that you never know what is going to happen or how you are going to come out of it,” said April, “Sometimes I think God puts you in certain situations in life so that you can have the chance to influence others.”