Plum Blossoms is off to a great start! Wearing Plum Blossoms buttons, thirteen energetic volunteers canvassed the five-mile route of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Central Park on Sunday, October 18th to promote the blog. Despite the unusually brisk morning, this walk, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, brought out tens of thousands of people of all ages, races, and gender marching for a cure. As they passed by, the volunteers handed out flyers announcing the launch of Plum Blossoms. A total of 1400 flyers were distributed!! This dedicated team of volunteers sewed together different remnants of my life: my family, students, and friends from The Chinese Mountain Club of New York and OCA-NY Asian Pacific American Advocates, a civil rights organization. Among the volunteers was my niece, Emily, a hotel human resources employee who was walking with her co-workers and distributing flyers at the same time.
Curious and smiling, people took the flyer, and continued walking and reading it with a thoughtful look in their eyes. Hopefully, they were thinking of someone they knew (maybe even themselves), who they could share Plum Blossoms with.
And NBC News Asian America published an article on Plum Blossoms today, October 26th. Five hundred and thirty people have visited the blog to date. Several people have already posted word of Plum Blossoms on their face book and its imminent launch was also announced on APPEAL's website. Plum Blossoms IS budding. And I look forward to the day when it will be in FULL BLOOM.
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In Memory of Po Po Agatha and in honor of my Aunt Liz
By Emily Ip
Breast cancer has had a major influence in my family affecting generations of relatives. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed in her early 60s before I was born. More recently, my Aunt Liz was diagnosed with Breast Cancer as well. This year she celebrates 6 years being cancer free! This fall, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer walk in memory of my Po Po Agatha and in honor of my Aunt Liz.
Sunday, October 18th, marked the 22nd anniversary of New York City's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Some of my staff and their families joined me and 16,000 others on a 5 mile walk around Central Park. As we started walking at 72nd street and 5th Avenue, we were surrounded by survivors, friends, families, and communities of all ages. Right at the start there were volunteers cheering us on: students from local schools and even families of survivors. One woman held a large poster that read, "Thanks to you, my mom is a 10 year survivor!" as she cheered gratitude toward us.
Being able to participate in an event that brought so many different kinds of people together, including my own staff and co-workers, was so meaningful to me. Meeting survivors and families of those affected by breast cancer was inspiring. I felt empowered to make a difference- in my life and in the lives of those surrounding me on this walk.
I'm looking forward to walking again next year and celebrating my aunt's 7th year of being cancer free!
Breast cancer has had a major influence in my family affecting generations of relatives. My grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed in her early 60s before I was born. More recently, my Aunt Liz was diagnosed with Breast Cancer as well. This year she celebrates 6 years being cancer free! This fall, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer walk in memory of my Po Po Agatha and in honor of my Aunt Liz.
Sunday, October 18th, marked the 22nd anniversary of New York City's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Some of my staff and their families joined me and 16,000 others on a 5 mile walk around Central Park. As we started walking at 72nd street and 5th Avenue, we were surrounded by survivors, friends, families, and communities of all ages. Right at the start there were volunteers cheering us on: students from local schools and even families of survivors. One woman held a large poster that read, "Thanks to you, my mom is a 10 year survivor!" as she cheered gratitude toward us.
Being able to participate in an event that brought so many different kinds of people together, including my own staff and co-workers, was so meaningful to me. Meeting survivors and families of those affected by breast cancer was inspiring. I felt empowered to make a difference- in my life and in the lives of those surrounding me on this walk.
I'm looking forward to walking again next year and celebrating my aunt's 7th year of being cancer free!
