Editorial
In 1993, Lucy Giuggio-Carvalho was still recovering from breast cancer when she pulled together the concept, the sponsors, the upfront money, and the determination to get a fundraiser off the ground. She called it Rays of Hope, and she likely had no expectation that, three decades later, that annual walk and run would have raised more than $17.2 million and still be drawing some 20,000 participants each October.
One key to its success? Kathy Tobin, director of Annual Events and Giving for the Baystate Health Foundation and a breast cancer survivor herself, may have put it best in the article that begins on page 20, when she said, “we celebrate life — this is not a downer.”
It’s true. Anyone who has gathered at Temple Beth El in Springfield to step off for either the 5K or 2K walk first experiences something special in that large parking lot. From the annual survivors’ photo to the outward celebration of progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment, to the simultaneous tributes to the fighting spirit of those battling cancer and reflections on those we’ve lost, it truly is a celebration of life — or, as Tobin also put it, “a big pink hug.”
In another story in this issue, beginning on page 24, we visit with Cancer Connection, which is currently marking its 25th year of offering those with cancer diagnoses — and, importantly, their families — resources ranging from support groups to integrative therapies to programs that raise quality of life by nourishing body, mind. and spirit. And, of course, the organization’s signature ‘befriending’ program, which simply provides a compassionate ear at a critical moment.
Sitting down with Executive Director Chelsea Kline to talk about this work is not, in any way, a downbeat experience; she’s actually one of the most positive people you’ll ever meet. “I feel very, very lucky that I get to be a tiny part of it,” she said. “It’s an awesome place.”
Both stories, honestly, were inspiring to write. These are organizations that deal with one of the most terrifying words to hear: cancer. But a cancer diagnosis, in many cases, is a little less terrifying than it used to be thanks to evolutions in research and treatment that have lowered mortality rates and improved quality of life — thanks in part to funding streams like those millions of dollars generated by Rays of Hope.
It’s also less daunting thanks to resources like Cancer Connection and others (like the Center for Human Development’s Cancer House of Hope) that are helping those with cancer and their families find inspiration, support, and positive interactions along their difficult journey.
In short, these are organizations — thriving, growing organizations — worth celebrating right alongside the scientists and doctors working toward a cure.
