Metavivor needs Volunteers

Hi Everyone! Metavivor is having a Nationwide call for Volunteers!

MAJOR EVENT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE METASTATIC BREAST CANCER COMMUNITY. BECAUSE. IT’S TIME….

 

METAvivor Awareness Campaign 2014

Sea to Sea for MBC

Metavivor is now accepting applications for volunteers! Even if you can only spare some small time to volunteer Metavivor needs you! No deed is too big or too small. If you care about Metastatic Breast Cancer, this is worth your time to help.

Event Overview: On February 1, 2014 breast cancer widower Marine Corps LtCol Joseph Fagan will depart San Diego CA, arriving in New York City on Father’s Day weekend. Along the way Joe will meet with researchers, including METAvivor grant recipients, dedicated to improving the lives of metastatic patients.

Joe’s involvement is very personal. In 2010, his wife Lainie Fagan was 29 years old and pregnant with their first child. At 34 weeks she was told her cancer had metastasized and that their child would need to be delivered early so that she could begin treatment. JJ was born October 1, 2010, but tragically it was too late for Lainie; Joe and JJ lost their beloved wife and mother only nine months later. Joe is passionate and determined to do his part so that others can be spared such a devastating loss.

Intent of Event – Awareness and Fundraising: Over 122 days Joe will run 3,845 miles, transiting twelve states and meeting with metastasis researchers, metastatic patients and family members. Public speaking engagements at various locations and the filming of his journey for purpose of a documentary will bring significant attention to metastatic breast cancer and give voice to a patient community that is seldom heard. A coinciding fundraising campaign will bring in valuable dollars to help fund METAvivor’s 2014 research grant cycle, estimated at $320,000.

Opportunities for Volunteers: To maximize the effectiveness of the awareness and fundraising campaigns, Metavivor will need volunteers nationwide in many different capacities.

Those wishing to volunteer should send an email with their name, email address and phone number to the volunteer coordinator: dewaynewilcher@yahoo.com.

Note: Committees are being formed now.

Sponsorship*	Logistics*	Volunteers*	Media Advertisement*
Donations in Kind	Route Organization	Orientation	Advertising
Major Sponsors	Transportation RV	Organizational Coordinators	Photography
Donors	Transportation Flights	Regional Coordinators	Documentary
Merchandising	Run Team Coordinator	Local Volunteer Coordinators	Ceremonial Start San Diego
	Lodging	Volunteer Hours Cataloger	Ceremonial Celebration NYC
	Meal Coordination		Research Center Stops
	Project Light Up		Social Media
	Running Gear		Homecoming Annapolis

You can also help by going to Metavivor’s Facebook page for this event and click “like”, while the page is still under construction. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-To-Sea-for-MBC/223255354499874

Follow on twitter so you will see the very first tweet!  @C2C4MBC is the official twitter account for this event.

Note from CJ-one of the co-founders of METAvivor:

One quick clarification. The Ambassador Program was launched in 2013 as part of METAvivor’s long-planned national expansion program. It is completely independent of Sea to Sea for MBC, although many volunteers with the Ambassador Program are volunteering to help with the Run as well. The Run is an exciting venture that will occur in 2014. The Ambassador Program is a permanent part of METAvivor and is run by METAvivor Board Member, Lori Marx-Rubiner. Volunteering for either program does not automatically volunteer you for the other. Those wishing to volunteer for the Ambassador program should contact the Director of that program, Lori Marx-Rubiner at regrounding@yahoo.com. Thanks!

“METavivor on the Move” – I am on the team

I have written about my passion (see: While Flying – Frustration surrounds Me ) for doing  everything I can to advocate for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). 6-10% of breast cancer patients are initially diagnosed at Stage IV (MBC). 30% of all breast cancer patients initially diagnosed with early stage breast cancer will eventually metastasize (or have what some of us call mets). 

In the US alone 1 woman dies every 14 minutes of MBC. I have many friends now who have MBC. Metavivor is an organization that I have great respect for. Like Advocates 4 Breast Cancer they are an all-volunteer, patient-founded organization. They are devoted to raising awareness about metastatic breast cancer, funding vital MBC research and they promote the concept that 30% of every organization’s breast cancer research funds should be devoted to MBC research.

Right now only 2% of all funds for breast cancer organizations go to MBC research. This has to change. As the Executive Director of Advocates 4 Breast Cancer (A4BC), I am proud that our organization is listening to Metavivor. We are devoting 30% of our funds each year to MBC research. We hope that other non-profits will follow our example and recognize how important it is for all breast cancer organizations to fund MBC.

As an update to A4BC, we are in the process of getting our official site up and we are working around the clock to have it done. We are now on Facebook.  Thank you everyone for liking the page and if you haven’t seen it, please have a look and “like” the page to stay updated. Please click on: https://www.facebook.com/advocates4breastcancer.

I am haunted by the death of my very good friend Li Bailey, and my other friends who have died from MBC. Unfortunately this list keeps growing. I also hate that many of my friends have recently become part of the 30% joining my other friends who have MBC. This disease robs so many of so much. We must have MBC research that continues to bring about “quality of life” medications that will extend everyone’s lives for years (not just weeks or months). Forty thousand women in the US alone will die from MBC this year.

Metavivor is also looking for volunteers. They have a fantastic campaign called “Metavivor on the Move.”, inviting people to join the volunteer team. They are establishing 10 regional teams, with representatives from every state, plus volunteers in Canada. Although I have a very full plate, I am part of the volunteer team doing what I can to help with Metavivor.  If you would like to volunteer to help in any capacity of your choosing, send an email to CJ@METAvivor.org

To learn more about MBC please check out Nancy’s Point at: http://nancyspoint.com/mets/

To learn more about METAvivor, please visit their website here: www.metavivor.org.