Today, as part of Charity Challenge week, author Karen Chilton Forber shares the very emotional story behind her Swim Across America fund raising....
Today, though, there is good
news about cancer. Early diagnosis and
more effective treatments are saving lives.
I have three friends who are currently celebrating more than a decade
cancer-free, and others who have every reason to hope they will hit that
milestone, too - and then keep going.
These improvements are the direct result of tireless fundraising, and
every chance I have to help raise money to wipe out cancer, I am on it.
In 2013,
I was thrilled when I was asked to contribute a story to Merry Chick Lit - Celebrate the Season With Six Sassy Shorts.
This compilation features holiday-themed short stories from a great
group of chick lit authors: Carolyn
Ridder Aspenson, Sarah Hitchcock, Francine LaSala, Nikki Mahood, Holly
Martin. I was very happy to keep such
talented company, and better still, ALL of the proceeds from sales of this
Kindle exclusive e-book go to New York- based breast cancer charity Rocking the
Road for a Cure.
Now, with the holiday season past, and with spring (hopefully)
approaching, I'm looking forward to another opportunity to kick cancer's ass:
Swim Across America. This one-mile open
water swim began with a single fundraising event in Nantucket, Massachusetts in
1987 and has grown to include dozens of events nationwide.
Annually, over 5,000 swimmers now
participate, and to date, Swim Across America has raised over $45 million for
cancer research, treatment, support and prevention. I take part in the Rhode Island swim, and
it's tough to ignore that the course is in waters where sharks - including
Great Whites - have increasingly been spotted over the years.
My imagination could easily drift to scenes
from Jaws, if not for my awareness of the reason I'm swimming. My Nana was
everything a grandmother should be. She
hosted countless sleepovers where she’d tuck me in and send me off to sleep with
“angel kisses” planted lightly all over my face - the absolute best way to
drift into sweet dreams. She’d let me
have Cookie Crisp or Lucky Charms for breakfast. She felt a swim in the pool was an acceptable
alternative to a bath. She could stop me
from behaving badly with a single glance, and she could relieve the greatest of
hurts with a hug.This year, once again, I will write her name on my swim cap -
along with the names of countless others lost to cancer - with a sort of
wistful pride. I will brave surf and sea
creatures because, frankly, that's nothing compared to the bravery exhibited by
cancer patients.After her mastectomy, my Nana showed me her scars where her
breasts had once been. She told me they
didn’t hurt. But I’ll tell you this. It
hurt like hell to lose her.
*Get involved or show your financial support via Swim Across America
* Buy the Merry Chick Lit ebook- all funds to charity
About Karen:
Find out more about Karen and her books on her website
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