Turn Your Passions into Purpose
This post is sponsored by the American Cancer Society; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Most of you have already heard my cancer story but if you’re new here or haven’t heard it, well then here it goes:
2001: I was just a little 11 year old and I remember it like yesterday. “I have cancer,” my mom told me. I remember then heading off to cheerleading practice where my coaches already knew — I was crying and confused and didn’t exactly know what that meant. They told me I didn’t need to practice and really, it was a bit of a blur. I had no idea how it would change our lives and what the future would hold but what I did know is that cancer was not a good thing. And this was the first I’d experienced anyone with cancer so it was just foreign and so scary.
Fast forward seven years...
2008: I was a sophomore in college, just 19 years old. My mom had been through seven years of cancer — chemo, radiation and more chemo. Years and years of this and we were told that this was the end. What was once colon cancer had metastasized and was now spreading like wildfire. They gave us a timeframe of two weeks to two months and so, I packed a bag and made the road trip back home to say goodbye.
Just two weeks from that day, my mom made her way up to Heaven to be with Jesus and now I have the most amazing guardian angel watching down on me and my babies, each and every day of my life.
Cancer is everywhere — we have a little cousin who had it as a child, my grandpa passed from cancer, we have many family friends who have gone through treatment and my grandma beat breast cancer. It’s everywhere and I honestly don’t know if there’s a single person who hasn’t been affected by it in one way or another.
Cancer is everywhere + we can help.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of Relay For Life, run by the American Cancer Society, but we’ve partnered up with ACS to spread the word about another way you can get involved and positively affect the lives of those with cancer. It’s a way you can turn your passions into a purpose:
Raise Your Way
Whether you love yoga or painting or throwing parties or you just love hiking and the great outdoors, Raise Your Way is the perfect opportunity to take your personal passions and create fundraisers for the American Cancer Society.
Here are just some ideas on how you can even include your kids in turning passions into purpose and creating your own fundraising event:
—> A bake sale or lemonade stand with the kids: Have your kids do some baking and/or make some lemonade and set up a little stand on the corner in your neighborhood on a warm summer day. Not only will the kids have a blast with this, but it’ll be a great lesson to teach them the act of giving, as the proceeds will not go toward them buying new toys or gadgets, but will be donated to a great cause.
—> A family-friendly yoga class: Find a yoga instructor who is willing to donate his or her time and put on a Saturday day morning yoga class in a local park for your community. It’s a fun summer activity for the whole family! Charge a small fee for participants, promote the event in your local community, on Facebook, in churches or mom groups, at your kids’ schools or even on Facebook and you’ll have a fun event for families to attend while making a positive impact on so many lives!
—> A cornhole tournament: Similar to the yoga class I mentioned above, a community cornhole tournament is always a fun idea! You can have a fun little prize for the winner, age groups (or just family teams for everyone), snacks and baked-goods for sale made by the families in your community and just a fun day for everyone! It’s the perfect summer event!
—> A kid’s art auction: Have the kids from your childrens’ schools or even just your kids best friends put together pieces of art. Frame them and set them up for auction with the proceeds going to a great cause!
...the possibilities are endless!
Every single dollar raised and every single event planned, big or small, makes a difference.
To get started, just click the link below:
The American Cancer Society’s mission is to save lives, celebrate lives and lead the fight against cancer. They provide cancer patients and their families with free places to stay near hospitals, free rides to treatments, a 24/7 cancer helping and so much more!
