Teams assemble for Komen race
By KERRI BARTLETT
For Brentwood Home Page
Thousands of survivors and supporters in Middle Tennessee and beyond are quickly assembling their teams for the Greater Nashville Race for the Cure, which returns to Maryland Farms later this month. In fact, Sharon Kipp and her team, the “Boob Heads,” gathered last week to paint their paper maché boob hats, which will adorn their heads come race day.

Individual Race for the Cure teams – and there are literally hundreds -- are comprised of people who come together because the life of someone they know -- a friend, family member, coworker -- has been touched by breast cancer.

We met with representatives of three teams who will be participating on Oct. 29 to learn about their team goals, their struggles and their quest to help those who have been afflicted by the disease.

To join one of these teams, another team or to form your own, please visit  the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Nashville website, click “Join Existing Team” and type in the team name. Thursday is the deadline to join or form a team.

Meet Team Boob Heads

Sharon Kipp at the 2010 Greater Nashville Race for the Cure

After losing her paternal grandmother to breast cancer at the age of 12, Sharon Kipp, an affiliate broker at ReMax, became interested in raising awareness about the disease. Kipp wanted to do something to honor her grandmother and her struggle.

“My grandmother was a servant to the community, helping the sick and needy. I observed that from her and wanted to honor her,” Kipp said. “I remember when Minnie Pearl spoke out about the disease and raised awareness about the issue. I thought if she could do it, I wanted to be involved too.”

Due to these early experiences, Kipp has participated in numerous fundraisers for various cancer prevention organizations over the past 26 years, including previous Race for the Cure events.

However, years later cancer became personal to Kipp again when both her husband and daughter-in-law were diagnosed with it.

In the late 1990s, David Kipp suffered from Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was told that he had about six months live.

As a last ditched effort to save his life, doctors suggested that he try a trial breast cancer drug. It stopped the tumor’s growth which allowed him to be eligible for a stem cell transplant in 2002 and ultimately saved his life.

Kipp’s daughter-in-law, Christy Jackson Kipp, 40, discovered she had colon cancer that had metastasized to her liver in February 2010. The mother of 3-year-old twins and an 11 year old is in remission now.

“She'll be back on the team next year!” said Sharon Kipp, who has participated in the Komen race for 7 years.

 “The key is participation,” Kipp said. “I feel that participating in these events for so many years and raising money for this cause has contributed to good karma and has helped to save the lives of my husband and daughter-in-law.”

At the same time, however, Kipp and her Boob Heads like to add a little fun to the race.

Last year, team member Mary O'Neil, owner of Hot Potatoes craft business, invented crafty paper maché boob hats for the race. Kipp said at first the team was worried that some survivors might not like the paper machéd sentiment. However, after 20-year breast cancer survivor Mary Jane Sassaman, 76, said that she “would be proud to wear a boob hat,” they figured that others would feel the same.

She was right.

The costume was such a hit with survivors and participants that the team spent most of their afternoon posing for almost 200 pictures.  The Boob Heads currently have 19 members and are hoping that they will grow to 25 members. Returning team members are Patti Ingram, Mary O’Neil, Ann Smith (Kipp’s mother), Pam Salas, Lisa Viator, Lisa Ward, Jackie Gorman and Diane Page.

Meet Team Chamber for the Cure

Team Chamber for the Cure will unite in a sea of lime green (T-shirts with a footprint on the front) to show the business community’s support for Race for the Cure.

The Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber has participated in the race for the last three years since the race moved to Maryland Farms. Amanda Garber, marketing manager for Costco, is chairing this year’s effort, dubbed Chamber for the Cure.

 “We want to bring together the business community and show that at the end of the day, we want to come together for a common cause to raise awareness and make an impact on the community.”

Garber said that they expect about 75-100 businesses to be represented in the race. “Being a part of the team has been extremely impactful. Many business professionals who have contacted us are survivors themselves or have been touched by the disease in some way. Everyone has been very supportive and appreciative in our efforts to form a team,” she said.

Team member Kelly Roy, vice president of business development at Century II said, “We have many women on our staff who have been touched by cancer.” Of the company’s four administrators, “Three of us have had parents with cancer, and two of us have lost parents due to cancer,” Roy said. “So it is a natural fit for us to participate. We look forward to honoring the survivors and participating in the race.”

The chamber’s chairman of the board Guy Crossley said, “We'd like this to be the largest Komen event ever in Middle Tennessee. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to both support their community and such a worthwhile cause.”

Meet Team YMCA

Last year Team YMCA had 157 members, the largest team among faith-based organizations. This year they hope to exceed that total this year as well as exceed their goal of raising $6,000.

Vice-president of communications Jessica Fain said, “We see first-hand the challenges breast cancer survivors and their families face, and we also see the incredible impact philanthropic support has on connecting those survivors with resources in our community like our ABC program. Without charitable donations and grants made to our YMCA, we wouldn’t be able to offer ABC free of charge.”

As part of the After Breast Cancer (ABC) program, the YMCA offers participants a customized exercise program by a Pink Ribbon Certified personal trainer, nutritional counseling from a registered dietician and additional support and encouragement. The ABC program, which originally started in 2000 at the Cool Springs YMCA, was the brainchild of Wendy Hardaway, a local oncology nurse going through her own breast cancer recovery.

Survivor and ABC program participant Julia Steele, associate publisher of Book Page, was “blindsided” when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring. She had always eaten healthy, exercised and had been involved with the YMCA. Now in remission after a lumpectomy and localized radiation, Steele joined ABC to maintain her health.

“The program has made a difference in how I feel mentally and physically. Everyone is so positive, and it’s such a benefit to have people around who care about helping me get my health back.” The program is currently offered at five locations: Bellevue, Cool Springs, Clarksville, Maryland Farms and Rutherford County.

The first 200 registered participants of TEAM YMCA will receive a free Team YMCA dry-fit running shirt.