Making Strides of Volusia-Flagler Presented by Politis and Matovina P A

Giving Tuesday. Now we are live. Cheryl and Jamie are just taking a second to go onto my Facebook page and do a watch party, so may look like they're not paying attention, but that's because they want to share this out live to the entire Volusia Flagler and maybe outside the area. So hello everyone, how's everyone doing today?

Awesome.

Is that lovely background there, by the way? I don't see the background when I'm— when we're on this, but I'm wondering if it's there. No, Cheryl, do you see a background on when you look at yourself on the live? I do not, but if you're watching this, um, we can see you and we want you to smile. Don't talk bad about Surrey, whatever you do.

I do. I went on to yours, Adrienne, I do not see it.

So, okay, okay, so, okay, all right, we'll have to get Carmen to help me because for some reason— I'm gonna try one more time though and see if I could get that beautiful, beautiful background that lovely Carmen did for us. So I'm gonna try it one more time and see. Now she may have something better than I have. I'm not able to do it. All right, Jamie, are you all set?

I am set.

All right, well, good evening everybody and happy Tuesday. Happy Giving Tuesday now. So I, I'm sure you've all heard all day and we've been promoting, but I am Cheryl Sullivan. I'm the staff partner community development manager and I work with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and with Real Men Wear Pink for the American Cancer Society. And this evening we just wanted you to meet some of our great volunteers, because our event is run by a volunteer committee and by volunteers the day of the event. So they're the ones, it's you in our community who make this happen for us. So without further ado, I will start with these are our sponsorship leads, and we have Jamie Barkley, who is the sponsorship chair for this year's event. And Jamie, tell us a little bit about yourself and why you wanted to become involved with the American Cancer Society. Do we have a delay?

Jamie, I'm here.

Oh, okay. So go ahead and tell us why— a little bit about yourself and why you wanted to be involved with the American Cancer Society.

Well, I'm having some technical difficulties. Hang on, guys.

Okay.

Okay.

No worries.

Does everyone have headphones? Yes, I can hear you.

Well, Cheryl, thank you for introducing me. It's, you know, American Cancer Society has always been something I've been very passionate about. And actually, it started back when I was young. My mother was actually very involved with the Cancer Society when I was a kid. And it just left a big impact on me and the things that we were affected by. Our family has been affected by cancer for many years. And fast forwarding, one of the things I've lately been incredibly passionate about is my mom is actually a breast cancer survivor. My sister is a survivor. And unfortunately, my dad just passed away a couple months ago. He actually had complications from cancer, from chemo treatment, and we lost him way too early. As you can imagine, for our family, that's been incredibly hard. And being so new, we're just going through that. But this is my second year to be heavily involved with making strides against breast cancer and Obviously, near and dear to my heart is many of us have been affected. I mean, every single one of us is touched by cancer. As we've talked so greatly about, cancer never stops. And whether it's us directly, it's a loved one, a friend, God forbid a child. We've seen friends that have lost children to brain cancer. It touches us every day. And even during this COVID-19, cancer has not slowed down. It will not stop. And as long as I'm involved with the effort, I'm— people are going to hear my passion. They're going to hear why it's so important to me. I don't care what people do professionally. I don't care what it does for business. What I care about is we're loving on people right where they're at, helping them with their needs. And, you know, a lot of people, we don't even know that they have cancer. They don't share it. We just got to make sure that people know that we are passionate about it. We believe in what we're doing. I just love, Cheryl, what your organization is doing. I'm proud to represent it. I know Adrian is. We've got a lot to be done this year. COVID may have slowed us down a bit, but I'll tell you, with the committee that we've got put together this year, It's exciting. And I think more people are going to step up than ever have before. We're— hopefully we'll push 300+ teams. One of my favorite parts, honestly, is their survivor moments at the event where the medals are given out. Gosh, I could just go on and on. I could spend the next 2 hours talking about the—

That is a very emotional part of the event.

—step up. But again, to answer your question directly, it's just recently with my dad passing, that hit the soul and it hit it hard. I wasn't ready. I had unfinished business with my dad and unfortunately we lost him way too early.

I know that was tough and we appreciate what you're doing, Jamie, so that others don't have to go through that. I know I myself am from a family with a strong history of cancer. When I was younger, my mother had breast cancer and a younger cousin, my brothers had 2 different types of cancer, and I myself have had melanoma multiple times. So it really does touch us. There's very few who it does not touch. If you haven't had it, most people have a dear friend or family member who is touched. So, so, Adrienne. Adrienne is also on our sponsorship team, and she actually has a lot of history with the American Cancer Society as well. So, Adrienne, tell us a little bit about yourself and why you're so happy to be part of the American Cancer Society.

So I moved to Tucson in 2016 and I was looking for a nonprofit. And if I'm going to do something, I'm going to go right to the top. I'm going to do the best. And so I had the opportunity to apply for the community development position in Tucson for American Cancer Society. And why wouldn't I go to the number one health organization that is doing such great things? It was not a question to me that I would, would want to work for American Cancer Society. And the office was just absolutely lovely. Cancer does not run in my family, and many people that I knew that had cancer seemed a million miles away. But once I joined American Cancer Society as a staff member and just like you, Sheryl, as a volunteer. And so I was there for distinguished events, but I volunteered with beautiful Alexis on her Strides team. Now, I tell you, I, I strived for Nina. I strived for Dr. Liz. The names just go on and on of those who have had breast cancer and other cancers. Because when you work for American Cancer and you see the services And we were lucky enough to have the, the Feel Good program into our office. So I got to meet a lot of people, but I will tell you, my mother passed away during, in the beginning of the Strides walk on October 22nd, 2017. And our director said, Adrienne, do you want to go home? And I was like, my mom would not let me go home. She would want me to keep working. May I? High-five everyone coming in. So about 10,000 people, my daughter, my husband, and I were able to high-five on behalf of my mother, Gloria Pick Barker. That was a beautiful moment. And I am just absolutely so happy now to be part of the Strides and to still have all my relationships in Tucson, Arizona. And I give them a lot of shout out too because they're absolutely all doing a great job. So I'm happy to be on your team, Cheryl, and I'm happy to have Jamie be my boss.

We'll just call it your partner in crime.

Yeah, um, and many may know that with the COVID and everything, we have temporarily our offices closed, but we're all still working from home and we're still offering so many services. Um, our 800 number support line is still manned 24/7. Just a little interesting during the COVID I mean, this is so concerning because you have patients who are already affected by cancer and then you throw COVID on top of it. And I know Dr. Lynchfield, who is our chief medical officer, he recently was quoted in the, I believe it was the Washington Post, that The patient who has cancer who then is exposed to COVID is actually 3 times more likely to result in a death than your average, the 2 to 3% of the population who may succumb to COVID. So they're already battling cancer and now they have this on top of it. So it's so important that we keep up the work we're doing. And just within a 16-day period, we had over 35,000 calls come into that 800 number. Wow. And over 80% of those for COVID-related questions. So we're able to be there, and we're able to help answer some of these questions and address some of the concerns. And you can still go to cancer.org. We had— and I want to quote this correctly— a 961% increase in activity to cancer.org, because that's reliable, verified information before that information goes out there. So these are some resources you can still have. Come out or take advantage of. And we also have the Cancer Action Network, ACS CAN, our advocacy branch, and they were very, very active in getting parts of the CARES Act passed so that we could continue funding for these much-needed testing for COVID. And also provisions in that act to help these nonprofits such as American Cancer Society continue during this difficult time. So I want everybody to know these are just some of the things that we're doing. So, Adrian or Jamie, why don't— what can some people do to help us here locally?

Well, you know, it starts with a team. If you could tell us about the teams right now, where we're at and what our goals are as far as the teams are concerned, because Really, honestly, that's where the people can start first, is putting that team together and bringing, bringing out a great group of people to support the cause. Because as you know, we usually typically have between 13,000 to 15,000 people walking that day. Yes, we do. Yeah.

Right now, Cheryl, team-wise, right now we're trending exactly right in line with where we were this time last year. So people still want to be part of it. People still want to come out. Um, it has— our fundraising changed a a little bit. Yes, we're seeing a lot more virtual online events and programs. Even some of our Relay events have had to be postponed, but we have every intention of continuing on with those. We'll postpone them, but we'll still have them. But in the meantime, we can still do so much virtually. We've had virtual Relays. We've had scavenger hunts to raise money. Right now we have lip sync The lip sync challenge, which Adrienne did a great job at. So there's, there's still so much you can do. You can go ahead and sign up your team. Use this time to recruit team members, get your family, get your friends, get your business associates involved. If you know, we have Real Men Wear Pink. So if there's a man that you think would be a great candidate, then go ahead and send us information and go ahead and nominate him because we'll be starting to go through those nominations pretty soon to select. We usually only We have about 20 gentlemen per year. So these are just some of the things that you can do. Obviously, to do that, you would go to makingstridewalk.org/belushaflagler. And then also on this Giving Tuesday, I mean, this is a day that we're asking everybody to reach out and to help us out so that we continue. Awesome. Adrian, did you have anything you would like to add?

Well, I know the sponsorship chair would like to, which is Jamie Barkley, would like sponsors. And we have a variety of different, you know, it doesn't have to be an arm and a leg. It could be a couple of fingers that we're asking for. And we would like for you to sponsor us and at least get an idea of what we're asking for, because there's really some great ways to have your company get involved while also getting some publicity for being part of the Making Strides. So we love that, and there's some great, great things. And then the day of the event is going to be so much fun. Where's it going to be, Jamie?

We're down at one of our favorite partners down there with the Daytona Tortugas, down at Jackie Robinson Stadium. We— what a great partner they are, and we're Honestly, we're just so proud of that partnership, and their team down there has been absolutely incredible. It's such a great venue, and the new bridge is going to be opening up. Hopefully that new bridge will be open soon. Yeah, you hit it on the head, Adrian. Sponsorships are critical, and there are so many different ways to get involved. It's not thousands of dollars unless you feel led to do that. It could be a small sponsorship all the way up to the larger. More importantly, it's just remember what this is all about. Every penny matters, every dollar matters, every in-kind sponsorship matters. There's plenty of opportunity for people that can supply food the day of the event. Some companies have stepped up and they're going to give 10% of the proceeds back to Strides. So it's not always that extra dollar that you have to give up. You can actually give a part, a portion of your proceeds back to Lucia Flagler making Strides Against Breast Cancer. I would encourage you, reach out to any of us. Reach out to me, Carol, Adrian. We can sit down with you and tailor-make a plan that really fits what you would like to accomplish with your business. Obviously, a lot of businesses have been affected with, with this shutdown. What a blessing it is to see businesses start to open back up this week. So obviously there's more phases to come. We're very sensitive to that. And, you know, we'll just thank you anywhere that you choose to give. And it's not always treasure. It could be time. It could be talent. You choose, and we're here for you. And again, as I mentioned before, we've all been touched by cancer. One of the things that shocked me was men actually get breast cancer too. And yes, they do know that. But maybe, Cheryl, you can talk a little bit about that.

That is true. And it's actually the rate has— and I mentioned this a couple of days ago, just 4 years ago when I became a staff partner, it was 1 in 1,000 men would be diagnosed with breast cancer, and now it's 1 in 830. So it is on the rise. We're becoming more aware of it, and— but yes, the men do get breast cancer as well. And so we're advocating, um, cancer does not discriminate. There— I mean, does not matter your age, race, male, female, it does not matter. Cancer does not discriminate. It touches That's all.

So, and honestly, it will continue to touch us. It does not stop. The one thing I'm quite proud of too is we've got great chairs this year. We got Rick Durgan and Jamie Gallegos who have stepped up and are leading the charge. We all know how passionate they are about our community. Yes. And I know Rick's okay with it. He's a cancer survivor and extremely passionate about what we're doing. We've got some big lofty goals. As you know, Rick doesn't stop. Jamie doesn't stop. This committee won't stop.

I was going to say none of this team will stop.

That's what I'm saying. This committee won't stop. We have some fearless leaders at the top. We're going to knock— pardon the pun— we're going to knock the ball out of the park down there at the Terracotta Stadium. If that sounded Hokies, I'll apologize now, but I won't apologize later.

That's all right.

We are going to knock it out of the park. We're going to have some fun. And most importantly, we're going to celebrate the survivors. And honestly, we need— we just— we need to feel for the people that have lost loved ones. And I can— again, I can only attest because I lost one recently. I had a great conversation with another dear friend of mine named Frank who lost a loved one last year. You know, it's— it's— again, it's just emotional, guys.

So It is, it is.

So we got about 10 more minutes left, guys. What other things would you like to touch on, Cheryl? Because I honestly, I know you're the number one cheerleader along with you and Leslie, and you're behind the scenes. You guys are doing great things. So I would just, um, please, what, what can we do? What can the community do, Cheryl, to help you beyond sponsorship, beyond the other stuff? Let us know, please.

Well, and I guess it is, it's just a team effort that we all come together, and I would just say don't give up. I know that, that we are in really unprecedented times. We've never dealt with this before, but we've had Florida, you know, we've had hurricanes before and we've come through it and we've been able to continue. We've been able to keep our fundraising up. We've been able to keep providing those services that people depend on us for, and we are We're going to do that, and we're going to make whatever adjustments we have to within our organization as well. You know, we're hit as hard as anybody else. So I just tell everybody, don't give up and, and do what you can. You know, we know it's hard, but we know that a lot of people are depending on us and they're depending on what we do for them. So, Adrienne, I think— did you want to have something that you wanted to say a second ago?

Yes. So I'm proudly corny, and I want to just say on the heels of Jamie Barkley that first of all, Jamie, you took a great big hit and you spoke beautifully. Jamie and I would like to pitch you on sponsorship We feel it would be a home run for your business. We want you to get all the way and not strike out. And sign up today, go online right now and go to— Cheryl's gonna tell you again— and either join a team, start a team, or just become an individual, and that's absolutely fine too. We need walkers. Not all the walkers are part of a team. So those are the 3 things that we really want you to do. We want you to follow, and then we ask you at your place of work if Jamie can come in and pitch you. We really want to be able to talk about how the American Cancer Society can team up with your business to strike out cancer. Okay, that, that was corny. That was bad. Sorry.

I love it. No, it's okay, Adrienne. And you know, our theme is do what you can. And there's, there's not a prettier sight that you are going to see than on October 31st, Halloween, right now at this moment, than a sea of pink going over that bridge and coming back. And we're going to see people in wheelchairs, walkers, we're going to see it all, guys. And there's nothing more beautiful than seeing that sea of pink going over the bridge And coming back. And then we kick it off at the Tortugia Stadium, thanks to Jim and his team. It's going to be— we're going to celebrate. And honestly, as we come out of COVID we need to celebrate. And one thing we do realize too is there's a ton of other nonprofits out there that need help too, and we're sensitive to that. We're not the one-stop shop. Everybody has their own passion. You've got a— you've got something that pulls your heartstrings, and we respect that. But I'll tell you, cancer is something we can definitely, definitely be all passionate about. So, absolutely.

Anything you want to add to that? Well, two things. First of all, in talking about our sponsors, I would like to thank Polytis and Mattavina, who will be returning as our presenting sponsor again this year. We're very excited to have them. They've been with us, I guess this is 16 years now. It might be their 16th year supporting us as a sponsor, and then 7— the last several years they have been the presenting sponsor. So it is the Making Strides Walk presented by Politis and Mattavina. Jamie did mention it will be on October 31st this year, not that anything ever stops us from dressing up on that day, but we will definitely be dressed up for Halloween. That's gonna be a fun event. And, um, I would say too, watch our our Facebook page this week. If you're not already following us, it's @VFStrides or Volusia Flagler Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. And we have some great footage that was taken, drone footage, by Johnny Nomad Video, Johnny McGill. And we're going to be unveiling— I have something about that— unveiling that this week. Probably Jamie and Rick will be presenting that just to give you a little taste of last year and get you ready for this year. But when you talk about that sea of pink, when you see that parade going across the bridge, it is amazing and it just brings chills to you. So we'll do that. And I would also say when you're doing your teams and all, just think outside of the box. I mean, the ideas that team leaders come up with every year and their fundraising and their fun things to do and get to get their teams involved, it's always great. I always love to hear that interaction. So keep an eye out too. We're probably going to have some different for now, virtual events for our team leaders, but a chance to get together, socialize, share ideas. We're working on some of that right now. Another thing, we just had one come in today. Talk to your company, find out if they have matching gifts. We, you know, sometimes there's a little delay getting, but we had one of those come in today, a very nice donation from somebody who made their donation and then their business or company matched that gift. So look for those. Look, there's just so many things, so many ways to just turn those donations into bigger. But, you know, it all starts somewhere. I mean, we're not telling somebody, come in and give us the thousand. You know, if it's a dollar or $5 or whatever you can be comfortable with right now, it all helps. Everything helps.

We've got, we've got about 3 minutes left. Adrian, I want to start with you. Each of us will get a chance to close out our call tonight. And we'll be back. We're going to invite some team leaders back. We're going to do some neat things when it comes to these video calls. But Adrian, I want to start with you as we finish up tonight. We promise to keep it short and sweet. So how would you like— what would you like to say as we finish up?

You know what? Learn about American Cancer. Go on to cancer.org. It's an unbelievable site. You've probably been on it when you go to look up something and you don't even realize it. It's a layered site. It's a site for me. It's a site for a nurse. It's a site for a doctor. It's a site for the researcher. So go on to cancer.org. Learn the incredible services and research that's being done now. Thanks, Jamie.

Cheryl, how about yourself?

Well, and I would just say today is a Great time. This is the best time. Go in right now as soon as you finish watching this video and go register your team. Register yourself as a participant if you don't have a team. And, and if you can, I mean, we depend on you, the people who are watching us right now. You're the ones who are going to help us do our life-saving work. You're the ones who are going to help us meet these goals and continue on. And not just here, our local, but across the nation as well. So if you can, please consider making a gift today on Giving Tuesday. We're grateful for your support and we're grateful for anything you can do because we are going to stay Volusia Flagler strong.

Nice, great work. Well, as I close up tonight, guys, I do want to say that this is being recorded You will be able to share it to other groups and other places as we go forward. So, Adrian, thank you for putting this together. I, I just can't stress how passionate we are about what's happening in Volusia and Flagler County, and I just want to encourage everybody again, it's about your time, your talent, and your treasure. You get to choose where you want to put it and what you would like to give. So I just want you to think about that. Think about where you're at. Think about what you can do. We will support any and all businesses to the nth degree when it comes to your support. And yes, thank you, Politis, for your multiple years of support and sponsorship. And there's, there's hundreds of teams that have come back year after year after year. And gosh, we could just list them off. There's some people that have been involved from the beginning, and so many people deserve so much credit. So again, I just— we've all been touched, guys. I just can't say enough about it. One way or another, we've been touched. Cancer does not stop to help us. Thank you. And we appreciate your time. And if you have any questions, feel free to message us. I think some questions came in that we didn't get— weren't able to address, but we will address those. And again, feel free to private message us. Cheryl, we love you.

We love what you're doing. I love you guys.

Thank you. God bless. Godspeed. And have a great night, everybody. Good night. Good night.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.