This week over at I Heart Faces we are putting the spotlight on an amazing charitable organization called Inspiration Through Art (formerly Littlest Heroes Project.) Read the blog using this link or the link below. Truly an inspiration.
Those of you who know me or who have been following me know I work for the American Cancer Society (15 years as a National Director) and that I have been involved in Relay For Life as a team captain and committee member, raising dollars through team participation. In the past 1 1/2 years the ACS has brought in a new event based on a successful Charity Runner program in Illinois. DetermiNation has been recently branded and promoted nationwide. This year I have run 3 marathons raising dollars for the American Cancer Society through DetermiNation. And I am currently in training for my 4th marathon and hope to raise my total to more than $8000 collected through my efforts! I am very proud of my endurance athletic participation and this dedication and commitment to the fight against cancer really makes it an even more incredible give back opportunity.
The crazy thing is — I have been recently diagnosed with lymphoma and currently undergoing treatment. The cancer is curable, but it is a 4 month process to rid my body of these bad cells. 🙁 I am still doing Chicago — actually in costume as Wonder Woman (with my friend Cara – who will be Batgirl!). I am sharing my own story of DetermiNation on another blog where I can update and share my experiences. I have named it “The Toughest Marathon of my Life”. Please check it out — you too may be inspired! 🙂
SO back to photography – random acts of kindness and how I have been using my skill in that area to raise funds for my DetermiNation events. Last fall I put together this idea “Families Fighting Cancer” and each family would write their check to the American Cancer Society for my fundraising efforts. The sitting fee “donation” could range from $150-200 and then their photos would be posted to my NancyE Photography site so they could buy prints. I had 4 families total and raised $500. I hope to do this again this next fall again as the foliage really is an amazing background for photography here in New England. Here are some selections of the families I photographed last fall! Such beautiful generous, kind and loving families — our neighbors, our friends.
The Courchesne Family
The O’Connell Family
The Seifel Family
The Barbour Family
