Ellyn Davidson

Happy Thanksgiving!

ellynd — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:35:07 +0000

It’s been awhile since my last post but it seems like today is as good a time as any to write a blog post. It’s Thanksgiving and, yes, I am thankful for so much.

I’ll never forget Thanksgiving 2007 when I had just recently emerged from a chemo haze. I was bald and not feeling so good but I spent time that day appreciating the great things in my world. Today, those great things are that much more magnified.

I’m thankful for over 4 years of survivorship. I’m thankful that post breast cancer, my life is full and enriched and I feel great. I’m thankful for a career I love with outstanding people who work by my side day in and day out going the extra mile to make our clients happy. I’m thankful for great clients who make work fun and rewarding. I’m thankful for the entire breast cancer community and the wonderful people I’ve met through this journey. I’m thankful for super friends who make life so much fun. And most of all, I’m thankful for my family–both immediate and extended–who bring me joy every single day.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Wicked is coming to Detroit!

ellynd — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:34:39 +0000

My favorite yearly fundraiser is approaching. Grab some friends or your kids (older than 8 recommended) and join us for a performance of Wicked–winner of 35 major awards. It’s December 20, 2011 at the Detroit Opera House. We have 3 different price points for seats and a portion of your ticket cost supports Ta Ta Breast Cancer in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. An added bonus–no ticketmaster fees and no mark-up on tickets. We pay group rate and you pay face value–a win, win for all.

Hope to see you there. Stay tuned for more information on Shrek coming to Detroit in Spring of 2012.

3-Day World

ellynd — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:12:24 +0000

It always takes a few days to collect my thoughts and reflect on the emotional and overwhelming experience of walking 60 miles over 3 days. This year was my 4th 3-Day, and I loved it just as much as past years. I feel a great sense of purpose, comradarie and love over those 3 days–it’s a different feeling from everyday life. 362 days a year, we live in the real world and 3 days a year, we live in 3-Day world.

In 3-Day world, it’s perfectly acceptable for people to wear bras outside of their shirts, on their heads or anywhere else they’d like. In 3-Day world, words like boobs, jugs and breasts are part of our everyday vocabulary. In 3-Day world, we are happy to see a relatively clean port-a-pottie and not shy about discussing our bathroom experiences. In 3-Day world, we learn more about our fellow walkers than people we’ve known a lifetime. In 3-Day world, thank yous flow freely from everyone’s mouths and we feel like celebrities walking down the street. In 3-Day world, we are all sisters and brothers connected by a common bond to see an end to breast cancer. More than anything, in 3-Day world, we feel powerful and determined that with each step and each passing day, we are getting closer to beating this disease. And that is why we walk and we raise money and we never ever give up.

While I’m back in the real world, I hang on to the emotions, thoughts and feelings I experienced last weekend. I will never stop fighting on behalf of far too many women who’ve lost their battle this year and every year. I will never stop fighting for my daughter, my friends, my extended family and all of our future generations. I am confident we can beat this disease and happy to share this journey with so many others. One year from today, I will once again enter 3-Day world and experience my 5th journey. Join me and experience the life-changing journey of 3 days, 60 miles and one common goal.

With my mom and Aunt Bunny

Celebrating 4 years!

ellynd — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:56:44 +0000

4 years ago today, my life changed in ways I could never imagine at the time. It was a Thursday evening at 9:00 when the phone rang and my doctor shared those 3 little words. Today I celebrate 4 years of surviving breast cancer—a milestone I cherish each day. With each passing year, I feel thankful to be alive and feeling great. I appreciate good health like never before. My year of treatment and surgeries is a distant memory but my comittment to ending this disease continues. Losing beautiful women reminds me that while my fight is over, the big fight is not. So while I celebrate, I also think about all the brave women who battled this disease to the end, and in their memory, I will continue on my mission to say goodbye to breast cancer forever.

The weekend of my diagnosis--4 years ago.

11 reasons WHY $11.11 donations are NEEDED

ellynd — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:02:14 +0000

Mike and his mom

I love this campaign developed by my teammate and very devoted fundraiser, Mike Hull.

11 reasons why $11.11 donations are NEEDED.

1.Approximately 1.4 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year.

2.Approximately 456,000 people worldwide die from the disease each year.

3.Somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer every 69 seconds.

4.In the past 25 years, incidence rates have risen approximately 30 percent in westernized countries.

5.Why let another mother, sister, father, friend or even a stranger die from breast cancer…when we can fight back?

6.$11.11 is the amount a typical person spends on lunch in one day…can you eat in one day and a make a small but VERY worthwhile donation?

7. Susan G. Komen for the Cure paid for more than 600,000 breast screenings in 2009!

8.Susan G. Komen for the Cure has raised more than $1.5 billion to fund research, advocacy and community programs since Komen was founded in 1982.

9.Your donation can and will save safe a life.

10.Cancer sucks….please help stop it!

11.Why not donation….really….why not? All donations benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Mike Hull is walking 60 miles in the Susan G. Komen 3-day event hosted in mid-August and has a goal to raise $11,111.11. Mike walks because his mother currently has stage 4 cancer and he needs a cure (her birthday this year was 1/11/11)! You may not know Mike, but what you need to know is the mission of Eleven-11 and Susan G. Komen, which is to find the cure for breast cancer! Please help! Please pass this on. Donations accepted on the Susan G. Komen website, www.the3day.org and search for participant Mike Hull or the direct link is www.the3day.org/goto/InHonorOfJean.

$400,000 in 4 years

ellynd — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:38:15 +0000

We did it. In a little over two weeks, Ta Ta Breast Cancer will walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure for the 4th year. 30 minutes ago, we reached an enormous milestone–$400,000 raised in the past 4 years. $400,000 funding life-saving research in the fight against breast cancer. Thank you to every walker, donor, crew member and fundraiser who’ve helped us reach this goal over the past 4 years. Together we WILL say goodbye to breast cancer forever.

Our new Ta Ta Breast Cancer shirts

ellynd — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:54:04 +0000

Just walked 15 miles in our brand new, hot off the press, shirts.

Come cheer us on in the Michigan 3-Day!

ellynd — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:15:42 +0000

Only three more weeks until the big walk, and we are in serious prep mode. This weekend we are doing back to back training walks–15 miles Saturday and Sunday. And I just got our brand new 2011 shirts–can’t wait for the team to see them.

We are excited to share the 2011 Susan G. Komen 3-Day Michigan cheer sections and hope you’ll come cheer us along the way. If it’s 95 degrees, bring popsicles, bags of ice and anything else cold.

Friday, August 12

7:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Main Street between Center and Griswold (North side)
Northville, MI 48167

11:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Kmart
33400 W. 7 Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48152

Saturday, August 13

7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Newburgh Road
Between Schoolcraft and Amrhein Roads (West side)
Livonia, MI 48150

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Kellogg Park – Downtown Plymouth
Ann Arbor Trail and Main Street
Plymouth, MI 48170

11:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Newburgh Plaza
16818 Newburgh Road
Livonia, MI 48184

Sunday, August 14

8:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Franklin High School
31000 Joy Road
Livonia, MI 48150

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Boy Scout Recreation Area
Hines Drive (east of Telegraph Road)
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127

Hope to see you along the route.

Another successful Ta Ta Breast Cancer fundraiser!

ellynd — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:23:14 +0000

Last week we had our 4th annual family rooftop party at 24 Seconds. The weather was iffy making the rooftop party an indoor party. Nevertheless, it was was a huge success–our biggest yet with $1,400 raised for our 3-Day team. A big huge shout out to many businesses that helped with great raffle prizes:

Shirtbox

24 Seconds

Dr. Paul Darmon

Bordines

The Pink Fund

Ecology

Ace Hardware

The Tiger Foundation

Jazzercise Royal Oak

Priss Salon

Hagopian

Accupuncture Healthcare Associates of Michigan

Jeans Gone Green

Mark Cohen Photography

The Zap Zone

And another big shout out to the members of Ta Ta Breast Cancer (and the kids) who helped sell raffle tickets, collect great raffle items and helped promote this event.

We are quickly approaching $95,000. $15,000 to go to reach our big giant goal of $400,000 in 4 years. Please help us get there for all the women still fighting, the women we’ve lost, our daughters, our mothers and our friends. We need your help to say goodbye to breast cancer forever.

Moving into Susan G. Komen 3-Day mode

ellynd — Thu, 26 May 2011 23:56:19 +0000

I always loved the saying “Starting a blog is a lot like adopting a dog, you have to figure out how to feed it for the next 13 years”, which is probably why I don’t have a dog. I’m seriously guilty of neglect but life, work and kids get in the way of blogging. It always feels good to find my way back to my blog for a quick little post.

So, here’s an update. Outside of work, kids and lots of sporting events, I’m quickly shifting into 3-Day mode. We are 46 members strong including our 4 members of the crew. We’re moving into a very busy fundraising season, beginning to think about shirts, hats and visors and most importantly starting some long training walks. I am proud of our fantastic fundraising–we’ve raised neary $75,000 prompting me to increase our goal for 2011 to $110,000. If we reach $110,000, our team will have raised $400,000 during our 4th year walking just after I celebrate 4 years as a survivor.

Outside of making a donation, there are many great ways to support our team. If you can join us at an event, purchase from our vendors or help us in any other way, we would be extremely grateful. If it’s easier for you to make a donation, we love those too.

Bowling June 4th 8pm Kingswood Lanes in Clinton Township
$20 includes 3 games, shoes, pizza
Basket raffles, 50/50 raffle and strike ball, call Kristin at 586-770-2449 to reserve a spot

On June 4th and 5th, stop by 306 Normandy in Royal Oak for a massive garage sale. All proceeds benefit our team.

Fun Night at 24 Seconds in Berkley
June 20 6pm-9pm
Great food, drinks and raffle items. Bring the whole family for lots of fun. Got any great raffle items to contribute, let me know.

Ongoing Fundraisers
Get rid of those creepy crawlers and help fight breast cancer. Pest Arrest can help with all your pest control needs including bees, wasps and mosquitoes. Call them today and mention Ta Ta Breast Cancer and 10% will come back to our team. Call 248-246-1850 to schedule your appointment.

Window and Carpet Cleaning
In Home Window Cleaning, call 248-599-8000, mention Ta Ta Breast Cancer and 10% will go to our team

Cutest Sandals in town for a great cause. You save 10% and 20% will support our team when you mention Ta Ta Breast Cancer.

Do you need any Mary Kay products? Trisha, a Mary Kay representative has agreed to donate 10% of all sales to Ta Ta Breast Cancer Team. If you would like to order any products, you can contact her at harper.marykay@gmail.com. Or shop 24/7 at her personal website. Just mention Ta Ta Breastcancer.

Find great note cards, birthday labels and address labels at Note Card Farm. Select Ta Ta Breast Cancer when you check out and 10% will be donated back to our team.

From June 1st-June 15th, we’ll be doing an online party at Thirty One Gifts. Look for the Ta Ta Breast Cancer event and 15% of all sales will go into our fundraising accounts.

Thinking ahead, I’m hoping to plan two theater fundraisers for the 2012 walk–Wicked and Shrek are both coming to town so be sure to stay tuned for more information on these great shows.

And finally, there’s still time to join in this life-changing experience. If you’ve ever had an interest in walking, just do it. Join us today and find out how great it feels to become a part of something so big, to truly make a difference, to help crush cancer one step at a time.

Thank you always for your tremendous support of Ta Ta Breast Cancer and the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Together we can say goodbye to breast cancer forever.