Walk supports rehab center!
After radiation, chemo and multiple surgeries, there are many months of pain and hard work before women fully recover from breast cancer. For Buckhead resident Stephanie Scalise who was diagnosed in 2015, TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation in Sandy Springs supported her post-surgery journey physically, mentally and even financially.
In 2017 when she had fully recovered, her daughters, Samantha, Lauren and Emilie, wanted to do more than to just say “thank you” to TurningPoint. “It gave us back our bright, bubbly, energetic mother, and we wanted to help other survivors,” Emilie says.
Though only 17, 15 and 13 at the time, the girls planned Strides for Survivors, a 2.6 mile run around Chastain Park where Stephanie had walked every day during her recovery. The event also included a silent auction and raffle. Samantha organized the event, Lauren handled social media and public relations, and Emilie did the artwork for the posters and T-shirts while their parents handled the business end.
The first year, they raised $6,220 for TurningPoint, and that amount has increased each year, even this year when inclement weather forced the January event to shift to a virtual walk and live auction on Facebook. It turned out to be their best year ever, raising a total of $21,000, bringing total contributions over the years to $113,000.
In addition, Emilie has written and illustrated a book named My Mommy Has Cancer but She’s Still My Mommy for kids under 10. The book is available on amazon.com.
STRIDES FOR SURVIVORS
stridesforsurvivors.org
@stridesforsurvivors
TURNINGPOINT
myturningpoint.org
@turningpointbcr
