Komen Affiliates Increase Participation & Fundraising

Pink Year Round for Better Health

Balance Walking is a Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Corporate Sponsor and is excited to work with ‘All Affiliates’ to help grow their community outreach. Presently, in the SGK Participant Center used by individuals and teams located online contains some great resources to help increase fundraising. One resource area is labeled, 101 Great Ideas, which helps participants by suggesting creative ideas to help increase donations. Now with our partnership is the perfect time to take advantage of the “Pink Pole Balance Walking Program as the 102nd Great Idea!” In fact, we believe this will double participation and fundraising in local communities year round.

One neat thing about Balance Walking is that it creates curiosity and excitement without detracting from the Susan G Komens current schedule of events and programs. Integrating the poles brings an additional dimension to any Komen Event and will boost individual or team donations. The poles are guaranteed to attract attention and elicit questions, such as…

What are you doing?

First let me use my experience; as I confidently respond – “well one mile with these poles gives me the benefits of nearly 2 miles of regular walking (this is just one of the many benefit examples. You will also increase calorie burn to 90% muscle activation versus 60-70% of regular walking). The benefits come so quickly that I walk with the poles for 5, 10, 15minutes or more if I have time.” This eliminates the excuse – I have no TIME! And guess what their response is almost every time – more questions!

Where can I get the Poles?

This is a perfect opportunity to explain the partnership between Balance Poles and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. We suggest letting all who ask; to know that $5 from each sale stays in the community and another $5 goes to the national office for breast cancer research. Order the Susan G Komen Poles Online easily or visit a participating Foot Solutions. This Question is usually followed with…

Where can I learn How to use Poles?

And of course I tell them; it’s easy with an online video, community walking groups, as I hand them an Invite Card.

Then of course, more questions – when and where does your group walk? As I hand them a 5 x 7 invite card, I also get their name and contact information for follow-up. And if you have an extra set of poles show them how and invite them back to use them as loaner poles until they make their purchase online. We suggest that individuals or team members work with their local Affiliate office to use the online tools to promote their group. Starting their own Meetup online is easy and very inexpensive (www.meetup.com). We suggest calling the Meetup “Pink Pole Balance Walking / (list area or team name here).

Sometimes people just want to get started and learn how and walk on their own where they live or work.

Look 1 ask a Friend, then it became 7

Susan G Komen 5k Atlanta Pink Team

What’s The Next Step?

• Contact: Your Local Susan G Komen Affiliate or Terry Kennedy at 770-916-5996
• Email: tkennedy@balancewalking.com
  
• Spread the Word! Enlist 5 or more supporters who may be interested in learning more and who would like to help grow your Teams Fundraising Goals Year Round

Here is a great video for promotion

“Exercise is the Best Medicine.”

Yes, we all are hoping that researchers can find a cure to cancer. Many of us are at some point in our lives, touched by cancer – whether it is our family, friends or even ourselves. So while seeking a cure we are now finding more and more research evidence that says – “Exercise is the Best Medicine.”

We are gaining headline attention by using phrases like; “Magic Pill” or “Wonder Drug” to describe the positive effects of Exercise over Cancer. That worries me to the extent that, catchy marketing media phrases used to draw attention can also turn people away from exercise. Remember – the old “too good to be true” line. I am more comfortable with leading others to exercise with one of Jack’s “LaLanne-isms.” He once said, “Exercise is King, nutrition is Queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.” Having said that, some things never change, and our human nature unfortunately only moves when we can get something for nothing, threatened, or are afraid of losing something.

For years, we’ve known that a healthy diet and regular physical exercise is key to preventing cancer. The latest research is finding that for those who have already suffered from cancer, physical exercise can dramatically help with cancer patients’ recovery and long-term health. Macmillan Cancer Support, a British cancer charity, stated in a report that just 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as walking or gardening per week could reduce a breast cancer patient’s risk of recurrence or dying by 40 percent, reduce a prostate cancer patient’s risk of dying by 30 percent, and also help counteract negative cancer side effects such as fatigue, depression, osteoporosis and heart disease for all cancer patients. Additionally, getting more physical exercise can reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 50 percent.

Many Health Professionals Unaware of Benefits

However, despite strong emerging evidence that being physically active could dramatically improve cancer patients’ recovery and long-term health, a Macmillan online survey of 400 health professionals who deal with cancer patients found that many are not aware of this and most are not talking to their patients about it. Over half of the primary care doctors, nurses, and oncologists surveyed do not speak to their cancer patients about the benefits of physical activity, or at best they speak to just a few of them.

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, says, “Cancer patients would be shocked if they knew just how much benefit physical activity could have on their recovery and long-term health, in some cases reducing their chances of having to go through the grueling ordeal of treatment all over again.”

Exercise Not Just an Add-on to Care

According to Jane Maher, chief medical officer of Macmillan Cancer Support, “The advice I would previously have given to one of my patients would have been to ‘take it easy.’ This has now changed significantly because of the recognition that, if physical exercise were a drug, it would be hitting the headlines. There really needs to be a cultural change so that health professionals see physical activity as an integral part of cancer after-care, not just an optional add-on.” The Macmillan Cancer Support has created and is providing online many great tools and references that can be used when you are ready to begin exercise. One is the Move More Pack is a complete guide to becoming more active.

Balance Walking is Exercise for Everyone

We are training Masters, Coaches and Walk Leaders to teach and mentor new Balance Walkers beginning in the US and around the world. One of our new initiatives is to provide all of the local Susan G Komen Affiliates an Exercise and Prevention activity, by using the Poles for all their events, active walkers and supporters. In fact, even those who can not participate in the Komen Events, will support SGK with each pair of Balance Walking Poles purchased be directing a portion to go to Curing Breast Cancer.

Contact Terry Kennedy at tkennedy@balancewalking.com to get started with your Balance Walking Poles and program. It’s easy to learn, it’s for everyone and of course it’s a great exercise. If you might consider regular walking, then you will be excited to know that the benefits are multiplied almost 2 times when you grab your poles and move for as little as 5minutes at time.

Get Healthy — Get Exercise

You will love the Pink Poles and make loads of new friends

Yes!
Where? Worldwide! When? Everyday! Why? Breast Cancer! Who? You and You and You!

Yes!
Let’s get your Pink Poles! We have alternate colors, too!

Yes!
They’re grabbing the Pink Poles in Atlanta, too Walking Talking doing what they love, to help be part of the Cure for Breast Cancer living a life grounded in Health & Prevention. Many of our walkers have been impacted by breast cancer and Balance Walking is a great way to help a survivor lead a more active life.

Yes!
They even personalized their group with the name – CHICKS WITH STICKS 3-Day team. Come be part of their team by contacting Glo Winters, glo@myhealthystrides.com .

Yes!
You want to start your own team, then contact Terry Kennedy, the Director Worldwide at tkennedy@balancewalking.com .

Glo Winters, Deanna Elzey, Betty Ewing

Here is their story

Our team captain, Betty Ewing, knows what it means to hear the words “breast cancer” and to experience it firsthand. From her courage in facing this vicious foe our team was formed to walk by her side, in her honor and in honor of many other strangers, acquaintances, friends, best friends, relatives and family members who have also had to fight this battle. We walk for those in the future who will face this enemy. This is our 2nd walk for the cure and we hope that our passion, efforts and commitment to raise money to join the 3 Day 60 Mile Walk again in October will provide not only the funds but the answers, research and the cure to defeat this terrible disease once and for all. Our prayer is that no more wives, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, friends or best friends will be lost or suffer from breast cancer ever again.

We walk with pink Balance Walking poles because not only do we desire a cure but we want to promote prevention. It is important for everyone to make a health focused lifestyle a priority. We believe in creating healthy habits – one of which is consistent exercise. Please help our team by purchasing a fundraiser card and if you are interested in Pink Pole Balance Walking you can help us even more. With each set of Pink Poles you purchase Foot Solutions will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® with a minimum donation of $100,000 by 2011. You want poles; please contact Glo Winters glo@myhealthystrides.com

Yes We will wait for you and will have loaner poles for you to try,
Betty Deanna – Glo