Save the Date:
SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 2010
for our Annual Strike at Cancer Tournament Fundraiser

Bowlers enjoy the fun last year at the Strike at Cancer Tournament

Our annual Strike at Cancer Fundraiser returns to its new home at Arlington Lanes, a 40 lane facility in Arlington Heights, on Sunday, March 7, at 1pm.

Come on out for ALL the fun! For those coming to just watch and enjoy the event is FREE. Food and beverages are available from the cafe & bar. At the end of the first bowling round, at 3pm, we will present our annual awards and also open our silent auction in a party room near the bowling lanes. Come and cheer on the bowlers that advance to the finals. Take part in the auction and split-the-pot raffle. Immediately after the championship match at 5:30pm we will crown our new champions and announce the prize winners. Don¹t miss the fun... all ages welcome!

Seeking prizes & sponsors: Help us support local cancer patients by donating an auction prize, or consider an event sponsorship. For more info, call Rick at the Foundation office at 847-455-0362, or simply fill out the sponsor form on our donor page.

Now Accepting Nominations: Nominate a cancer patient or caregiver who has inspired you, to be honored as one of our Tournment Marshalls. Just send us a brief description at strikeatcancer@comcast.net.


Beauty in the Face of Adversity

Inspiration and creativity, like cancer, can strike anyone at any time, only in this case, it's a good thing. Creative expression not only is a diversion, it's been shown to be be empowering and can provide relief from pain or anxiety. In the face of cancer, whether you're a patient or a family member, the healing aspects of artistic expression are beneficiary, which is why we feel so strongly about our Healing Arts Program, which pairs professional artists from a variety of disciplines with people dealing with cancer. Last year we expanded the program to a number of new cancer centers, including the Outpatient Pediatric Oncology Unit at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County, and also to Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center. Fine artist Jordi Pedrola is our facilitator at both these locations, and Gilda's Club Chicago is our partner. Healing Arts offers programming as part of their Outreach initiative. Healing Arts also takes place each week at Gilda's Club downtown location on Wells St. and on the north side at Creticos Cancer Center at Illinois Masonic Hospital, as well as 4 days a week at Children's Memorial Hospital (painting, music, crafts & scrapbooking), at Rush University Hospital and at two University of Chicago Hospitals. Patients of all ages, as well as family members, take part in the program there.

Eliseo Degante, a very talented teenager from Waukegan, was encouraged by his doctors to create a painting for the hospital after our Healing Artist, Jordi Pedrola, recognized his talent. Jordi, who works with cancer patients at Cook County's pediatric oncology unit, helped Eliseo to prepare and stretch a canvas, which Eliseo had never painted on before. The resulting work is on display at the hospital.

 

Bringing Holiday Cheer

It's amazing what people can do when they come together with a purpose. Strike at Cancer recently teamed up with folks at the Village of Melrose Park and a neighborhood in Oak Park to help a west suburban family who had an awful lot on their plate this holiday season: a mom with an inoperable brain tumor who could no longer work, a disabled dad and an autistic child, far more than any one family should have to deal with.  Thanks to quick and generous community response over a single weekend, the family's most immediate need of keeping a roof over their head was accomplished... and lots more too!

Strike at Cancer also did it's part to bring joyful art and music to cancer patients at University of Chicago Hospital. Healing Artists Ellen Lustig, Summer Kwai and Bill Syniar were back by popular demand  to lead crafts and caroling at annual holiday events for patients & family members at University of Chicago's Radiology Oncology Unit. Bill & Summer also made a special  appearance at the annual holiday lunch for pediatric cancer patients at Cook County's Stroger Hospital.

Patients at University of Chicago's Radiology Oncology Unit create their own "masterpieces"
at a special Healing Arts Collage Workshop

A cancer patient at Northwestern's Lurie Cancer Center
tries her hand at portraiture by using a Gilda's Club
representative as a model.
Pediatric cancer patients at Stroger Hospital try their hand
at art as they view the work of others
Another painting by Eliseo
 
 
Summer Kwai and Bill Syniar lead the caroling at
University of Chicago's Radiology Oncology
Holiday Party
 
 

 

    

One Family's Story:
Eliseo Degante

One Family¹s Story

Eliseo Degante is a 19-year-old cancer patient from Waukegan. He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) three years ago. ALL has a very high cure rate in babies and toddlers, but is much more difficult to treat in older children. Eliseo travels from his home in the far north suburbs to the Fantus Outpatient Clinic at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County each week for chemotherapy. It's been a long haul, but he is responding well to treatment and looks forward to seeing it end soon. Eliseo, who has a close-knit family, has always been interested in art, and he has found a friend and mentor in Jordi Pedrola, Strike at Cancer's Healing Arts facilitator at Stroger. Both Jordi and Eliseo's doctors have encouraged his artistic ability, and Eliseo never fails to take time to paint with Jordi when he comes to the hospital. Dr. Sybil Hoesek, a clinical psychologist specializing in child & adolescent psychiatry at Stroger, is a big fan of Eliseo's and she secured a commission for him to paint a large canvas for permanent placement outside the room where the children paint, where it now serves as an inspiration for everyone.