Yes, it's that time of year. Breast cancer awareness month is upon us and as someone who will ALWAYS have breast cancer and who is completely dependent on new research and treatment to stay alive - I implore you to choose wisely and thoughtfully when supporting a breast cancer cause this month. If you are looking for a perfect way to support the cause, I can offer you the cliff notes version here of a campaign that is easy, fun and effective as ALL of the proceeds go directly to The Cancer Couch Foundation. The Bake It Happen campaign was started by my pal Shari Brooks and her sister Stacy Pagan to honor their mom Judy - an avid baker who died from MBC. All you have to do is log in to their Bake It Happen website to get the featured recipes, then BAKE, SHARE and THAT'S IT! Money will be donated for each share on social media with #bakeithappen. Not social media savvy? That's ok! You can email or snail mail a picture of your recipe! Not a Betty Crocker wannabe? That's ok too! Skip the cupcakes and just donate!!!!   

Here is the story of why and how the Bake It Happen Campaign got started:  

There is no cure for Stage 4 Breast Cancer. More than 41,000 people die each year from Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in the US alone-- our mother Judy Levin was one such casualty. Very little of the funding for breast cancer research goes to Metastatic Breast Cancer.  So, we were determined to design a creative fundraising campaign to raise money. Judy was a beloved baker/cook even throughout her 6-year battle with MBC.  Her kitchen was a communal table for family, friends and even strangers to embrace the tastes and love emanating from her dishes. After receiving multiple requests for Judy’s recipes over the decades, her  daughters, Shari and Stacy, realized they could spread Judy’s culinary love  -- all in the name of Metastatic Breast Cancer research.  And so, in 2012, the Bake it Happen campaign was born.
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After 5 years of Bake it Happen, we achieved our first goal: to build the baking campaign into a national fundraising movement. Over time, thousands of supporters across the country began to pass on Judy’s culinary legacy and hope for a cure. To date, we have raised over $60,000 for breast cancer research and are determined to raise more! GET BAKING.

 Dear Cancer Couch friends and supporters, 

Things in Cancer Couch world have changed quite a bit since I last wrote. While I am not able to publicize the exact details of my health situation right now (out of respect for my family's privacy and the information flow to my kids), I will say that this summer my cancer has progressed and the trial, that I was very lucky to have been on, stopped working after 9 months. This is the 'kick the can' game that many stage 4 cancer patients are forced to play. There is no treatment for the kind of cancer I have so I am at the mercy of experimental trials to come out and hope that I am still here, and a genetic match for them, when they do. Believe me, I drink green juice everyday, do acupuncture, energy work, yoga, have tried cannabis oil, herbs, you name it, and these things help maintain my overall health and sometimes even completely work for many people. But, my cancer is extemely aggressive and it seems for me and so many others, RESEARCH IS EVERYTHING. Funding any kind of metastatic cancer research informs cancer across all body parts. The trial that I miraculously qualified for and began two weeks ago, treats all kinds of cancers. I am the ONLY breast cancer patient on it currently. Being at the helm of The Cancer Couch I can tell you - we have no time to waste. We fund the brightest researchers and every dollar you give is MATCHED and goes straight to their labs! 

We have our BIG annual fundraiser, The Cancer Beat, coming up this Saturday 9/8 at The Warehouse in Fairfield, CT featuring G.Love & Special Sauce and comedian Christine O'Leary. The best bang for your buck is the $250 VIP ticket. It is not only a partial donation and tax write off for a great cause but you get dinner, premium open bar ALL NIGHT, comedy, a concert and the fantastic program with the researchers speaking and amazing chances to win once in a lifetime prizes like green room tickets to Jimmy Kimmel - it is a great deal!!!

I hope to see you all there! Get your TICKETS HERE - They are not sold at the door!





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