Passing the torch...

How fitting that as the Olympic games begin to wind down and the torch is prepared to move on to the next great city, we too are preparing to pass Terry's Walk onto the Melanoma Foundation of New England. This will be the last year Rayanne, my Dad and I will organize Terry's Walk. It was a decision not easily made but one that took time, love and tears to reach. It has been an amazing journey and we will continue down the path of fighting cancer with the Melanoma Foundation. It is hard to let the walk go, but it is just as hard to re-live my mom's passing every year. It was a wonderful tool to help us overcome our grief. It provided us a power over cancer. Now, five years later it still gives us that power but in a way re-opens the wounds; something my mom would never want for us. There comes a time when you realize you don't need to hold on to the sadness to feel connected to a lost loved one. You need to embrace the day, feel the peace of their memories in your heart, and know they are watching your life from the best seat in the house.

Having gotten that out of the way.... This walk has been an amazing opportunity for us to gather as family and friends. It is a time to remember not only my mom but others who have lost their battle with melanoma. As a family we feel so privileged to watch the outpouring of support, kindness, love and dedication to the walk over the last five years. We are truly thankful! So please join us one last time in my mom's name to celebrate YOU! To celebrate the time, energy, blood, sweat and tears that YOU, our family and friends (new and old), have put in over the last five years.

We can't wait to see you on September 15!
Registration is up and running at: https://www.firstgiving.com/mfne/terrys-walk

Did I mention live music?

Last year was The Bitter End was a great addition to the day and I am thrilled to announce they are volunteering their time, energy and talent to help make this another great year!


The Bitter End is a three-piece cover band formed by three long time friends and well seasoned musicians. Individually and collectively, they have been playing in clubs along the South Shore for 20+ years. For five years they have been playing clubs and bars, two to three times a month. Their abilities are rock & roll covers spanning from bands like Aerosmith to Weezer as well as mixing in great classic songs from The Commitments and Eric Clapton to some of today’s top 40 hits by Neon Trees & Green Day.

The Bitter End is comprised of Paul Talkowski on Guitar and Vocals and is influenced by guitar greats such as Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughn just to name a few. Greg Harrington on Bass Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals, grew up and mastered his skills by listening to bands like Rush and The Beatles. Dennis Cadorette finishes the line-up on the Drums and Vocals, where at a young age he was drawn into the drums by bands like The Osmonds, KISS & Van Halen.

Together these three musicians make up one of the South Shore’s premier cover bands. With a never ending pursuit to perfect their craft as a band and make each show better than the last.

Check them out on Facebook!

Less than a month to go!

With less than a month to go I had a whole page written about my mom (Terry). All about her birthday (Sept. 18 - one month from today), her courage in facing her own death and the strength she had given us all... but it didn't seem fitting. It wasn't something she would want. So instead I am writing about the out pouring of support we are getting for the walk.
First, we have received some great raffle prizes already! The kindness of one man whom I reached out to for help has single-handedly gotten us 2 tickets for The Capt. John Boats, 2 two-ticket packs for the Cape Cod Scenic Railway, an overnight at the Hampton Inn in Plymouth, 2 tickets for Plymouth Plantation, and 2 tickets for the Island Queen Ferry! We also have a Dustin Pedroia signed baseball, an overnight package at the Parsonage Inn in Orleans, a gift card to Mashpee Commons and there are still prizes pouring in because of the good will of friends and family!

Second, there are a great fundraisers hard at work for Terry's Walk already! Take a minute to check out the donation page, and if the spirit moves you, support one of these great people who are working towards the common goal of setting the sun on melanoma.

I have said this before and I will say it again, this walk is not just for my mom, it is for everyone. She was never one to stand in the spot light, and it is still true in her death. She would want the survivors to stand center stage, the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones to melanoma to get up and share their story, those who have supported the walk through sunshine and rain to get the standing ovation, but most importantly she would want to make everyone feel welcome. This is an event that should be filled with more laughter than tears and end with more friends than strangers.

Come walk with us and make new friends!

YOU HAVE SAVED LIVES!

Yes, you! Anyone who has supported, participated, volunteered, or shared info about Terry’s Walk has saved lives. The walk is not only a memorial to my mom; it is an educational event about melanoma. The money raised from the walk supports a seminar (Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Melanoma and Non-melanoma Skin Cancer: Practical Pearls for the Primary Care Provider at Harvard Medical School) dedicated to training primary care doctors and other healthcare professionals on how to spot melanoma at its earliest stages. Melanoma is CURABLE 90% of the time when caught early, and the best way for it to be caught early is through a primary care physician especially if for those who don’t regularly see a dermatologist. The hard part of our focus is there is little opportunity to see the wide scale effects. Most likely we aren’t going to get a letter telling us how a doctor identified a melanoma, removed it, and treated it, therefore saving them. That person may not know their doctor attended this seminar, or even how that seminar came about. But as fate would have it, a friend recently shared her story with my dad. She had gone to her doctor for a normal physical. During the exam the doctor noticed a mole on her back. The doctor commented that he had attended a seminar on melanoma and skin cancer, and felt her mole should be removed. The doctor removed it and upon biopsy it was determined to be melanoma. This woman asked about the seminar… It was at Harvard Medical School early last spring… it was the seminar that YOU all helped create! Terry’s Walk 2011 is your hero’s parade! Be part of the hero’s parade on September 17, 2011.
You need to know you are a hero; you are making a difference and YOU HAVED SAVED LIVES!!

Until The Bitter End...

At the end of the day we had raised over $11,000 for the fight against melanoma!!!

But let’s start at the beginning of the day…. By 9:30 Saturday morning the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal walkway was buzzing with activity. Cadets from Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in great force to set up tables, move chairs, hang signs and carry coolers. As more family and friends arrived we were presented with raffle prizes, food for pot luck and hands offering to help. By 1:30 participants were arriving, raffle tickets were flying and in the background the band started playing.

The crowd grew to just under 200 people as we prepared for the walk. Kathy Bowers, a dermatologist and the daughter of close family friend of Terry, spoke about the importance of sun protection and education about melanoma. Jim, Terry’s loving husband, reminded everyone of the love and life she shared with so many. Thank-you’s were made and raffle prizes were awarded. The walk began by Joe O’Neill leading the way with his bagpipe. During the walk you could hear stories of Terry being passed along, stories of other struck with cancer, and stories of those who survived. Laughter prevailed in the end as the troops were welcomed back to a party tent full of food, music, and newly made friends.

As the sun sank lower in the sky and the crowds headed home, I realized that I failed to mention a key component of the day – the band – The Bitter End! When all was said and done, and the sun was setting on melanoma, the band was there… until The Bitter End.

It is not the act of one person who makes this day happen, it is the work of many. Thank you to all who made the day possible!

Raffles! Raffles!!

RAFFLE DONATIONS - TICKETS $1.00 OR 6 FOR $5.00


HAND KNIT BABY’S BLANKET W/STUFFED TOY - GLENNA SMITH

LONGHORN GIFT CARD $10.00

GIFT CERTIFICATE FOR A MANICURE – THE COTTAGE DAY SPA, LAKEVILLE, MA

FALL PLANTER - ARAUJO’S GARDEN CENTER, DIGHTON, MA

WINE THEMED BASKET - SUE O’NEILL

MEXICAN THEMED BASKET – MARY ZAMARRIPA

BABY THEMED BASKET - NANCY POWERS

2 – BREAKFAST BASKETS – ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD AND ASSORTED MUFFINS, GLENNA SMITH

$25.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE - PATRICK LYONS GREENHOUSES, FOXBORO, MA

SPRING GARDEN BASKET - BULBS, SAGE, GLOVES, ETC., WOODS FAMILY

BASKET OF MENS HAIR PRODUCTS & WOODEN NICKEL GOOD FOR ONE HAIRCUT - WOODY’S ALL AMERICAN BARBER SHOP, SOMERSET AVE., DIGHTON, MA.

HANDMADE QUILT - BARBARA DUFFY


SPA BAG - INCLUDES $50 GIFT CARD FOR SERVICES, A SUN VISOR AND SOME, SUNSCREEN - DONATED BY ALYSE BONCALDO boncaldos.com

MULTI COLORED ‘DUCT TAPE’ BAG – REALLY CUTE! DONATED BY EMILY O’NEILL

BEIJO PURSE - DONATED BY BRENDA FRAZIER



2 - BRACELET & EARRING SETS - DONATED BY SHELIA KING MycousinandIcreations.com


GREEN SEA GLASS NECKLACE - ELAINE O’NEILL

AUTOGRAPHED/FRAMED PICTURE OF TIM THOMAS GOALIE FOR THE BOSTON BRUINS - DONATED BY DAVE & BARBARA BAKER

HIS & HERS COLOGNE BY BURBERRY - DONATED BY BARBARA BAKER

$50 GIFT CARD TO ROSARIOS RESTAURANT, CANTON, MA

HAND CRAFTED GLASS NECKLACE – SOLAR ART GLASS, JOSH DEMELLO

6-PACK TICKETS TO PLYMOUTH PLANTATION

4-PACK TICKETS TO THE AIR FORCE BAND OF LIBERTY SHOW, ZEITERION THEATER, NEW BEDFORD, MA

KIDS BEACH PACK- PAIL, SHOVEL, SNACKS, TOWEL, SUN SCREEN AND SUN GLASSES

2 - HOPI KACHINA DOLLS - HOPI KACHINA DOLLS, (ALSO KNOWN AS TITHU) ARE PEDAGOGICAL OBJECTS MADE OF COTTONWOOD THAT EMBODY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CEREMONIAL KACHINA, THE MASKED SPIRITS OF THE HOPI INDIAN TRIBE. ACCORDING TO THE HOPI, KACHINA DOLLS ARE OBJECTS MEANT TO BE TREASURED AND STUDIED, AND ARE NOT TO BE CONSIDERED IDOLS OF WORSHIP OR CHILDREN’S TOYS. -FRANK & MARY ANN DEMELLO

LOTTERY TREE - $30 WORTH OF SCRATCH TICKETS – KATHLEEN FALINE

Up and Running…. Walking…

The registration and donation pages are up and running for Terry’s Walk 2010! It is never too early to register and start fundraising!
This is the best time of year to stop and think about skin cancer, as the summer days approach don’t forget to wear your sunscreen, hats and sunglasses! We are making a difference through education and leading the way by example!

SAVE THE DATE!!!

We have a date for Terry's Walk 2010! Please mark your calendars September 18, 2010! More information and registrations to follow!

Weathering the Storm

The rain at Terry's Walk this year may have soaked us to the core, but it didn't dampen our spirits one bit! There are no words to describe the emotion that one feels when through the storm friends and family come together to fight cancer. The numbers this year may have been small but the passion for this great cause was tremendous.

There are many people to thank this year for a job well done. First- On The Water for supplying the much needed tent to hold back the elements. Next - Our raffles this year were amazing!!! Local artisans provided beautiful crafts from pottery to pocketbooks. Generous friends and family rounded out the prizes with gift cards, scratch ticket trees, and gift baskets. The grand prize - a two night stay at The Parsonage Inn on the Cape - was supplied by one of Terry's childhood friends. If there wasn't enough water outside, we had plenty under the tent donated by Hannaford's and Shaw's. Our entertainers, kept the children and adults amused and our minds off the rain. Mass Maritime helped out by providing tables and chairs for the event. And of course a big thank you to the Town of Bourne and the Army Corp of Engineers for our ideal location. Then there are all those who never expected a thank you, all those who participated and supported the walk this year. The volunteers that came early and set up in the rain, the walkers who braved the conditions and the supporters who made valuable contributions.

Cancer is a vicious storm, but we are prepared to take it on. We walked through the rain this year, and we will continue to walk, rain or shine, until this storm has passed and we can set the sun on melanoma.

Sponsor News!

Great things just keep happening for Terry’s Walk 2009! This year we have our first official corporate sponsor: On the Water! On the Water is a magazine dedicated to the professional and recreational fisherman along the East Coast. I had the great pleasure of meeting with Neal Larson and Chris Megan from the magazine back in April. They wanted to partner up with Terry’s Walk on an event they were hosting. We all agreed this was a great opportunity to reach out and raise the awareness of a community that spends hours in the sun.

After months of working together and with town hall we are pleased to announce that Striper Fest will be running concurrently with Terry’s Walk on October 3, 2009. This will mean more people at the walk, more opportunities to raise money, and more ways to help set the sun on melanoma.

Pancakes Anyone?

Join us on July 25 from 10am – 12pm for a pancake breakfast at Boston’s By the Viaduct in Canton! The proceeds from the breakfast will be added to the funds raised at Terry’s Walk 2009. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a family breakfast and support a great cause!

Adults= $12
Kids 4-9 = $6
Kids 3 & under = FREE

To reserve seats please contact Mary Zamarripa at 508-828-3834.
WALK-IN’S WELCOME!!!

Boston’s By the Viaduct is located at 399 Neponset Street, Canton, MA

See you there!

Terry O’Neill Training Institute of the Melanoma Foundation of New England

Harvard School of Medicine will be running its first Terry O’Neill Training Institute of the Melanoma Foundation of New England for primary care physicians and other health care professionals this November. The proceeds raised at Terry’s Walk 2009 will fund this program. Similar to the conference we funded last year, this conference is designed to train health care professionals in identifying early warning signs of melanoma and other skin cancers. This is a great step forward in wiping out melanoma. When detected early, melanoma is 90% curable. By training the professionals that see you regularly you have a better chance of being treated early and cured.

This is very exciting and very humbling that Terry is being honored in this way. It is because of the support from everyday people that this event is happening. YOU should feel honored that you are truly making the difference in someone else’s life.

Save The Date!

Happy New Year! We hope you and your family had a great holiday season.
As you hang up you 2009 calendar, save the date-
Terry’s Walk 2009 October 3, 2:00, Bourne Massachusetts!

We raised over $21,000 last year!!! We are amazed by all of your effort and generosity. We did that together – and plan on doing it again!

As we prepare for our second walk, if you can think of any ways to add to the day through our raffle table, sponsors or anything at all, please contact us. We also need volunteers for registration, publicity, etc.

Feel free to contact us at melanoma_green@yahoo.com

Making a Difference

And the grand total is…. Drum roll please… $21,744.74!
Thank you to all that made contributions to this great event!

We truly are setting the sun on melanoma. The funds we raised for the Melanoma Foundation of New England have already begun to fight melanoma at its earliest stages. On November 1, 2008 the Paul Sullivan Melanoma Educational Institute held a course in Early Detection and Management of Melanoma for the Non-Dermatologist. This event was funded in-part by proceeds from Terry’s Walk.

The course was attended by family physicians, primary care internists, geriatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, nurse practitioners, residents, physician assistants, and fellows.
This course updated non-dermatologists on the detection and management of melanoma. They were provided with practical, relevant information about identifying patients at risk for melanoma and providing counseling for high-risk patients, as well as screening for early melanoma.

The participants specifically improved their skills in:
• Identifying patients at risk for melanoma
• Distinguishing between typical and atypical lesions
• Managing patients with newly-diagnosed melanoma
• Interpreting the most recent studies designed to improve early detection of melanoma

Health care professionals, such as dermatologists, are vital for diagnosis and treatment of melanoma; however, most Americans don’t have a dermatologist. Courses like this educate the health care professionals that people see most often, giving patients a greater opportunity for screening and early detection.

The Melanoma Foundation of New England invited my father to the event. He was moved as they shared my mom’s story and how vital early detection is to saving lives. I feel strongly had my mother been diagnosed earlier she would be here today. But through her tragedy, comes a great force to make a difference in someone else’s life. It is comforting to know that in my mom’s memory, we truly are setting the sun on melanoma.

Stay Tuned- Next years date will be posted soon!

A great success!

A full update is to follow, but in short we raised roughly $17,000 for the Melanoma Foundation of New England. The rain cleared out, and in the words of Terry grandson Nate “Nana saved the day by telling God to make the rain stop, so we could have the walk and raise the money for the doctors to cure cancer.”

My family and I thank all of you who participated from down the street to across the country. We are making a difference!

Front Page News

This week’s Enterprise Newspaper featured Terry’s Walk on the front page! The article is great! Please take time to read the story. We are only two short weeks away, and this article was a great opportunity for us to reach out to the community. Thank you Enterprise Newspaper and Diane Barth for taking an interest in my mom’s story and promoting this event!

Pot Luck Picnic

Following the walk, friends and family are invited to a Pot Luck Picnic on the Town Green. We ask that if you are attending please bring something to share and your own blankets or chairs to sit on. Valerie, a dear family friend, has offered to coordinate this Pot Luck Picnic.

Please e-mail Valerie at vfortev@aol.com with the following information if you are planning on attending:
Entrée or Dessert:
Name:
Phone:

We hope to see you there!

Extending the offer!

There is still time to order your T-shirts! We are extending the August 1st deadline for T-shirt orders until August 24, 2008. We have raised over $2,000 but wouldn’t it be great to raise more! T-shirt sales, registrations and donations to Terry’s Walk will go directly to the Melanoma Foundation of New England's project to better educate physicians and other healthcare professionals in properly identifying and treating melanoma. We would love to have as many people as we can come and personally share in this beautiful fundraising memorial walk. By sending in your registration fee you can get a free “Setting the Sun on Melanoma” T-shirt. If you are unable to attend, you can still purchase the T-shirt, and show your support. Donations can also be made directly to the Melanoma Foundation of New England via their web site (at left), just be sure to include that it is for Terry’s Walk. If you have any questions, please contact me!

I want to thank those who have already donated and all those planning to donate. You are making a difference in fighting cancer!

It is official!

We are going to print with the entry forms this week! The forms are also available here in the left hand column. Start registering now, the first 200 gets a free T-shirt with their entry fee!

We have also gotten some great business sponsorship already. It is wonderful to see things finally starting to connect and come together. The road ahead is still long but we are moving very fast. The support of family and friends has been wonderful. Please keep ideas coming, and if we can't put it to use this year, we will put it into action for Terry's Walk 2009!!

Walk Information

We are still working out some of the registration information with the Melanoma Foundation of New England (MFNE). I had posted all the info and registration forms, but after talking to MFNE we have a few changes to make. If you already printed and sent your registration form in, don't worry, you will be "grandfathered-in" after the changes.

Thank you all for your patience and support! We will get this walk of the ground!
Keep checking back for updates!