Miss Kitty's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Blog

Early warning:

April 2
Heartland Cafe
7000 N. Glenwood
Chicago, IL

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Benefit!

I'm still in talks with a couple of musicians who I really like, so the full band line-up is not set in stone. But we have a date. We have a venue. There will be a show. Oh yes, there will be a show.

Mark it down on your calendars! More details coming soon! I'm so excited for this!

Wow, misty eyed.

I just got an email from a woman who is currently battling breast cancer, asking how she can make a donation and thanking me for walking. That's powerful stuff. I thank her for her strength. Walking 40 miles is nothing compared to the battle she is fighting. I wish her luck and I will walk proudly in her honor this June.

Well, I didn't mean to, but I did a two mile training walk yesterday, out in the snow and the cold and the ick, wearing high heeled boots, no less. I had to get to rehearsal and there were no available cabs and the bus didn't seem to be running and my car is still buried from the foot of snow we got on Friday. So I walked the two miles to my rehearsal. Made pretty good time, too, and it kept me in a positive mindset about the whole thing to think of it as a training walk. Otherwise, I would have just been pissy.

So we're off and running, in every sense of the word. Donations are coming in, training is underway. And plans for the CD are coming together nicely. Yay!

The thing I always forget about breast cancer is how present it is. For me, it is something that exists in the past -- I lost my stepmother years ago. My cousins fought it years ago. I don't really know anyone fighting it NOW. But I know that every three minutes, someone else is diagnosed.

I just got a story from my cousin about a friend of hers who is preparing herself to die. She has apparently been fighting for a while, but the cancer has metastisized and she is preparing herself to go. She is alert and coherent and just wants to be with her family now. Right now. There are people battling this disease right now. Some of them are winning, but others are not. There are people right now mourning the loss of loved ones, claimed by breast cancer. Right now, there are people trying to figure out what the best course of treatment might be. Right now, a woman is terrified because she found a lump during a self-exam. Right now, someone is hurting.

Which is, I guess, why I feel good about doing this walk again. It means I am doing something right now to try to fix it. To reach for a world wherein finding a lump does not instantly inspire thoughts of who will take care of the kids when you're gone. A lot of the money raised goes to provide treatment to people who would not otherwise be able to get it, or to hotlines that provide advice to people who have no idea what to do next. The money is used to help people right now, as well as to look to the future and plan for a breast cancer-free world. It is ever present, but if we do something about it right now, we can change that.

Okay, I have to share my ideas, just 'cuz that's what I do.

So I was thinking about something that I could sell to raise money for this, but just about everyone I know already has a copy of my demo CD, so that's out. Though I still have some if anybody wants one. Just lemme know. Anyway, a little while back, I wrote this little a capella song called, "Ordinary." People really like it. Several of my friends have said that they would like to put music behind it. So I thought, "Okay, let's make a CD single." I've talked to two of my friends so far and they are on board, and I'm waiting to hear back from another. But what the disc would consist of is my version of "Ordinary," plus two or three remixes of it, done by my friends. And I can sell this disc either by taking online orders for it, or at shows, and all of the proceeds will go to the Avon Walk effort. I'm so excited to hear what these guys are going to do with my song!

And I'm also putting out feelers to see if I could put together a benefit concert, featuring myself and some other local Chicago musicians. I'm talking to venues and have ideas for who else I would like to play and whatnot. So I still have a lot of work to do on that one, but keep an eye out -- there just might be a great night of music coming up in the next couple of months, again, with all of the proceeds going to the walk.

We all know I'm happiest when I'm busy. This should keep me occupied for a little while...

And the first donation is in. I can't believe how generous and supportive people can be. Thank you!

Mmm...warm fuzzies...

And we're off!

I was having a really crappy day today, so I decided to register for the Avon Walk. Start the good energy flowing. My personal donation page is up and running, as it were. And I'm all abuzz with ideas for fundraisers. I think we may have to revisit Bowling for Boobs -- that was too much fun last year to not do it again. And I'm thinking of talking to some local musicians to see if we could put together a sort of benefit concert somewhere. I have to work out the logistics on that one, but keep an eye out. There will be lots of yummy, fundraising goodness in the next few months.

I'm so excited to be doing this again!

Get ready. I think it's time to go again...