Community Corner

Team 'Ava's Mom' Keeps on Raising Funds for 2011 Relay For Life of Berlin

Team supporters exceeded their goal by four times but they're still going.

“Ava's Mom,” a team formed for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Berlin, has raised nearly $10,000 to help fight cancer.  Team members and supporters are setting a strong pace, and other teams are also working hard to meet the 2011 net goal of $92,000.

To date, 40 teams have raised more than $31,000, with just a few weeks left till the May 21-22 event at the Berlin Lions Club fair grounds, according to Lynn Kipphut, community executive, development, American Cancer Society. 

“We are approximately a third of the way, and all of our teams are working hard to get the rest of the way there. We know the economy is still a challenge, but we are encouraging everyone in the community to support our teams in whatever way they can,” Kipphut said.

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The model, Kipphut said, is Team Ava's Mom, whose members continue to push although they have already exceeded their fundraising goal.

“We are very pleased that we have already raised four times what our original team goal was,” said team leader Vin Biscoglio, who founded the team to support his wife Ceil who was diagnosed with breast cancer last December. “But we are still working hard to raise more.”

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In fact, the leading fundraiser on Team Ava's Mom is Ceil's mother, Carol Simeone, has raised more than $3,400. This makes her the top campaigner among all of the Relay teams, but she's not stopping.

“Everyone on our team including Carol agrees that there is still more we can all do to meet the event's overall goal,” Biscoglio said.

Relay For Life is a family-oriented, 24-hour walking event where participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team and raise funds to help eliminate cancer, a disease that touches so many lives.  It mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate survivors (anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer), remember loved ones, commit to fight back through healthy lifestyle changes, and raise money for the fight against cancer.

Former and current cancer patients, those who have lost a loved one to cancer, families, businesses, civic organizations, and the public are invited to take part.

Blogging for Family, Friends and Funds

 To help drive fundraising for Team Ava’s Mom – but also as a way to keep family and friends informed about Ceil's progress as she goes through treatment – Biscoglio started a blog. (Please visit Avasmom.org.) Through the blog, Biscoglio not only provides frequent updates on Ceil's chemotherapy, which he reports is “working the way the doctors want it to,” but he also helps raise funds with the sale of merchandise.  Biscoglio also used the blog to sell tickets to a Dinner Dance Benefit, which was sold out long before that April 30 event.

There is also a guest book on the blog, where friends and family have expressed their best wishes for Ceil's recovery. The entire family has been touched by people's words and donations, Biscoglio said.  “The response has been overwhelming and we are lucky to have a huge support system,” he said.  “What started off as a way to keep people updated and to keep our support system positive has led to us raising a lot of money for Relay, all while inspiring people to get involved.”

About Relay For Life of Berlin                 

The public is welcome to register at the Berlin Lions Club fair grounds on May 21 starting at 10:00 a.m. For a $10 entrance fee, people receive a Relay tee shirt (sizes limited) and may stay until 11:00 p.m., giving them a chance to participate in the evening Luminaria ceremony. Cancer survivors are welcome to register at no charge.

For more about Relay For Life of Berlin, contact Kipphut at 203-379-4874 or lynn.kipphut@cancer.org or go to http://www.relayforlife.org/berlinct. To learn more about volunteering to be a part of Relay For Life, contact Anne Carubba, volunteer chair, at arcarub@comcast.net.

About the American Cancer Society (ACS)

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.

Headquartered in Atlanta, the Society was founded in 1913 and has 13 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.


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