GUEST POST: “Because the Sun Shines on us all”

We now have a Charity for 8/15 @ Twin Lakes

A new feature you will start seeing on DL is Guest Posters. And what better way to kick off this new feature than with the only lady that can pull of Pearls and an Evening gown while working at the Food Bank;
Joanne Christian.

Several weeks ago Donsquishymahrhusseinglobalviti (otherwise known as Hef to me) issued an invite for suggestions from the reading audience of a worthy charitable affiliation to benefit from the Summer Drinking Liberally Event at Twin Lakes Brewery on 8/15 from 2-6pm. His parting words were….something local…I’m thinking cancer.

Well, I guess after poring over the thousands of entries submitted, a lil’ grassroots charity right here in Delaware has been selected for Hef to Grand Marshal the cause and show them the money!

The selected charity to coincide with the “First Hottest Blogger’s” request is

MILES for MELANOMA Delaware (www.miles4melanomade.org)

This organization was co-founded by two young women laying side by side while receiving chemo for malignant melanoma at the Helen Graham Cancer Center .
They had a vision and a mission. They wanted to provide as much awareness to the community about sun safety, and skin cancers, particularly melanoma. These two women were aged 19 and 30something, and gathered a group of survivors, friends, and family members to begin educating the public locally. In June 2008, Michelle Rigney, then 22 (yes 22!) lost her battle with this dread, silent, aggressive disease. The co-founder Anna Marie Farro continues the effort, as a Stage 3 survivor, with an all volunteer board and support network to raise funds for research under the direction of the Melanoma Research Foundation. This subtext of cancer categories is critically dependent on grassroot efforts, as they too compete for a market share of limited research and trial funding. If any of you have a friend, co-worker, loved one, or associate ever touched by a “local skin cancer”, a seemingly simple excision–imagine the devastation of a malignant melanoma diagnosis on such a common, routine procedure. With haste that person is catapaulted to intensive chemo routines, which at times may lead them to NYC, Baltimore, Philly, or the NIH, faster than their head can spin, and utter “but I’m feeling fine–really I was”. It is a beast of a disease in full measure, and our population is burgeoning with candidates ripe for the picking. Keeping in mind the baby boomers slathered that baby oil all over (settle down El Som), and cooked, than turned and roasted…starting Easter Week. We now have the youth and upwards generation worshipping the tanning beds. It will not be without regret or consequence.

Donviti is committing the DLers’ to contributing to this cause of awareness and funding, especially during this summer season.. This is the cancer the Repubs got on the tennis court, the Dems got biking, the Greens got hiking, and the Libertarians got in their own backyard. Yes, the sun shines on us all, and maybe we as a group can help keep a black cloud away. All of your support will be greatly appreciated.

Back to you Hef–and more information to follow……

Hope you all can make it!  Wait till you hear the band we have.  And yes…the naming of the beer is TBC soon enough.