FAMILY

Cancer is the cause

How you can help this fall

Savannah Evanoff
sevanoff@nwfdailynews.com
Cancer patients, survivors and caregivers strike a tree pose at a yoga4cancer class at Dragonfly Yoga Studio in Fort Walton Beach. [SPECIAL TO THE DAILY NEWS]

There are many ways to help those fighting breast cancer.

Here are some local events benefiting breast cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.

Fore Her Golf Outing

When: 8 a.m. check-in and registration, 9:15 a.m. shotgun start Sept. 29.

Where: Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club, 334 Golf Club Drive, Santa Rosa Beach.

Cost: $110, includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, a cart, hole-in-one prizes and a silent auction.

For more information or to sign up, visit foreher.org or contact Amy Walsh at 850-699-3233 or amy@foreher.org.

Amy Walsh knows the obstacles that come with breast cancer.

Walsh’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer while Walsh was in high school and died of it when Walsh was 29. Walsh’s aunt died of breast cancer shortly after her mother did.

After Walsh’s mother had battled cancer for years, Walsh felt compelled to give her a message she needed to hear. It wasn’t an easy conversation, she said.

“In one of the times I flew home, I told her, ‘Did anybody tell you it’s OK for you to die? It will be OK,’” Walsh said.

Although Walsh knew she would miss her mother, she wanted her mother to rest assured knowing her loved ones would be OK.

“It’s not ever something you get over, losing somebody,” Walsh said. “But you learn how to live, how to go on.”

This experience and her family’s fundraising efforts inspired Walsh to launch Fore Her and its primary fundraiser, the annual Golf Outing. Proceeds from the event go toward any breast cancer patients’ needs such as utilities, prescriptions, fuel or groceries.

“We’ve helped purchase tires for cars, washers and dryers, Christmas gifts, groceries, basically whatever they need,” Walsh said. "Whatever their insurance doesn’t cover, we try to meet those needs.”

The fifth annual Fore Her Golf Outing will have many fun aspects, Walsh said. It features a slew of prizes for golfers, including a last place prize, she said.

Walsh’s favorite part is the annual Helicopter Golf Ball Drop, in which a helicopter will drop many pink balls representing donations onto a designated spot.

“It’s so much fun,” Walsh said. “The golf ball drop will be at 9 o’clock in the morning, so all the golfers can see it as they wait to tee off.”

The event always has a “Dress like a girl” hole on the golf course, in which men put on feminine clothing articles, such as tutus. A new feature this year is a Wheel of Fortune hole on the golf course, which will involve spinning a wheel and following its instructions.

The silent auction will include gift baskets, jewelry, tickets to local festivals, tickets to Sea World and more, Walsh said. Event sponsors will give away food and beverage items at holes, too, she said.

Horizon of Hope Luncheon

When: 10:30 a.m. social time, noon lunch Oct. 7.

Where: Niceville Community Center, 204 North Partin Drive, Niceville.

Cost: $35, includes lunch and two raffle tickets.

To purchase tickets, call Dallas Newman at 850-897-4267 or email joe19fan@cox.net. Ticket sales end Sept. 29.

When Dallas Newman worked as a nurse, breast cancer was a five-year death sentence, she said. Today, she wants people with breast cancer to know there is hope.

“There is survival,” Newman said. “There are people who become cancer-free. We hope we’re making a difference in that by funding research. We are there to love them through their journey.”

Newman will host the ninth annual Horizon of Hope Luncheon to raise money that will go toward breast cancer research and education at the American Cancer Society. The event raised $1,200 its first year and $6,000 in 2016.

The luncheon will feature a guest speaker, silent auction, door prizes, raffles and lunch from Chef Diane Ballard of St. Paul Lutheran Church. It will also include a moment to honor and present gifts to guests who are breast cancer survivors.

This year’s luncheon has a pirate theme, “Save Our Treasured Chests.” Guests are encouraged to wear pirate attire, and pirates will be on-site for photo ops.

“People really seem to enjoy it,” Newman said. “They look forward to what our next theme is going to be. We do a different theme every year.”

As an added feature, a hairdresser will offer pink weaves to put in guests’ hair.

“This year, it’s going to be braided and have a bead on it so it looks a little more pirate-y,” Newman said. “It’s a temporary extension that you can put in your hair, so you can support breast cancer for a few days if you would like.”

This year’s speaker is a Horizon of Hope luncheon committee member, Eileen Gibbs. The former Niceville resident now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, but attends the fundraiser every year.

“Last year she was diagnosed one week before the luncheon,” Newman said. “She sat there and didn’t tell anyone and listened to those speakers.”

Gibbs told Newman if she were a speaker, she would do things differently. Now is her chance, Newman said.

Free yoga4cancer classes

When: 1 p.m. Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.

Where: Dragonfly Yoga Studio, 184 Brooks St. SE Unit 2, Fort Walton Beach.

Cost: Free to cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.

Melinda Roman and Linda Giragosian have decided to launch a second free yoga4cancer class series after the success of their first.

Y4c is a specialized yoga style designed to meet the needs of the cancer community. Many participants in the first y4c series were trying yoga for the first time, Roman said.

“We got a lot of good feedback,” Roman said. “People said they really enjoyed it, that they learned a lot, that they were noticing improvements in their strength and flexibility.”

The classes use chairs, blocks and other props to assist participants with various movements depending on their age, condition and skill level. Yoga mats and props are provided, and no experience is necessary.

Many students said they felt safer with the extra support from props, Roman said.

“I watched students that came to the first class, and by the third class, I could see improvements in their range of motion and strength,” Roman said. “It was really neat to watch people progress so quickly and have such good results.”

Many students inquired about continuing the series, so it excites Roman to bring it back, she said.

Pink Pirate's Annual Pinktoberfest

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 14.

Where: 8542 Navarre Parkway, Navarre.

For more information, call 850-803-8184.

Enjoy a pinked-out festival for breast cancer awareness. Enjoy arts and crafts, food and live music at Navarre Park.

Santa Rosa Rance Breast Cancer Awareness 5k Around the Lake

When: 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 14.

Where: Santa Rosa Ranch, LLC, 4340 Highway 178, Jay.

Cost: $10.

For more information, visit facebook.com/srdeerfarm. To register, call 850-781-8868.

Embrace the scenic beauty during a walk or run around Lake Leonard  to promote breast cancer awareness. Entry required with partial proceeds going to charity.

Making Breast Cancer Walk the Plank 5K

When: 8 a.m. Oct. 21.

Where: Navarre Beach, starts in the Navarre Beach boat ramp parking lot behind Tom Thumb.

Cost: $25, register online at active.com.

For more information, visit facebook.com/pinkpiratesnavarre/.

Walk, jog, run, push a stroller, pull a wagon or walk your dog at the third annual 5K to help raise funds for local women to get mammograms who otherwise might not be able to afford one.