"Teamsters
Care"
Brothers and Sisters,
We are closer now than we have ever been to understanding Cancer.
Research, funded by donations to the Canadian Cancer Society,
the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation have contributed greatly to our current knowledge
of the disease, its treatment, prevention and possible cures.
But we are not there yet.
The Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
need your help to continue to their goal, a goal that will hopefully
see the eradication of this heart breaking and ruthless killer.
Twenty years ago, I lost my Mother to cancer. After her initial
breast cancer was diagnosed, she suffered the indignity of a
mastectomy and then went through gruelling and painful cycles
of chemotherapy. But we were lucky. The cancer went into remission
and my Mother remained with us for a few more wonderful years,
until one of her scheduled checkups showed that it had returned.
It had spread to her liver and in 1985, she finally succumbed
after a brave and bitter battle.
All of us have had our lives touched by this disease. We've all
lost family or friends or fought it ourselves. And it doesn't
stop, it just keeps attacking those we love again and again.
It will not stop untill we stop it.
Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer in
Canadian women. It is estimated that 21,600 women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer in 2005 and 5,300 will die of it, and an estimated
150 men will be diagnosed this year, and 45 will die from it.
And there are over 200 other varieties of cancer, which attack
organs, skin, bones, blood... even the brain itself.
But there is hope. Over the last 20 years, mortality rates have
steadily declined and breast cancer mortality rates are at their
lowest since the 1950s. The reason is research. Research has
yielded information on prevention and has given us miracle drugs
for treatment even if there is not, as of yet, a cure.
What we can do?
There is a lot that we can do as individuals and as a group.
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We
can increase cancer awareness by finding out more about the
disease and wearing the ribbon.
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We
can get involved in volunteer programs in our communities.
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We
can donate money and we can donate our time.
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We
can challenge our friends, our co-workers and anyone else,
to meet or beat
our own donations.
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We
can make the effort now, instead of waiting to be canvassed
to make donations, not just in April...
but
any month of the year.
Check
out these websites www.cancer.ca or www.cbcf.org.
Vice President Tirelli and I have a very close friend (and local
Chairperson) who's daughter has been attacked by breast cancer.
While she is fighting this disease, we wanted to do something
positive to help. So we joined the thousands across Canada who
shave their heads for Cancer Awareness and then made a donation
to the Canadian Cancer Society.
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President Bill Brehl |
Vice-President Roberto Tirelli |
Neither of us have a lot of free time, but we are going to
make the best of what we do have. We are arranging community
volunteer
work and will spearhead a toy drive this Christmas, for those
kids who are hospitalized this holiday season. And we're
leaving our heads shaved untill we get it done. With your
whole Executive
Board helping, we will insure that we'll give 100% and probably
more.
We challenge each and every person who reads this letter
to make a committment as well. Make a donation, volunteer
your time or
help us with the toy drive. Do whatever it takes to make
a difference because in the world today and especially in
the battle with
this unrelenting killer, every single bit of caring is a
step toward victory.
To make a donation: Check out the Websites above or send
a cheque payable to the:
The
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation at 790 Bay Street, Suite
1000 Toronto, Ontario M5G 1N8,
The
Canadian Cancer Society and phone 1 888 939 3333 and they will
tell you where to send the cheque in your province.
To
help with the Toy Drive,
send a new, unopened Toy to:
TEAMSTERS
CARES c/o 2775 Lancaster Boulevard, Ottawa, ON, K1B 4V8.
It
doesn't matter if it is for a boy or for a girl or for what age.
Before Christmas eve, we will insure that
the toys
reach
children in Kid's Hospitals across the country.
Bring it up at your Lodge meetings (I will be when
I visit you), talk about it at work, but just insure
that
you get
those toys
sent as soon as possible so that we can get them out
where they will do the most good. We all have so much,
let's share
what
we have so that others can enjoy this season as well.
To quote the Canadian Cancer Society... Together, let's
make cancer history!! Let's do it now, let's do it
together and
let's do it because....TEAMSTERS CARE!!
Fraternally,
Bill Brehl
President
TCRCMWED
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