Susan G. Komen Archives - Ohio Wine and More Ohio Wine and More

Posts Tagged ‘Susan G. Komen’

And Now a word FOR our PINK Party sponsors!

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Well I’m not sure “sponsors” is the right word, Maybe supporters or just friends trying to help us make a big difference. A lot of hard word goes into doing charity fundraisers. We have participated, hosted, organized and created many of them for a variety of causes over the past years. Some have been for Veterans, some for Developmentally and mentally delayed individuals and this one for Breast Cancer. One thing I have learned they would not be possible or what you could consider successful as in actually raise money if not for the generosity of people willing to help in the form of donated, time, money or “grease”. The kind of grease that gets the ball rolling and others motivated to be multipliers.

Big ones like Bank of America

You have “BIG” sponsors you see like Bank of America which is a National Sponsor for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day. I use them as an example. They help bring the “Big Show” to the road. What I’m talking about for this blog post is those special folks who step forward and help us reach our goals both monetary and awareness, by helping to get the event “greased”. And Boy do we have some really cool grease.

Sawovski Crystals and jewelry are in the well stocked list.

Ok ladies I hear these are really cool?! See I’m a “typical guy”, I understand parts that make my motorcycle go faster or my Jeep climb higher. I call items in the picture “fishing lures” as I’ve noticed they have the same effect on the ladies and a really good shinny fishing lure does on a fish! But the same can be said for the guys if the jewels get the ladies noticed. All kidding aside Sawarovski jewelry is the bomb and we have some wonderful connections true to our cause that see fit we have several items with the Sawarovski name on them in our Auction.

I dream of Genie!

Now you are talking something I understand! So if your lady is decked out in that fine Swarovski jewelry she doesn’t want to have to get off the motorcycle to open the garage door for you does she? Well heck no so all you have to do is be the high bidder and…..Problem solved! Well maybe one of them?

Pro Football Hall of Fame Passes WITH a personal guided tour PLUS some HOF-SWAG!

Among the many friends and “family” Maize Valley has our lots of local folks who work with really cool places like the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ann Wood lives just up the street and works at the Hall of Fame and put together a truly special one of a kind package. Gary and Francis Jervis have donated a complete Fine China set NEVER out of the box! I don’t have a picture of it because the box is over three feet tall and full of packing peanuts and shipping container packaging.

A Personal Trainer Makeover

My wife Michelle (pictured on left) and I are the reason for this party, we are raising the funds for the Susan G. Komen walk but Michelle’s Mom Donna is also a Breast Cancer survivor. After her surgery and treatment, exercise was prescribed and that brought her to Joyce her personal trainer. That was over 5 years ago and Donna still works out and Joyce is here to help in a different way by donating her services as well as that of some of her colleagues and friends also. Donna was always fit, lugging milk to the calves at the dairy farm but at 75+ years young Joyce has been a great help in keeping a healthy body and mind going forward.

Oh, did I mention there were more Fishing lures! 😉

Well, I wish I wrote better when it comes to English and grammar. Sorry but I crank these posts out in between managing our family farm businesses social media marketing efforts and fixing truck beds and driving tractors. (See my last two posts about this event here and here.) But the key is family, we work together here at Maize Valley. We do things like corn mazes, wagon rides, pumpking picking, wine tastings, and soon to be a brewery. But we couldn’t do it by ourselves, we need and appreciate the help of others. So on that note, Please join us for the PINK Party on May 7th if you can. Thank you our sponsors for all you do, because everyone deserves a lifetime!

Tags: Breast Cancer, PINK Party, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Charities | No Comments »

A Farmer’s Promise

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014

This time of year we talk a lot about our Bra-Vo Bra Decorating Contest and our PINK Party both designed to raise funds for Breast Cancer Charities. In our case we focus on the Susan G. Komen 3 day, and here is why. This is a follow up to the last blog post about what the PINK Party was about.

3 Day opening ceremonies

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has raised more money for breast cancer research than any other single charity. They have had some setbacks the past couple years I will agree, they probably have not made the best decisions in all instances, maybe they got too big, I don’t know. What I do know is I have witnessed at many levels the 3 Day 60 mile walk do so much more than raise, spend or do whatever with simply money. It is also about “The Promise”, I’ll get to that later.

Just a "Civilian Cheerleader" along the route, you never knew the stories behind "why...."

I have seen it change lives, personally I have had it change my life such that I have been a motivated to become a “multiplier” for the cause within and separate from the SGK 3 Day. What is that worth? Again I don’t know nor does anyone else. The SGK 3 Day “rolls large” it moves people physically, mentally and spiritually. Let me say I mean no disparagement to any other event or charity in saying these comments I am simply stating what I’ve experienced and why we support the SGK 3 Day. It is a unique event when you string 3 days together over 60 miles it moves people beyond their comfort zones, it requires a big commitment in many ways not just the few days of the event. This really makes it “Special” to me.

Michelle in front of the Pink tent city her first year the walkers and crew

It takes an army of “crew” to support these walkers, it isn’t cheap. As a farmer I know how to move large things, deal with weather and understand logistics a bit, this is a big deal to pull off. They provide medical care, they feed them well, the AWESOME porta-jons, actually pretty nice showers, and safety is quite a play to orchestrate.

Portable shower rigs, boy they feel good at the end of 20 mile walk on a 90 degree day!

I think for the outcome they do a great job. As a farmer I know when I grow a crop some weeds are going to grow too. I just have to do my best to minimize that part and drive the positive aspects to the top. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop farming because some weeds will grow if I do. I’ve got a job to do, as do the folks of all motivations that volunteer and make a career out of running charities. We are better off with their efforts than without. That is why we walk the 3 Day, also because it’s HARD!

I was a member of "Route Safety" Crew in 2011 "The Pirates"

Our motley crew on motorcycles and bicycles watched out for walkers safety in multiple ways. We were there to watch for medical conditions and get help if noted. We kept people off their phones when walking, we escorted the walkers at “tough” intersections within traffic laws, we told really bad jokes when people needed a smile. After a while only so many things rhyme with ARrrrrrgH!

Promise Me

Again I keep coming back to what is motivating me to write this. It’s the “Anti’s” as they are called now, those who can find fault in practically anything for whatever reason good or bad. But it is easy to throw stones at a glass house after someone built it. When “The Promise” was made we didn’t talk openly about breasts, make jokes about boobs or practically even acknowledge this “thing” existed. I promised my wife I would always be there for her in this journey, it was a small promise compared to one promise a sister made to another back in 1977.

Nancy and Susan

In 1977, breast cancer was still shrouded in stigma and shame. Nobody talked about early detection and mammograms. Nobody could even say the words “breast” and “cancer” together in polite company, let alone on television news broadcasts. With Nancy at her side, Suzy endured the many indignities of cancer treatment, from the grim, soul-killing waiting rooms to the mistakes of well-meaning but misinformed doctors. That’s when Suzy began to ask Nancy to promise. To promise to end the silence. To promise to raise money for scientific research. To promise to one day cure breast cancer for good. Big, shoot-for-the-moon promises that Nancy never dreamed she could fulfill. But she promised because this was her beloved sister.
I promise, Suzy. . . . Even if it takes the rest of my life.

Me and my Survivor

So this the “why” we are grunts in the fight against Breast Cancer and why we have chosen the Susan G. Komen 3 Day as our path. We ask for your support at the PINK Party or anyway possible. If you can’t help there we encourage you to look around for other opportunities that also exist with other groups that are also in the fight because everyone deserves a lifetime!

Looks like we will walking the streets and paths of Michigan in 2014! Zero to 60 in 3 Days...We got that!

Tags: Breast Cancer, Family Farm, Family Time, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Charities | No Comments »

Bra-Vo! We are fighting Back at Breast Cancer…please join us if you like.

Wednesday, February 26th, 2014

Bra-Vo! but why? Our story behind fighting Breast Cancer.

We get numerous donation requests and we try to honor as many as possible. As a business we focus in on two charities because we have personal experience with them, Veterans and Breast Cancer.

My brother lost his wonderful wife Mary Ellen who helped us launch our pumpkin picking patch years ago, and it took a swipe at my Mother in Law Donna and my wife Michelle, they have survived. Now we fight back.

My Brother Tim, my Mom and Mary Ellen at my daughter's Cara Birthday

I remember the day I got the “news”, I had to run to New York to get some wine making supplies so I couldn’t go to the doctor with Chelle. I just got back, I was on the back dock, she called what we thought were calcium deposits were cancer….I dropped to my knees, the energy of my life instantly drained out of me, why didn’t I go with her today? She had to drive home herself, my Mom taught me to open doors for ladies, I vowed to never let her go to a Dr. appointment again.

The "Racks" behind our bar!

March 1st kicks off our Bra Decorating Contest called Bra-Vo that culminates in our PINK Party in May. It is how we Fight Back, last year we raised $7,000.00 in an emotionally charged, brightly decorated, sometimes loud, sometimes “pin drop” quiet evening. Bra-Vo helps get that started.

Opening ceremonies

Chelle and I walked over 50 miles (sometimes in 100 degree heat, they closed the last 10 miles) last year as Susan G. Komen walkers in the twin cities. It is quite an event, it raises more than just money, it lifts souls.

At the end of day two

We took every penny, nickle, dime and dollar and put it towards the cause. We paid our other expenses ourselves, just so you know if you came out last year.

I think this was Day Two about mile 10

If you, or someone you know, love or care about has been affected by Breast Cancer and you are looking for a way to fight back please consider joining us. If you feel compelled please share this with someone.

Here is an idea for you!

Last year was the first year for the PINK Party….It is a ticketed event, to our surprise and delight it sold out! That was over 100 people! We will working at expanding our ability to hold more people while keeping the quality standards we strive for. Please look at our Face Book event page for details or visit our website calendar event page as well.

Tags: Bra-Vo, Buy Local, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Family Time, Things to see at Maize Valley | 1 Comment »

Takin what life throws at me Part 4

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Takin what life throws at me is part of Ohio Wine and More Because this family farm, market and winery has two breast cancer survivors amongts its owners. Donna Vaughan and her daughter Michelle Bakan, these posts are by Michelle’s husband Bill.

Bill on "Snarles"

Life truly is a journey. How you get through this journey, much like any other trip you take, depends on the roads you choose and the things you encounter along the way. Some roads get you there fast, some not so fast. Some of the people and places you meet and visit are good, others maybe not so much. But “fast and or good” at least on the surface may look like the best route, can also deprive you of some really interesting experiences along the way. Some force you to look at and deal with things you don’t see in the “fast lane”.

My Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the cure "mates"

Now don’t get me wrong, given the choice of not hearing those words over the phone from my wife Michelle “I have cancer” would have been my prefered choice. But after you hear them you have to say, “ok, what’s next?” And begin your journey down a path you would not have choosen to take. That path led us to the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the cure. This is a 60 mile 3 day experience that requires fund raising but is really about so much more.

Little Pink houses 4 U n me!

2011 in Cleveland found Michelle walking with her brother in law Tim Bakan and Bill on Saftey Crew. If you are going to walk 60 miles in three days you MUST train or your body won’t do it. Trust me I know, I’ve seen it. SGK takes care of you if you can’t, but if you want to walk every step you need to prepare. And if you are a runner or “in good shape’ and think that will work, it might, but don’t necessarily count on it. It’s mostly about Feet. Feet, feet, feet, how many, many feet you meet. They need to be prepared, they need to have walked.

Aid station and pit stop

How do I know? As a member of the Safety Crew I had the priviledge of helping and seeing just about each and every one of the 950 walkers. We are different that most of the other 330 crew members in that respect, in that we see just about everybody sooner or later often multiple times. Each crew member and every they do job is important, we just got the “glory” job. Over three days you make friends, see struggles, and watch victories unfold.

"Crossing guards"

We would leave out about a half hour before the first walker hits the road at about 6:30am, then we as a group escourted the last walker in the gate about 13 hours later. Our job is to keep them safe, but also so much more.

The long pink line

Over the next few blog posts I’ll lay out how these three days unfolded for me. Because you often hear about the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the cure but until you have lived it or had a very in depth explaination of what it is, you cannont begin to understand it. It starts with a promise, because everyone deserves a lifetime.

Tags: Buy Local, Corn Maze, Farm Market, Farmers' Markets, Homegrown, Homegrown Produce, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk, Sustainable Agriculture.
Posted in Family Time | No Comments »

Takin’ what life throws at me part 3, Let’s get this party started

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Pre-opening ceremonies

Maize Valley Farm Market and Winery will be sending a team to the Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk for the cure in Cleveland Ohio in 2011. This is part 3 of the story of how this family farm business came to “adopt” this as “official cause”. Both from a personal standpoint but also from an event and business perspetive how we try and raise awereness and funds. That’s why it is part of the Ohio wine and more blog, this part of the “more”.

Now that is a real bad cliche’! We often say when we lose someone to breast cancer something like, she “lost her battle” with breast cancer. What the f**k does that mean? A battle is a subset of a war are those men and women who get breast cancer warriors? Well you’re not till it punches you in the gut as it did us.

At least for us, even when it came very close to us we had sympathy for those affected but sort of covered our ears and went “Laaa, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa” when the discussion really tried to get “focused”. You don’t really take up arms and Lock n Load till it takes a shot at you, then baby, “it’s on”.

Who's da bad ass?

Gonna “Rewind” now a bit from dropping Chelle off day of the walk to one of “My Darkest Days”, and I ain’t talkin’ about the band from Canada either! You see in order for you to understand why I began to understand why the SGK walk was important enough to tell others, I need to tell you how breast cancer has reached into our lives beyond my wife Chelle.

When I heard “those words” on the dock I was dropped to my knees, a blackness shadowed over me, I felt powerless to help “my girl”. Maybe I overreacted? I am a data guy I needed data what did this mean? All of a sudden I was in a fog, my reference points unknowable, my objectives and options unclear.

Mary Ellen Cole Bakan

Overreacted? I did not know, THAT was the problem! The fog, the blackness of my heart and soul was maybe a result of the “war” I was sucked into. My sight was obstructed. I feared this battle, you see this was not the first time I saw a one. Pictured above is not just a tractor and a wagon but my Brother Tim returning from the pumpkin patch with a load of guests, pumpkins and memories.

Sitting on the wagon was his wife Mary Ellen Cole Bakan with their daughter Anne. A daughter they were not even supposed to even be able to have, today the biggest living memory we have of Mary Ellen.

Orange, my favorite color!

Mary Ellen was our un-official “pumpkin lady”, nobody out of ignorance nor mallace ever left our pumpkin patch without paying for the time, labor and toil it took to raise the crop. With a smile and comforting tone as big and beautiful as the blazing color of the fall folliage around you, that only a 4th grade teacher could deliver, she could walk up to anybody and be sure she did her part to help keep this farm “sustainable”.

The change of season brings certain well “certainties” if you will. Just as those colorful fall leaves decay to give us aromas we only ascribe to fall, or that the models on the L.L. Bean cataloge are having a great time! I was certain EVERYONE leaving the pumpkin patch had PAID for their pumpkin!

Tim and Mary Ellen “worked” for FREE for us on the weekends, I’d pay a King’s ransom if I could to bring her back for my brother. They had our back, I’ve done the best I could the almost past three years to have Tim’s. I feared that someone would have to have mine. That’s how this party got started for us. More to come.

Maize Valley Farm Market and Winery will be fielding a team for the 2011 Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk. If you would like to join us please get in touch. Because everyone deserves a lifetime!

Tags: Buy Local, Family Farm, Family Time, Homegrown, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk, Sustainable Agriculture.
Posted in Personal note | No Comments »

Takin’ what life throws at me part 2, Trying to “C” the “Big Picture”

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Ya know when Michelle wanted to do the 3 day walk I “hesitated” to help when she asked. I must confess, my bad. Not so much doing the “Walk” but rather telling everyone and asking for their support.

You see I’m a guy I just do stuff myself. I told Chelle, “It will be hard for us but, let’s just write a check, and you walk”. That is NOT the point she said! This is about awareness, of the big picture. My “training” for the SGK walk had begun before I helped her take her first steps.

As with most “arguments” we have had over 25 years she just waits till I see she’s right and I apologize. That is where I started to grasp what this is really all about. And if you know me, once I get ahold of an idea, I tend to “ride it hard“, I hate missed opportunities and under used resources. Forgive me for “chronologically jumping around a bit” here getting this story started.

Whooo Haaaa, we are just getting warmed up!

Fast forward to the day of the walk. when I dropped Chelle off it hit me. After months and hunderds of miles of training and fundraising, I had to let go now. Now was her time to step into something really big! And coming from a dairy farm backround that was usually not a good thing!!! But in this case she was about to enter an experience bigger than either of us had ever seen.

Now listen, we are Buckeye Alumni, that is where we met and we have seen “big games” but these 900 souls plus 300 crew members dwarfed anything we had ever been a part of at “The Shoe”. This was about life and death, I’ll put my money on a cancer survivor anyday after seeing this .

Cheer a lot

I am not a writer, I am a farmer, but my self imposed title is the “Fun TSAR”, I wear many hats. Part of my struggle to help with this at the start was I had to overcome my feelings that we were special. Not so much because we had a “situation” (no Jersey Shore pun intended) but rather EVERYBODY has a “cause”!

We have a son that has “many” “Autistic” behaviors, Hati had an earthquake, St. Jude’s needs help, I lost a cousin on 9/11 there are tons of places and people asking for your help. Why should anybody care about us and our cause more than anybody elses, I hated the idea that our cause is “better” than anybody elses.

I wonder where we go? Let's follow the guys in pink...

But this one punched me in the gut and I was PISss’T OFF. Where do we go from here? That started months earlier. When I began to see how we fit into the big picture. I will try not to use too many cliches’ and analogies to describe things.

I’ll try not to minimize what other’s have suffered through by my shortcomings in telling our story, I’ll try and show how we fit into the big picture and how everyone deserves a lifetime!

Tags: Buy Local, Family Farm, Farm Market, Homegrown, Ohio farm market, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Personal note | No Comments »

Takin’ what life throws at me part 1, Little Pink Houses for U n Me.

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Little pink houses

“I’ve got cancer”, those words were spoken to me on August 31st 2009 as I stood on the dock behind our farm market and winery. On the other end was my wife of 23 and on half years who I let go to the doctor alone because I had grapes to haul that day. And besides, we were pretty certain they were just “calcium deposits”, they were so small. Looking back I’m glad they were. One and half year’s later I now have a wife of over 25 years and a Breast Cancer Survivor.

Komen for the Cure

We are so lucky. How did we react, how else could we like we do everything else. We ran straight at it. Our (My wife Michelle’s) journey was thankfully pretty short compared to so many. I can say that because I was not the one who had a lumpecotmy, which was not enough, but the lymphnodes were ok. So a “double” followed and now we are finishing up reconstruction things look good! No chemo, No radiation.

All the while, we thought we will get through and also how do we do that. The Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure Cleveland walk turned out to be a big part of that. About a month after my wife had her major reconstuction surgery she took her first steps toward really healing. 3 days, 60 miles sound hard? No not really when you see the journey some of the other 900 walkers in the Cleveland walk have endured. We are lucky.

Opening Ceremonies

What does Ohio Wine and More and Maize Valley Farm Market and Winery have to do with all this. Well I will try and explain over the next few blog posts about what the 3 Day Walk is about. It’s a little about marketing, its a little about wine, its a little about giving back what we can because everyone deserves a life!

Tags: Family Farm, Ohio Winery, Ohio Wines, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Things to see at Maize Valley | No Comments »

Breast Cancer, it is well, personal! Help Us Help Others!

Monday, May 24th, 2010

I'm Walking 60 miles in 3 Days to help find a cure can you help me?

Michelle with me at Daytona Bike Week

Why I’m Walking

I’m walking because I can. Because so many can not. Because this disease has taken so much from so many. I’m walking for my sister in law who fought to the end, for my dad who grew up without a mother , for my aunt who started her fight 30 years ago, for my mom who started her fight 2 years ago.

I’m walking for myself – to prove that the past year has been just a speed bump in the road of life. Many of you know that I was diagnosed with breast cancer August 31, 2009. Since that time I have had two surgeries, the second being a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. That means they took the old ones with the cancer and gave me new ones (although it’s been a little more involved than that).

I’m walking for my children, that they may never have to walk. That they will never have to hear the words “we got the results, it’s cancer”. That some day there will be a cure and a world without breast cancer.

I’m walking because someone, walked for me. For without the advances in early detection and treatments, my cancer might still be hidden, my story might have a very different ending.

The Susan G., Komen foundation has been involved with every major advancement in the fight against breast cancer.

Tags: Breast Cancer, Ohio farm market, Ohio Winery, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
Posted in Personal note | No Comments »

Breast Cancer, Burn it to the ground “Cane” Burning Par-Tay!

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Wow Dad this pile is HUGE!

Brett Helping Dad bring in the pile!

The Cane Burning Party will take place in our hilltop Pavilion on Saturday, May 29. Admission is $10 ($5 of which will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation) and will include hamburgers, bratwurst, potato salad, chips and s’mores around the fire. With Live entertainment for “Me and this other guy”.

My wife Michelle was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last August. She is walking in the 3 day walk. You can donate directly and learn more about her journey by visiting www.maizevalley.com and click on her picture and link.

Come on out and enjoy a good old fashioned big ole’ “Bon Faaarrr”, from Back in the Day. The canes are the wood we prune from the vineyard, not disabled persons walking aids either!! When they burn down we have more wood to add! We might even take a “moon light wagon ride” once the tunes die down, C how it goes! 🙂

Food starts about 6:00, wine sales in the pavilion too, we “Light it up” bout 7:00, probably hang out till bout 10:00-11:00 ?

Tags: Breast Cancer, Canes, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk, Vineyard
Posted in Fun with Wine | No Comments »

Ohio Wine and More