Working Together to Make a World Without Breast Cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a neighborhood affair. In fact, the aims of the Making Strides organization, an adjunct of the American Cancer Society, are to raise funds to further the fight against breast cancer, spread awareness, and celebrate cancer survivors.

Donna Brightman, the executive director of the Woodbridge Housing Authority, organized a team with her coworkers last year to raise money for the cause and participate in the annual walk around Woodbridge Center Mall in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Brightman decided to become a team leader when she found out that last year’s walk fell on what would have been her late daughter Courtney’s 30th birthday.

“I just felt that it meant I needed to do this to honor her memory,” Brightman said.

“Courtney’s Crew”—comprised of employees of the Woodbridge Housing Authority and their friends and families—raised around $4,000 last year through donations and fundraisers such as selling pink “Share Our Strength” bracelets and hosting two dinners at Bertucci’s, where a portion of the proceeds were donated to Making Strides. Courtney’s Crew also participated in last year’s walk around Woodbridge Center Mall.

It is the team leader’s responsibility to spread awareness about breast cancer, and Brightman began in her own office. Brightman herself admitted that it had been years since she received a mammogram, so when she made the decision to become a team leader for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, not only did she schedule an appointment for herself, but she also hounded the other women in her office until they scheduled appointments themselves.

“Some of us hadn’t had mammograms in ten years,” Brightman said, “and I think the best part about deciding to do this is that two women in the office who got the mammograms done were able to find that they had cancer in its early stages and have it treated.”

Courtney’s Crew hopes to top the amount of money they raised last year and once again participate in the Breast Cancer Walk on October 16th.

The team began fundraising by starting “Dress-down Wednesdays,” which allows anyone who pays $5 per Wednesday to wear jeans to the office.

With the help of Applebee’s on Route 1 in Edison and its “Flapjack Fundraiser,” Courtney’s Crew was able to raise money by hosting a pancake breakfast on Sunday, Sept. 25.

The Flapjack Fundraiser is a service Applebee’s offers to help raise funds and spread awareness for charities. Every weekend from 8 am-10 am, Applebee’s provides a scheduled charity with the restaurant, kitchen and management staff, plates and silverware, food, and tickets and flyers for the group to advertise. All an organization has to do is sell the tickets and provide volunteers to serve the customers.

Justin Deguzman, the Kitchen Manager at Applebee’s, says that it’s a great way for Applebee’s to connect to the community, and Flapjack Fundraisers have become wildly popular.

“We’re hosting at least one of these events every weekend for the next month and a half,” said Deguzman, “so I went out and bought equipment for making pancakes faster.”

Deguzman prepares pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage for these events. Guests also have a choice of beverage: coffee, tea, orange juice, or any fountain drink.

Karen Del Fattore of Courtney’s Crew organized the Flapjack Fundraiser event. She ordered calendars and chocolate bars and lollipops with personalized wrappers that said, “A World without Breast Cancer is a World with More Birthdays,” to be purchased for $5 each.

The members of Courtney’s Crew—dressed in the purple tee-shirts from last year’s breast cancer walk—greeted, served, and bused the tables of their friends and loved ones who they sold tickets to. Many of the senior citizens who reside in the senior buildings owned by the Woodbridge Housing Authority even stopped by for a delicious Sunday breakfast.

Crew members also donated baskets to be raffled off and had a regular 50/50 drawing. There was a Smores basket, a microbrewing kit, and an ice cream maker for people to try and win.

Notable organizations such as Brian Bureau and the Newark Firemen Federal Credit Union made generous donations to Courtney’s Crew.

Courtney’s Crew was able to raise $1,266 from the Flapjack Fundraiser to participate in the Breast Cancer Walk to be held at Woodbridge Center Mall on Sunday, October 16, 2011, at 9 am.

The event truly fostered the idea of community, Brightman said. The atmosphere was very warm and friendly because everyone knew each other. Everyone was laughing and eating and mingling and enjoying each other’s company. It was a celebration of life, and life is exactly what Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fights to save.