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September 29, 2003

Swim a Mile For Women with Cancer Women's Cancer Resource Center


The Women's Cancer Resource Center Gears up for its Annual Swim a Mile For Women with Cancer Event Families, friends and community to swim in honor and memory of loved ones who have experienced any type of cancer

The East Bay's Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) is currently seeking participants, supporters, and in-kind donations for its annual non-competitive Swim a Mile from Women with Cancer fundraising event, to be held on October 4 - 5 at the Trefethan Aquatic Center on the Mills College campus. Now in its eighth year, these two inspiring and heartfelt days bring together participants and supporters of all ages who will swim a mile in memory or honor of a friend or loved one with any type of cancer. The event's proceeds will go to the Women's Cancer Resource Center in Oakland, a local non-profit community organization that provides free-of-charge information, resources, and services as well as emotional and practical support for all women with all types of cancer, as well as their families and friends.

Past Swim a Mile events have included anyone whose lives have been deeply impacted by cancer - including parents, husbands, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as friends. At the event, a Dedication Board display pictures, stories and cards of those who are swimming in memory and honor of loved ones and friends. Participants and supporters spend the day swimming, cheering on their colleagues, and trading heartfelt stories. Local businesses donate food as well as raffle prizes, and free massages are offered.

Richard Bischoff lost both his biological and adoptive mothers to cancer. Prior to participating in last year's Swim a Mile event, he was body boarding at Stinson Beach, when a riptide pulled him more than a quarter mile offshore. He thought "Ma, I'm doing this swim event for you. Will you please cut me some slack?" After alert lifeguards rescued him, he did swim his mile for his mothers. He believes that the event "offered me the opportunity to channel positive energy into something that once made me feel so powerless." He plans to swim again this year - with gusto.

The Swim a Mile event is WCRC's largest fundraising event. The volunteer-driven organization is distinguished not only by its attention to services and support (vs. research only), but also includes services and advocacy for women of color as well as women from low-income communities who generally lack access to quality health care. WCRC offers its clients a multi-lingual lending library, informal peer-led support groups, as well as information on alternative and individualized treatment options. Women who take advantage of these free resources are empowered to make informed decisions that are right for them.

On a larger scale, WCRC helps informed consumers raise awareness about the relationship between cancer and environmental toxins to impact environmental and health care policy. In addition, its staff and Board of Directors are involved on the local, state, and national levels to affect policy that will reduce environmental pollutants for healthier communities.

Registration Information
For more information on how to register for this event, please call 510-601-4040 Ext. 180 or contact swimamilewcrc@yahoo.com. To request a form or register online, visit WCRC's website at www.wcrc.org. For more information about WCRC' free services and support groups, visit the website or call 510-601-4040.


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