Passionately Pink for the Cure, Komen Headquarters, Dallas TX

Well, that was a whirlwind trip. I flew out after work on Thursday night and arrived in Dallas TX. After finding my shuttle driver and a somewhat wild ride, I arrived at the hotel at 11 pm. Just in time to grab a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant before they closed. It was hard to sleep. With the travelling and the anticipation of Friday's events, I was up early Friday morning. I first met Stephanie, my ride to the shoot and "The Direct Marketing Coordinator"; she is basically the glue that holds the band together to help produce this marketing campaign.

Then I met the awesome Douglas GA crew. These ladies were the stars of the show. They were very excited to be there and stepped off the elevator in all pink, with feather boas, hats, and pink wigs. Pretty much all the pink accessories to scream Breast Cancer Awareness for the shoot. It was amazing.

We arrived at the studio, with a cast of other P.P. teams from around Texas. After a short tour of what's what's and who's who's, we hung out and waited our turn to go film and take still photos. It was all very Hollywood. We had a hair and makeup lady, who was very good and very nice. She made us all look good. Important, since the still photographer was shooting us with a Hasselblad H2 large format with a digital back. Basically a 40 million! pixel camera. It picks up everything.

I got scolded for not bringing my helmet and motorcycle jacket to Texas. They asked for a leather jacket. I think they think I ride a Harley? I don't. I then explained what a textile moto jacket is and that trying to transport my beat-up moto helmet could have caused a problem with security at the airport. (I got searched once without it.) I also told them I would have gladly ridden the bike to TX for the shoot. It's just under a 1000 miles. I can knock that off in a day. They looked at me like I was crazy and laughed.

The shoot.....
and the green screen.

The green screen -- I guess this is what the weather man uses? Not sure, but I was told they are going to superimpose Komen breast cancer awareness photos beind me and the others and edit all the video they shot and make us all sound literate. I read a bunch of lines and we did a short Q and A about the ride -- what I did with the ride and how I felt about it. They also asked me what the color pink meant to me. They asked what pink made me think of before Kris was diagnosed and what it meant to me after she was diagnosed. That was a hard question, but I told the interviewer the truth. Before my sister got cancer, pink was the color of Polo shirts worn by Frat guys up in Athens GA. I know it's a bit harsh and strange for me to say, but it's the truth. Now, pink is a color of hope for me. I've used it on the bike, and it definately stands out and makes people realize we are united together for a common goal, which is to find a cure for breast cancer.

A few things I came away with. One is the perception that since so many women have been diagnosed with breast cancer, it is somehow easier to treat and 100% successful all the time. This is a huge myth. Breast cancer is still very, very difficult to treat. Not everyone just flies through it without any issues. This point was made at the shoot. Just because of the high rate of breast cancer diagnosis and the huge awarenss that so many folks bring to this disease, it is not a lesser cancer or easier to treat. It's hard to explain. Basically, it's not any less harsh or easy to deal with. It's a rough road and any survivor will tell you as much.
Another take-away is that all the money we raise benefits our local Komen affiliate here in Atlanta as well as national programs. I was given so much information that I almost forgot this -- between this year and last year, we have raised more than $11,000 so far. You should all feel very proud and take the time to consider that your generosity goes a long way in helping to provide others with information and help in seeking and getting treatment. It's a really big thing to give away money to help others. It can be looked at like an investment in the future for our friends and family. To help promote healthy living for everyone. No one should have to stop their life for a year or years to try and stay alive because of cancer. We can all help and so far we have made a difference.

So all in all, I had a great time and an awesome experience. The Komen folks were terrific, and I'm really proud to be a part of the Komen team. Stay tuned for more information about the campaign and upcoming events for our ride.