HOPE Calendar project raises funds for women with breast cancer

Val Vincett
Staff Reporter

The Hope calendar was released just this month. In this beautiful calendar, Kristopher Lynn photography captured 13 ladies, all breast cancer survivors, on their journey of strength, courage, love, friendship, and education.

Five of these ladies are local gals who survived some very heart-wrenching moments; when they discovered a lump in their breast, their surgery and chemo-therapy treatments or radiation treatments, to life after their scare.

They have endured and now embrace hope for future breast cancer pat-ients by raising awareness and funding for women and families affected by Breast cancer.

The theme of the Hope calendars is “Save the woman, not the breast.”

The calendar is meant to be a tool for women to help understand their experience and show that each women needs to live their own journey and do what is best for them.

It will help women to find hope, feel strength, experience beauty, and be courageous.

Sales of the Hope Calendar will also raise funds to be distributed by the Clinical Breast Health Program.

Funds raised will be used to directly support families affected by Breast cancer, behind closed doors, as needs present themselves.

One-hundred per cent of the proceeds from the sale of the Hope calendar will be distributed to the families, and there will be no need to ‘qualify’ to receive support.

The support comes by means of food and gas vouchers as well as housekeeping services to ease the personal experience.

Local woman Brenda Fink ran in the CBC Run for the Cure in Red Deer last October.

That is when Melanie O’Reilly, who spear-headed the Hope calendar project, approached her to pose for the calendar.

“She showed us some pictures and told us that her mission was to get the calendar off the ground,” said Fink.
“I was very excited about being able to give back so, after I discussed it with my family, I said yes. I also phoned Joanne McMahon and Audrey Buchholz, both from Galahad, to see if they would be interested.

“I went to Lacombe and Kristi took my pictures there. While I was there, a lady was not very comfortable with her pictures and she ended up backing out.

“In the meantime, Donna Prestage saw Brenda’s photos and decided to get involved with the project.

“So Audrey, Joanne, and Donna had their pictures taken at the Prestage farm by Camrose.

“Chris Dziuba, originally from Millet but now from Alliance, got her picture taken by the train in Stettler, because her father was involved with trains there.”

“This is the calendar’s third printing so at least 3,000 calendars have been printed.

“We just got them the beginning of December so now the rush is on to get them sold.

“Two weeks ago, Doug Buchholz took two calendars to the Daysland Farmer’s Bonspiel and sold them both; the first one went for $2,000 and the second one went for $3,000!” commented Fink.

“The calendars are available all over the county (see list at the end of the article).

“It is all about paying it forward. All of the monies go to the women.

“There will be no money going for administration or research – it all goes to the women.

“I’m overwhelmed it has taken off so well,” said Fink. “I am so pleased.

“I do believe in fate and this feels like a gift that has being given to me.

“It has been a healing experience for all the girls involved and hopefully the calendar will sell out.”

Calendars are available from the models; and in Forestburg at Coutts Hardware, Apple Drugs, and Forestburg Agencies. In Killam, at Guardian Drugs, Underground Hair, and Thompson & Zettel. In Daysland, at Jerry’s Pharmacy. In Sedgewick, at Sedgewick IDA Pharmacy.