Past OCF Events
Oral Cancer Foundation Honors Two Student Leaders
NYU Dental Students Show They Have a Lot to Teach About Giving Back
The Oral Cancer Foundation recently honored the two student co-chairs of Oral Cancer Walk 2008, an awareness-building and fund-raising event coordinated by the New York University Dental School’s chapter of SNDA (Student National Dental Association). The two honorees are fourth-year student Marcus Johnson and third-year student Dmitry Baron.
NYU College of Dentistry students Dmitry Baron (left) and Marcus Johnson.
Marcus and Dmitry both worked on the 2006 and 2007 events and, despite extremely busy schedules, enthusiastically embraced the challenge of running this year’s event. Oral Cancer Walk 2008 took place the morning of Saturday, April 19 in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, drew over 900 walkers, and raised over $30,000 to support the cause of the early detection of oral cancer. Funds raised through the event sponsor the work of The Oral Cancer Foundation. The event also featured free oral cancer, blood pressure, and cholesterol screenings in conjunction with the Harlem Hospital, speeches from oral cancer survivors, and musical entertainment both before and after the walk. Dr. Jocelyn Jeffries, the chair of Oral Cancer Walk 2007, attended the event and lent her moral support to the new event leadership.
“For Marcus and Dmitry to find the time to coordinate such a significant event while tending to their dental school studies represents a tremendous sacrifice,” said Brian Hill, Founder and Executive Director of the Oral Cancer Foundation, which again was both one of the event’s sponsors, and benefactors. “Their exceptional leadership, passion and altruism have generated not only badly-needed funding, but badly-needed awareness for our cause.” To present them with the foundation’s 2008 Award for Excellence in Public Service was a privilege.
While Marcus Johnson and Dmitry Baron share many extraordinary traits, they come from very different backgrounds and have very different career plans. Marcus, a Denver native, will begin a one-year residency in Brooklyn following his mid-May dental school graduation. He then plans to attend the University of Michigan to pursue a Master’s degree in Dental Public Health Administration. Not content to merely become a practicing dentist, he also hopes to teach in dental school and to be involved in community dental health.
Dmitry and his identical twin brother Alek, who is also an NYU dental student who has been actively involved with all three Oral Cancer Walks, were born in the Ukraine and moved to New Jersey with their family as young children. Following their graduation from dental school in 2009, Dmitry and Alek will each fulfill a 3-year Army obligation and then a 5-year Reserve commitment.
Both Marcus and Dmitry expressed their gratitude to Dr. Ross Kerr, NYU Associate Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology & Medicine and faculty advisor to the SNDA, for his counsel and inspiration. They also were emphatic that walk could not have succeeded without the hard work and talents of the other student-members of the Oral Cancer Committee or the cooperation of the NYU College of Dentistry’s administration. And they acknowledged Philadelphia-area dentist, Dr. Jerold Wilck, who is also an oral cancer survivor, as the walk’s single-largest fund-raiser.
It is clear that Marcus and Dmitry are two very appreciative young men. “I understand that I am fortunate to have received a great deal of support over the years from my family and so many others,” said Marcus, “and I want to give back.” Said Dmitry, “I’ve been blessed in my life, and I felt a calling to do whatever I could to support this very special cause.”
Despite everything these busy students have going on in their own worlds, they are also able to look beyond their immediate environment. Marcus is determined to help Harlem and similar communities embrace the cause of early detection, but he knows it won’t be easy. “These communities’ health concerns have focused on intervention, and what we’re trying to do is to help them start focusing on prevention as well.” In Dmitry’s case, his focus is on other dental schools. “Our hope is that other schools will hear about our results and start similar programs in their communities,” said Dmitry. “We are anxious to share our ideas and experiences with them, and to do anything else we can to help them create awareness of the need for earlier detection of oral cancer.” Other schools can not only raise awareness in their own local communities, but through the fund raising aspect of raising money for the Oral cancer Foundation, they can have an impact in other distant communities via the foundation’s work, where disparities in health care exist.
While Marcus Johnson and Dmitry Baron will soon be two very special dentists, they are already—quite clearly—two very special young men.
Bob Dylan Tribute
Story by By Vince Darcangelo of the Daily Camera
Growing up in Long Island, N.Y., local guitarist/mandolinist Greg Schochet's earliest memories involve listening to his dad's Bob Dylan records.
Dylan turns 67 on May 24, and in honor of the folk legend's big day Schochet -- who has performed with such local favorites as Runaway Truck Ramp, the All Night Honky Tonk All Stars and Hit and Run Bluegrass, and currently plays with the Expedition Quartet and Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams -- is hosting An All-Star Tribute to Bob Dylan at the Gold Hill Inn on Wednesday.
"It's a musical tour of his career from start to the present," Schochet says.
It's the third such party Schochet has organized, including celebrations in 2005 and 2007. The event has brought together big-name local acts like Yonder Mountain String Band, Danny Shafer and Rose Hill Drive in the past. This year's party includes Spring Creek Bluegrass, KC Groves, Flatfoot and others, as well as Schochet's bands the Expedition Quartet and Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams.
"Bob Dylan's music means a lot to me musically and historically," Schochet says.
But the event means even more as its origin lies not in Dylan's music but in Schochet's Long Island roots. Growing up, Schochet's best friend, and fellow Dylan fan, was Dan Roth, and a few years ago Roth was diagnosed with oral cancer. He came to Colorado to visit Schochet and the two spent a day just jamming on Dylan tunes and discussed the possibility of turning that into a show.
"That idea just grew in my mind that it could be a big event," Schochet says.
The event is a benefit for the Oral Cancer Foundation, which raises awareness of the disease and provides support and advocacy for those with oral cancer. Schochet says the Gold Hill Inn has donated its space for the event, and all of the musicians have donated their time and won't be paid for their performances.
"Musicians are historically and locally putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to doing a benefit," he says.
Each band gets to pick three or four of its favorite Dylan songs to perform, the only rule being no repeats.
"Anything goes in terms of interpretation," Schochet says, be it rock, bluegrass or his Expedition Quartet's chamber-esque take on the 12-minute "Desolation Row."
This year's lineup will be arranged chronologically, so that the evening will cover everything from Dylan's self-titled 1962 debut up to his 2006 release, Modern Times. And, time permitting, it will also feature a Bob Dylan sound-alike competition.
"If you feel you need to enter, all you need to know is about one verse," Schochet says.
He is going to great lengths to ensure a fair decision.
"It's audience response, of course," Schochet says, then adds with a laugh, "We don't want any corrupt 'American Idol'-type judging going on."
The best news, though, is that Roth has since beaten cancer, and is currently back in Long Island raising his son.
Whom he named Dylan, of course.
New York Oral Cancer Awareness Walk and FREE Screening Event
Join us in raising awareness of oral cancer, a silent killer that takes the life of someone in the US every hour of every day. If detected in its earliest stages, oral cancer is highly survivable.Your participation in this walk event will help raise awareness in others, and your fees will benefit the Oral Cancer Foundation, a national non-profit charity that works to reduce the death rate from this disease.
Free oral cancer screenings will be available at the event. People may obtain a free screening even if they are not participants in the walk event itself. Please stop by for a screening, and bring your whole family.
The first 500 registered walkers will receive free event T-shirts with the Oral Cancer Walk logo on them. Great prizes will be given to the 3 walkers who raise the most money, with an additional prize from The Oral Cancer Foundation for the person who brings in the most individual sponsors!
All walkers must have at least one sponsor. Each walker must collect a minimum of $20 in sponsorship. Prizes will be given to the two to walkers who collect the largest number of sponsors measured by total dollar amount. Another prize will be given for the walker that brings in the greatest number of sponsors regardless of amount.
Date:
- Saturday, April 19th, 2008 - rain or shine
Time:
- Registration begins at 9 am - Walk begins at 11 am
Location:
- Marcus Garvey Park, 121st Street and Madison Ave, NYC
- You will receive a map of the walk route (approximately 4 miles) when you register.
Free screenings available: Free oral cancer screenings will be provided by doctors from the NYU College of Dentistry at the event. Please bring your family and friends for this potentially life saving free check up!
Click here to Register Online Today at the OCF web store.
Watch a video of last year's walk:
Click here for Windows Media
Click here for Apple QuiktimeClick here to download a sponsor registration form (Coming Soon)
At this years event, actress Colleen Zenk Pinter will be with us along with a team of others from the long running TV show, As The World Turns. Colleen is recently out of treatment for oral cancer, and has become an advocate for early detection of the disease in television Public Service Announcements, and in print interviews in popular magazines. The show is produced by Proctor and Gamble Productions and runs on the CBS network. Both organizations have been very supportive, seeing that the oral cancer story and early detection gain public attention.
SNDA Chapter at Howard University
Oral Cancer Walk for Awareness and FREE Screening Event
Join us in raising awareness of oral cancer, a killer that will effect over 34,000 Americans this year alone. When detected in its earliest stages, oral cancer is highly survivable. Participating in this walk event will help raise awareness in others, and your fees will benefit the Oral Cancer Foundation, a national non-profit charity that works to reduce the death rate from this disease.
Free oral cancer screenings will be available at the event. People may obtain a free screening even if they are not participants in the walk event itself. Please stop by for a screening, and bring your whole family. The screenings will be held at the Howard University Dental School from 10:30 AM until 3 PM on the day of the walk.
The first 100 registered walkers will receive free event T-shirts with the Oral Cancer Walk logo on them.
All walkers must have at least one sponsor. Each walker must collect a minimum of $20 in sponsorships.
Date:
- Saturday, April 12th, 2008 - rain or shine
Time:
- Registration begins at 8 am - Walk begins at 9 am
Location:
- Walk - Dupont Circle, Washington DC, to the Howard University College of Dentistry
- Screenings - At the College of Dentistry
You will receive a map of the walk route (approximately 4 miles) when you register.
Free screenings available: Free oral cancer screenings will be provided by doctors from the Howard University College of Dentistry. Please bring your family and friends for this potentially life saving free check up!
Click here to pre register for the walk event, or to sponsor a walker on the OCF web store.
1st Annual Laclede Oral Cancer Walk & Ride - Long Beach, Ca.
On September 29th, 2007 a Walk & Ride Healthcare Event will be held in Long Beach, California to benefit the Oral Cancer Foundation, put on by Laclede Inc., the makers of Biotene oral care products. Make a difference this year and give a gift of caring to your friends and family members by inviting them to join you in The First Annual Oral Cancer Walk & Ride. Raise public awareness - and get a FREE oral cancer screening while you are at the event. Early detection will save lives.
Free oral cancer screenings will be available to walkers, riders, and the public at the main registration area of the event.
Date: Saturday, September 29th, 2007 RAIN OR SHINE!
Check in: begins between 8:30am – 9am, Event starts at 9:30am. You will receive a map of the walk route (2 miles) or ride route (24 miles) when you check in.
Location: El Dorado East Regional Park
7550 E. Spring Street in Long Beach, California
All registration and payments must be completed by September 1st, 2007. Make all checks or money orders payable to: Oral Cancer Foundation / Tax ID #33-0969026
We reserve the right to cancel in extreme circumstances. In that event, there will be no refunds, your entry fee will be used as a donation to the Oral Cancer Foundation, a national 501(c)3 non profit charity.
If you are interested in participating, volunteering to help, or becoming a sponsor of the event, please contact the Oral Cancer Foundation or Laclede Inc.
Oral Cancer Walk - Detroit - June 2nd, 2007
Please join us in raising awareness of oral cancer, a silent killer of over 8,000 American men and women each year. Funds raised at this benefit event will be donated to The Oral Cancer Foundation.
This June, give a gift of caring to your friends and family members by inviting them to join you in Detroit’s First Annual Oral Cancer Walk. Raise public awareness - get screened. Early detection will saves lives.
Free Oral Cancer Screenings will be available at the start site.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2007 rain or shine
Registration begins at 9 am, Walk begins at 11 am
Location: Woodward and Montcalm (near Comerica Park) in downtown Detroit
You will receive a map of the walk route (approximately 3 miles) when you register.
The first 300 registered walkers will receive free T-shirts with the Oral Cancer Walk logo.
All walkers must have at least one sponsor. Each walker must collect a minimum of $20 in sponsorship to participate.
Walk the Rock for Oral Cancer Awareness
Oral Cancer Awareness Lands On Plymouth Rock -or- “Walk The Rock” Rocks!
Passionate Hygienist Leads Effort to Raise Over $15,000 To Fight Oral Cancer
As a dental hygienist for the past 5 years and a dental care practitioner for a total of 17 years, Laureen Brady has left little doubt that she is someone who cares about the well-being of others. So when her mother’s best friend, Jeannie Priolo, was diagnosed as terminally ill following two surgeries for oral cancer, it was completely in character for Laureen to commit to raising not only the friend’s spirits but oral cancer awareness as well.
In mid-February, Laureen decided that she would stage a fund-raising oral cancer walk in her hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 15. Despite having only two months to organize the event largely on her own, Laureen somehow pulled off the first annual “Walk the Rock” event, and raised an impressive $15,000 in the process. Laureen had heard about the Oral Cancer Walk in New York last year, and thought the same concept might work in her area as well. And she was certainly right, as the money she raised actually exceeded the money generated in the first year of the New York event.
“I got a list of all the dentists and hygienists in this part of the state and used flyers and word-of-mouth to ask for their support,” said Laureen. “Many of the dentists made donations that I was able to use to pay for the t-shirts we made for the event. And the hygienists were the ones who rounded up most of the walkers.”
Laureen was also supported in her efforts by the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists' Association, which not only provided liability insurance, but also sent out e-mails to approximately 2,000 hygienists and posted the information for the walk on the their website. Many members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Dental Hygienists Association, which Laureen serves as co-chair, were very active both in walking and in recruiting other walkers.
The first-year success of “Walk the Rock” is all the more impressive considering that the weather did not exactly cooperate. “At 7:30 in the morning it was beautiful, but by the time we started the walk at 9:00 a real Nor’easter hit,” according to Laureen. Undaunted, 78 good-hearted walkers braved the rains and winds and raised over $13,000. Almost $2,000 more was raised in a charity poker tournament run by Laureen’s father, Richard Sanphy. And Jeannie Priolo’s son-in-law, Bill Heenan, persuaded many local businesses to donate gift certificates for a raffle that took place during the event’s reception, which also featured a live band and dancing.
In addition to Bill Heenan, her father, the 78 walkers, and all of the dentists and hygienists who supported her in various ways, Laureen is grateful to her husband Ken and their family for their valuable moral support. She also credits Oral Cancer Foundation founder Brian Hill for his counsel. “I didn’t think to contact Brian until fairly late in the process, but without his help there’s no way I could have done this,” said Laureen. She has more than repaid the favor, as OCF plans to use the funds Laureen raised to help print and distribute its “What You Need to Know” waiting room brochure to dental practices across the country.
And what was the reaction from Jeannie Priolo? “The event really put a smile on her face,” Laureen said. “To see her dancing at the reception made all of my efforts worthwhile.”
Laureen is already thinking about next year’s event. “I’m probably going to schedule it a little later in hopes of better weather,” she said, “maybe at the end of Oral Cancer Awareness Week.” She also hopes to be able to conduct oral cancer screenings at the event, and is begining to talk to Universities and doctors who might provide the screenings at the event. And she knows of at least one additional person who will be willing to help out. “I just got a letter from a woman at Harvard who heard about the event whose mother is a three-time oral cancer survivor,” said Laureen. “She said she wants to help out in any way she can.” Laureen also plans to talk to nearby Tufts Dental School to see if she can enlist their support in some way. And she already has Brian Hill’s commitment to again offer his support, but this time she will be sure to involve him from the start.
“I am thrilled that the walk has generated the awareness for oral cancer that is so desperately needed in the community,” Laureen said looking back. “As hygienists, we have a responsibility to our patients, and I believe the best way to make a change is by making a commitment for optimal care one patient at a time.”
In retrospect, it might seem outrageous to imagine that one individual, with only two months of planning time and no prior experience in fund-raising behind her—not to mention a Nor’easter in front of her—could orchestrate an event that raises $15,000. But when that individual has the passion, and the compassion, of a Laureen Brady, anything is possible.
NYU Conducts 2nd Annual - New York Walk For Awareness
Oral Cancer Walk 2007 Raises Funds, Awareness and Spirits
Inspirational Dental Students Show They’ve Learned About More Than Dentistry
On a recent Saturday morning in Harlem, the efforts of several high-energy, big-hearted dental students succeeded in raising both funding and awareness for oral cancer detection. Coordinated primarily by the NYU Dental School’s chapter of SNDA (Student National Dental Association), Oral Cancer Walk 2007 involved over 500 walkers and raised $32,000 to support the cause of early detection of oral cancer. The event also featured free oral cancer and blood pressure screenings, speeches from oral cancer survivors, and entertainment.
This was the second year for the event, which was the brainchild of 2006 NYU Dental School students. They started the event when they recognized that oral cancer is particularly prevalent among African-American males, and they determined that Harlem, which is an area of the country where African Americans are disproportionately affected by oral cancer would be the ideal location to call attention to this situation. Last year’s inaugural event involved just under 300 walkers and raised $25,000.
Oral Cancer Walk 2007 was made possible through the collaboration of several talented and dedicated individuals, including 15 NYU Dental School students and Dr. Ross Kerr. Chair of the event was fourth-year student Jocelyn Jeffries, a soon-to-be resident in pediatric dentistry. Jocelyn, who is also president of NYU’s Pediatrics Club, assisted with Oral Cancer Walk 2006, and despite the many demands of her studies as well as the planning for her upcoming June wedding, Jocelyn was more than happy to spearhead the 2007 event. “I’ve always been an advocate for outreach,” said Jocelyn, who first became exposed to cancer treatment while selling oncology-related products for a pharmaceutical company prior to entering dental school. “I just don’t feel complete unless I’m doing something to make the community better.” Jocelyn is quick to point out that she’s not the only one who feels that way. “There are a lot of people at NYU who are highly motivated to make a difference—and not just students, but professors and administrators as well. It becomes contagious when you see other leaders step up and get involved in a cause like this.”
Another student leader who played an important role was third-year student Marcus Johnson, the president of NYU’s ASDA (American Student Dental Association). One of the reasons Marcus was motivated to participate in the event was his desire to have his school seen by the Harlem community as a resource on health issues, even though the school and the community are many miles apart. Like Jocelyn, he also is driven by a desire to give back. “I was raised to believe that if you’re not exhausted by the time you go to bed, you didn’t do enough that day,” he said.
Two other students who were critical to the event’s fund-raising efforts were twins Dmitry and Alxandr Baron. In the words of Marcus, “The Baron brothers were tenacious when it came to seeking and getting donations. Their resourcefulness is simply unparalleled.” Marcus also raved about the upbeat Jocelyn’s ability to keep everyone feeling positive and on track.
Another key student leader doesn’t even attend NYU. Marvin Baptiste, a student at Columbia Dental School and the national president of SNDA, saw to it that students from such schools as Tufts University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and his own university participated in the walk. Publicity generated by SNDA, the majority of whose members are minorities, has already led other dental schools across the country to plan their own oral cancer walks.
Both Jocelyn and Marcus were also thankful for the leadership, focus and inspiration provided by NYU faculty mentor Dr. Kerr. According to Jocelyn, “Whenever we’d start to get distracted by exams or other responsibilities, Dr. Kerr always found a way to help us push forward.” She also gave much credit for the event’s publicity to Dr. Richard Vogel, the Interim Dean of the NYU Dental School, Elyse Bloom, the dean of NYU’s Communications and Public Relations Department, and Brian Hill, founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation.
This year’s event featured three speakers who are oral cancer survivors: Barbara Boland, a nationally-known hygienist who also spoke at last year’s event; Dr. Jerry Wilck, a general dental practitioner from the Philadelphia area; and Bronx resident Leroy Saxon. Entertainment included a folk band and a gospel choir backed up by Leroy Saxon on the drums.
All in all, Oral Cancer Walk 2007 was clearly a success, but future dentists Jocelyn Jeffries and Marcus Johnson are far from satisfied. “Next year we of course want to involve even more walkers and raise even more donations,” said Jocelyn, “and we want to conduct even more oral cancer screenings.” Similarly, Marcus stated, “My father has always said that the biggest room is the room for improvement. Next year, I’d really like to see more involvement from the Harlem community, and a further strengthening of their relationship with NYU.”
This commitment to continuous improvement and the spirit of giving back to the community provide great encouragement and inspiration for everyone involved in the fight against oral cancer. It also suggests that karma just might play a role as well. To chair Oral Cancer Walk 2007 while also completing her final year of dental school, serving as president of the Pediatrics Club, planning a wedding and applying to residency programs would seem to be an almost overwhelming challenge. But as Jocelyn said, “The event was a great success, my wedding plans are going great, and I got accepted into my number one choice for a residency program. It’s amazing how everything comes together sometimes.”
If Jocelyn Jeffries, Marcus Johnson, Marvin Baptiste, the Baron brothers and the other students involved in Oral Cancer Walk 2007 are any indication, the future of dental care in general, and oral cancer awareness in particular, is in extremely good hands.
Heartland Dental Care Raises Funds for the Oral Cancer Foundation
Heartland Dental Care, a dental practice management group is committed to increasing the public's awareness about oral cancer and promoting the importance of annual oral cancer screenings. When found early, oral cancer is highly survivable. Unfortunately, too often early discovery of the disease does not take place, and nationally, 66% of the time it is found as a late stage killer. A simple, painless, 5 minute examination which finds the disease in its early stages, or even the precancerous changes that take place in the mouth, can save lives. Dedicated HDC doctors and their staff made an all out effort this summer to help change this statistic, by focusing the combined power of their more than 175 home town dental practices on this issue.
But they did more than help those in their own patient populations. The practices donated $10.00 from each screening fee to the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), a national nonprofit charity dedicated to bringing down the death rate from this disease. At the end of their effort, HDC practices raised $31,480 for OCF by performing 3,148 oral cancer examinations during a two month time period. The top six practices providing the most exams included Westfield Dental Center in Westfield, Ind.; 21st Century Dental in Charleston, Ill.; Effingham Dental Group in Effingham, Ill.; South Street Family Dental in Lafayette, Ind.; Creative Smiles in Champaign, Ill.; and Terre Haute Family Dental Care in Terre Haute, Ind.
Brian Hill, the founder of OCF and a late stage oral cancer survivor himself, stated, "This organization and the individuals involved in the practices it represents, have not only done great service in their local communities. The funds they raised will help the foundation to increase awareness nationally about the dangers of a disease which few Americans hear about, even though each year it will take more lives than cancers more commonly in the news. Their donations will also help the foundation to distribute needed information, and conduct free public screenings in areas of the US where disparities in healthcare exist, from inner cities to rural communities. Their combined efforts not only represent the highest standards of patient care, but by extending the impact of their care outside of their local communities though OCF, reflects an altruistic philosophy of generosity and a commitment to a greater good. They certainly have lived up to their motto: "Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reasons."
Heartland Dental held an event at St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham, IL to present the donation to OCF. Oral Cancer survivor and OCF member Chuck Feeney attended on behalf of the foundation to accept, and talked with the assembled group about oral cancer, its treatment, and his survivorship.
Dental Students Stage New York City Oral Cancer Walk
to Benefit Oral Cancer Foundation
Because of some determined NYU College of Dentistry students, fewer Harlem residents may have to suffer from oral cancer—and the Oral Cancer Foundation has $20,000 more dollars with which to educate the public and support oral cancer survivors and their caregivers.
The students led New York City’s first Oral Cancer Walk in April, an event that drew approximately 300 participants—and afterward they donated the proceeds to the OCF.
Brian Hill, founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation and a veteran fund-raising event coordinator for his foundation’s cause, began advising NYU students and put them in touch with Dr. Ross Kerr, Clinical Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine at NYUCD. Kerr also chairs New York’s Oral Cancer Consortium, which consists of representatives from each college of dentistry in the New York area, UNDNA, Columbia Dental School, Stonybrook, and Health and Hospitals Corporation of New York City. He agreed to serve as the Oral Cancer Walk Committee’s mentor.
“I held regular meetings with the students,” Kerr recalls. “We developed a schedule and checklists of things we needed to do by certain dates. But the way I could best help them was by getting them in touch with people who could help them.”
A comittee consisting of Khadine Alston, Dionne Finlay, now a doctor in pediatric residency, Margaret Funny, Jocelyn Jeffries, and Jasmine Nicholas led the student efforts. With Kerr, the committee contacted NYUCD Dean Michael Alfano, who has since accepted a promotion to NYU Executive Vice President, who agreed to co-sponsor the event and lend some college resources to the effort. Alfano says NYUCD students have a history of participating in community education and screenings. But last spring’s efforts made him particularly proud.
“I think the real score is that for the first time our students stepped up to initiate something on their own. They always participated in past. But this past year we had some nice initiatives that were student-driven. One was that a small group of students who are representatives of the American Student Dental Association went to their national meeting with big presentation about oral cancer education and screening and why it’s a critical component in the practice of dentistry. And then there was this wonderful thing they did in Harlem, where several of our students, understanding that there is a preponderance of the disease in the African American population, decided to reach out and offer education.”
The first thing the group had to do was decide where to hold the fund-raising walk and the free oral cancer screenings they planned to give along the way.
Oral cancer is a big concern particularly among African American men over 50, one of the things the sutdents wanted to do was go into a location where the population was most at-risk. That’s why Harlem was chosen for the event.
Next came an exhaustive process of getting permits from various community boards, the police department, and the park at which the grand finale would be held. They lined up sponsors, including Colgate, Dr. Eric Studley and Associates, Dean Alfano, Associate NYUCD Dean Stuart M. Hirsch, ViziLite Plus, LED Dental / Velscope, Smile Savers Pedo LLC, CulinArt, Olympus, and Jet Blue Airways. They mobilized students and dental hygienists to conduct oral cancer screenings, and signed up faculty to supervise them. They encouraged faculty to sponsor student walkers. For pre-event promotion, they worked with the Oral Cancer Foundation, which created event posters and flyers. The committee papered the college and community with flyers, and momentum began to build.
The whole school got involved and they registered 297 people to walk—and more people participated who never actually registered.
On the morning of the event, ABC7 TV interviewed the student organizers—and the station further promoted the event with live coverage.
Oral cancer screenings were held at 137th Street and 5th Avenue, and at the registration point and the park where the walk ended. The message the event was trying to get across is: you need to know your own body, and know what normal is, so you can compare that with what is not normal (in the mouth). They also wanted to make it clear that there are two things that put you most at risk—smoking and drinking excessively, particularly if you do both, but that everyone needs to be wary because it’s not only those at high risk who develop oral cancer.
Numerous oral cancer screenings were conducted during the walk in Harlem, and foundation informational brochures on oral cancer where handed out to many more. At pulic events one of the most inspiring results comes from knowing that those invoved educated untold numbers of people about a disease that kills so many and yet is recognized by so few.
“One of the people on the walk told me that as she was walking and carrying her poster with its prevention message, someone passing in a car yelled out ‘What’s oral cancer?’ That was really profound because it was so basic. That tells you what you need to do: inform people that oral cancer is cancer of the mouth, and that you can prevent it if you know what it is and know what to look out for.” Surviving this disease can indeed be a matter of finding it early when it is most vulnerable to existing treatments. If found in late stages, it is a disease that can easily take your life", said Dr. Kerr.
Kerr also says the educational effort will not stand alone. “Not only are we planning on doing it again next year, but we're planning on having other dental schools participate,” he says. “We’ve already had interest from the University of Washington, the University of Chicago in Illinois, and possibly a dental school in South Carolina. I'm sure that as time goes on we'll be able to involve other dental schools as well.”
“ I hope that this first event and the outreach that the organizers have made to other dental schools catches on,” said Brian Hill. “The core issues with oral cancer are low public awareness and the lack of early detection. Having numerous dental schools across the country get these important messages out in their local communities is vital to reducing the death rate from this disease. More than that, the donations that are raised at these events allow the foundation to get oral cancer screening events, and public awareness efforts into communities where disparities in health care exist. I think that the fact that the message is being delivered by the next generation of practicing dentists is significant. They and their future staffs in private practice become the first line of discovery and defense in our battle.”
Bachelor Auction Raises Money for OCF
Don’t want to be alone on Valentine’s Day? Come to a bachelor auction! That’s right ladies, 30 bachelors have passed a screening test, ages 32-55, and will be strutting their stuff on Friday February 10, 2006 at the Holiday Inn in Bethlehem, PA. Admission includes full dinner, and a night full of meeting successful, good-looking men. Meet and greet the bachelors starting at 6:00, take time to peruse their profiles, and get ready for the bidding….. The proceeds from the auction will benefit The Oral Cancer Foundation and the local chapter of The American Cancer Society. Tickets can be purchased at the Holiday Inn front desk. $35.00 in advance, $42.00 at the door on the night of the auction.
The Bachelor Auction in Bethlehem PA has attracted a lot of attention after the first year was such a success. "Last year, we had seats for 260. When they were filled, we sold another 40 tickets for 'standing room only,” said Regina Jeffries, the chair for the event.
300 single women were bidding for a date with one of our thirty eligible local bachelors. The professional auctioneer rattled off the numbers as the bids climbed upwards of $600 for some of the guys. "A couple of very successful AND good looking bachelors had two women up-bidding each other for the date. When they were slowing down, the MC offered to give both of them a date with the man, if they both paid the $600! This year the quality of the bachelor is higher, and several of them older and more successful, so we hope to raise even more than we did last year.
Local restaurants have donated dinner for two in exchange for the advertising in the program and at the event. Each winning bidder chooses a dinner gift certificate from a fishbowl, then pays for the bid, and then exchanges numbers with the bachelor. We ask the bachelors to sign a contract that they will go out on the date within four months, or they are obliged to pay the woman the amount she paid for the date.
The first hour of the event, each bachelor has a female escort who walks him around the room introducing him, touting his exceptional qualities. It’s a fun evening, and all for a good cause.
Last year the bachelor auction netted $8,000. This year, the hope is to net $12,000. Profits will be divided between a local charity and the Oral Cancer Foundation, since this year the advocacy topic is oral cancer awareness. Our honoree of the evening is Eva Grayzel Cohen, a 7 yr survivor of oral cancer. She will speak about OC screenings, and overcoming adversity.
OCF NOTE: This year the auction brought in over $15,000 and the foundation received a check for over $7,000.00 from the organizers of this event. We would like the acknowledge the efforts of Ms. Eva Cohen in making this possible.
12 year old Elena bakes to raise funds for OCF
Elena Cohen of Easton PA is the 12 yr old daughter of Eva Grayzel Cohen, a stage 4 oral cancer survivor, now seven years out from her disease. In preparation for her Bat-Mitzvah, Elena had to choose a 'Tzedakah' or charity project to complete. She wanted to do something she enjoyed and would help others at the same time. Baking is one of her favorite things to do. She created and delivered a flyer for baking orders all around her neighborhood. For Thanksgiving, she had taken a few orders, and by Christmas there were many more, even some repeats! She gave a suggested donation price, and explained that she was donating ALL the money to the Oral Cancer Foundation, and included the OCF pamphlet which describes the work of the foundation with her flyers. Elena was excited at one of her sales, clearly from someone interested in the charitable idea equally to delicious cookies, when she exclaimed, "One woman gave me $20 for two large cookies!" So far Elena has raised a total of $300. She hopes to raise more money during the spring baking challah's for her synagogue. Hopefully, neighbors will continue to call her up for special orders, so she can continue with her efforts to help. When asked for comment, Brian Hill from OCF stated “ In a world that is so frequently dominated by thoughts of personal gain, Elana’s desire to help others is not only a great example of living part of your life in service to others, but a lesson that many adults could learn from. She is truly an extraordinary young lady”.
OCF Note: My faith in the future is renewed by stories like this one about Elena, of 15 year old Robbie Schwieder who hiked the Appalachian Trail to raise money for the foundation, and 14 year old Kayla Lovett, who along with other young dancers put on a production to raise money and help strangers they will likely never meet. We literally have millions of people visit the OCF web site for information each month. Thousands more get help from our survivor/patient forum, many being helped with hundreds of postings for months and months as they go through treatment and have questions or need moral support. But from all those visitors, only a handful take the time to make an online donation of a few dollars to OCF. A matter of a couple of minutes and little expense to them to help support a foundation’s efforts that brought them help when they needed it, seems not to occur to them. Now we have three stories of kids, who on their own initiative, have stepped up to make a small change in the world. I am very grateful to all of them that have taken the time, and made the personal efforts that help sustain the work of the Oral Cancer Foundation. What would the world be like if their example was more common? Brian Hill/ OCF Founder.
Oral Cancer Foundation Builds Momentum in Public Screenings.
Organization seeks to begin nationwide free screening program
The Oral Cancer Foundation lit a fuse in Los Angeles recently that it hopes will set off a nationwide firecracker of prevention against a disease that, while potentially lethal, is highly survivable if caught in its early stages.
“The big issue with oral cancer is that few people are aware of it, and doctors and dentists don’t always screen for it,” says Harvey Pasternak, a consumer healthcare products consultant. Pasternak recently teamed with Oral Cancer Foundation founder Brian Hill bring to life Hill’s idea of setting up free screenings for oral cancer in highest-risk communities.
Brian Hill came to me with a premise. “You can go to a drug store and get screened for high cholesterol, or high blood pressure,” Hill said, “why not oral cancer detection as well? Why not set up a free oral cancer screening at a retailer, and see if we can engage the public in the same way.” Pasternak took the challenge and started inquiring with large Los Angeles retailers to secure a location for an initial proof of principle event.
“I had three large companies interested in hosting the program, but didn’t have any support to pay for what else is was needed—shipping for banners, advertising, dental equipment for the dentists who would do the screenings.” The Foundation reached an agreement with Wal-Mart to hold the screening at its new store in the Baldwin Hills. The Crenshaw District location was important: Oral cancer hits hard among low-income minority groups—a population that has difficulty traveling to and paying for regular medical screenings. The screening fit in perfectly with Wal-Mart’s philanthropic goals, which allow their stores to be used as venues for public health events.
“We operate globally and give back locally,” says Willie Cole, community involvement coordinator at the Baldwin Hills Wal-Mart, which is part of a shopping mall. “We have a responsibility to give back to the community we are in, to uplift it.” Cole says the screening helped spread awareness about a disease that seldom receives coverage in the popular press.
“I know that once a person is aware of a situation, they can better address it,” says Cole. “When Brian Hill talked to me about oral cancer, I had no idea what it was—of course the words oral cancer are self-explanatory, but who thinks about that with high blood pressure, heart disease, lung cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, running rampant and recognized in society? The screening just seemed like a very good thing to hold.”
The next key task for Pasternak and the OCF was to find a manufacturer to sponsor the event with necessary supplies.
Pasternak started knocking on large corporate doors such as GlaxoSmithKline, makers of oral health products and of stop-smoking aides such as patches and chewing gums; and consumer product giant Procter & Gamble, whose product lines include toothpastes and oral rinses. “Right off the bat, Procter & Gamble they said ‘this is the kind of stuff we love,’” Pasternak says. “They said if the Oral Cancer Foundation could prove the public venue, free-screening concept works, they’d become financial supporters to do it at Wal-Mart stores nationwide.”
The Foundation’s free oral cancer screening had turned into a proof-of-concept event that could prove to save untold lives nationwide.
Meanwhile, Hill worked to line up dentists to do the actual screenings. He called on contacts including Harold Slavkin, Dean of USC’s School of Dentistry, and long time oral cancer advocate. Slavkin arranged for a team of six dentists from the school’s faculty to conduct screenings at the June event. “The concept of going into the community--where the community shops--was a brilliant idea,” says Slavkin. “ It made it easier for people to access this service and get their three-minute screening. We solicited faculty volunteers who represented the diversity of the community. The turnout and participation was outstanding.”
Adding to the volunteer screening team was Dr. Ted Burnett, who has a private dental practice in Los Angeles. “I was introduced to Brian (Hill, OCF founder) through a mutual friend of ours, and he brought to my attention that they were looking for minority doctors to be involved in the screenings,” Burnett explains. “They had solicited over 200 doctors in the area, minority and non-minority, and didn’t get any appreciable responses. I said I’d be glad to do it. It was in my area and it was something I should be doing--this is why I went into health care.”
With doctors, a venue, and supplies in place, all the Foundation needed was people to screen. They started putting the word out with the help of local television, radio, and newspapers. They contacted Councilman Bernard Parks, to gain the support of a highly visible local politician, and then put in some good old-fashioned legwork.
“KABC Channel 7 news ran two- four minute segments the day before and the day of the screening. Brian Hill participated in the TV interview along with head of diagnostics at USC, Dr. Mavash Navazesh,” says Pasternak “We had print ad announcements in the free local community newspapers that are big in the area, and we put up fliers at the senior home across the street, at nearby banks and restaurants, the Magic Johnson Theaters, Starbucks, even an ice cream shop. But the big question was would people show up.” The largest urban music / hip-hop radio station in the US, 100.3 BEAT-FM broadcast the news of the upcoming event for several days before, further getting the word out and helping to ensure the turnout.
The day of the screening, Hill, Pasternak and the dentists arrived at 8:30 a.m. to set up. “We’re setting up and at about 9:45 some people started coming by saying ‘Where do we sign up?’” says Pasternak. “By the 11 a.m. start time, we had 50 people in line.”
“I saw some curiosity raised among younger people,” says Dr. Mahvash Navazesh, chair of the Division of Diagnostic Sciences at USC’s School of Dentistry. “When they realized that the procedure wasn’t painful and didn’t take long, soon they to were in line and to get their screenings. So it was a great opportunity to raise awareness not only among adults who smoke, but also among young people that smoking can put them at risk for oral cancer.”
Navazesh said it also helped that the team of volunteer dentists included Spanish speakers. “Sometimes when there are language barriers, it’s harder for people to make the decision to be evaluated,” she says. “But this way, it was easier for people to relate. Also, the surroundings helped. There in a shopping mall, it was non-threatening.”
By the end of the day, the dental team had screened 551 people—including Councilman Parks--for oral cancer. Of that number, seven were determined to have suspicious, possibly pre-cancerous conditions, and they were referred for further evaluation or biopsies. While this was important, the awareness of the disease, the risk factors for it as well as the early signs and symptoms were spread to thousands of people throughout the community.
“In the United States, two percent of human cancers here are in the mouth,” says Dean Slavkin. “But if you sample predominantly African American men, it jumps up to become the fourth most common cancer. So having the screening in the Crenshaw area was a good idea. Doing it at Wal-Mart made a lot of sense, and having the cooperation of the distributors and different people who made it possible made it an excellent prototype of what could be done all over the nation.” And Dr. Slavkin is well versed on the subject… before his position as dean of the dental school at USC he was the Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a part of the National Institutes of Health.
Also contributing supplies and financial support were organizations including dental care product distributor Henry Schein, portable dental lighting manufacturer PeriOptix, with the major financial funding provided by The Oral Cancer Foundation. OCF founder Hill is looking forward to the next steps.
Hill is more than happy with the results of this first effort. Using Nielsen ratings, and other measurable mechanisms for determining impact, the one day event garnered more than 2,500,000 viewer impressions of the “oral cancer and early detection” message and the sponsors names and products. While we have showcased this one event here, these free public screenings have been conducted in other areas with similar results.
Companies who normally use sampling as a marketing tool, or who feel that they would benefit from the association with an event such as this should contact Brian Hill at the foundation to discuss the details of what is involved in co-sponsoring an event that brings attention to their firm or products. A 15-minute DVD was made of the event, and is available to other potential sponsors and organizations who would like to partner with the foundation in bringing an event such as this to their community.
OCF partners with national and local sponsors
Every chair was full for the entire event.
Dr. Burnett, a local dentist, volunteers his time
Film crew interviews people in attendance
Councilman Bernard Parks gets examined by Dr. Burnett
Councilman Bernard Parks gives TV interview at screening event
Son, Father Hike 110 Miles to Benefit Oral Cancer Foundation
A Glen Allen, VA, boy and his father put blood and sweat (but no tears) into an effort to memorialize a loved one and support the Oral Cancer Foundation in the process: They hiked 110 miles of the Appalachian Trail and gave the donations they raised to the California-based Foundation.
“It was tough,” said Robbie Schwieder, 15, who came up with the idea of doing the trek through the Shenandoah National Park portion of the Appalachian Trail, and later asked his father to join him. “It was really brutal, physically, mentally, in every way.” But despite the 40 pound backpacks, grueling terrain, stifling heat, and blisters upon blisters, Robbie and his father, Wylie, persevered and never complained. After all, they were walking in memory of Robbie’s maternal grandmother, Elaine Hegarty, who’d undergone immense suffering of a graver kind—oral cancer.
Hegarty was diagnosed with mouth cancer in 1993. The dignified, independent Milwaukee resident was initially told she’d have to have a radical, disfiguring surgery. After a second opinion, she underwent a procedure during which doctors accessed the tumor from inside her mouth and removed it completely. She healed, and life returned to normal—at least for a few years.
“About 6 years later she developed a second tumor inside her mouth,” said Hegarty’s daughter Katie Schwieder. “They removed that one, and then she was never the same. She wore dentures that never fit properly. She was having pain a fair bit.”
By the summer of 2002, Hegarty’s pain was becoming difficult to bear, and doctors discovered another tumor. “In January of 2003, they did another surgery and realized they couldn’t get all of it without taking the jaw bone, and doing radical radiation and chemotherapy,” Katie explained. Her mother decided against that surgery. “She was a very classy and dignified lady. She had made up her mind. She was 73 years old; she didn’t want to overdo the treatments and she didn’t want to live with a lot of scars. We brought her to Virginia and got her settled with doctors out here, then quickly learned the cancer had gone into her bone.”
Elaine Hegarty had Easter dinner that year with her daughter’s family. “Three days later, she went into the hospital, into the hospice unit,” Katie said. “And the Sunday after Easter, she passed away.”
The experience rocked the entire family, each of them dealing with loss together and in their own individual ways. Meanwhile, for Robbie and his siblings, school responsibilities continued. Robbie, who takes part in the International Baccalaureate Program at an area high school, had a required project to complete. He was to focus on a passion in his life, research it, pursue it, and later write a report and give a presentation. Students completing these “personal projects,” as they are called, are encouraged to incorporate community service into their efforts. For Robbie, who’d lost his grandmother to cancer, finding a topic to focus on was not difficult.
“He came home from school one day back in May and said ‘I think I’d like to hike the Appalachian Trail.’” Katie said. “Then he added ‘I think I’d like to raise some money for mouth cancer research.’”
Robbie’s parents were surprised and delighted. And a bit taken aback—this was no small endeavor their son was proposing. But Robbie was not concerned:
“Ever since I went to elementary school, they taught us about the Appalachian Trail because it’s one of our historical landmarks,” he said. “And in Boy Scouts, we did a lot of hiking, camping and outdoor things. Donating to the Oral Cancer Foundation … I just took the two ideas and put them together.”
Robbie proposed to walk 110 miles of the Appalachian Trail over eight days during summer vacation. He needed a partner and Robbie looked to his father, who looked around in mock panic.
“It was sort of like: How did I get roped into this?” joked Wylie, a banker. “Seriously, what was tremendous to me was that it was all his idea. I thought ‘Holy Crow, where’d that come from?’ But the AT is a big part of Virginia, so I thought ‘That sounds cool. My kid is old enough to dream up something like that, and is still interested in having me participate.’ It’s also cool that he related the community service aspect of the project to something that ultimately killed his grandmother. ”
So despite neither Robbie nor his father ever having walked so long or so arduous a trail, the pair began to plan. Robbie began researching charitable organizations devoted to oral cancer research, education, and patient and caregiver support.
“He got online and said ‘Mom, there’s a mouth cancer foundation!’” Katie recalled. “So he wrote letters to his family and friends asking them to sponsor him and to send checks in care of the Mouth Cancer Foundation. Later, I found out that the Mouth Cancer Foundation is actually based in the U.K. I quickly did some research to find a U.S. foundation, and I found Brian Hill.”
Hill, two-time oral cancer survivor and founder of the California-based Oral Cancer Foundation, was impressed to hear about the Schwieders’ plans. “Robbie is an exceptional individual. Early in his life he has realized the value of living part of your life in service to others, even strangers. His decisions and efforts reflect the thinking of someone far more evolved than his years would indicate. His idea, and the impact that it will have on others, not only in the form of the donation he has raised for a foundation like ours, but as an example to others of what can be done when your focus isn’t centered on your own gains, is far reaching. He’s an amazing young man.” Said Hill.
Robbie’s efforts began paying off. “Most, if not all of the people I sent letters to sent pledges —and I got really large donations from some,” he said.
But there was still the walk to do—and those pledges were based on the number of miles Robbie and his father were to trek. You might think that two people planning to traverse more than 100 miles on the mountainous Appalachian Trail would do a little pre-trip conditioning. In this case, you’d be wrong. The Schwieder family keeps active and often hikes for fun—so they decided against a concerted ramp-up effort.
“There’s not much you can do to get ready unless you devote all of your time to hiking,” Robbie explained. “We went out on the trail cold. It took us a couple of days to get in shape and my dad’s feet were covered with blisters. He hiked the last half of the trail in sandals.”
For Wylie, the walk became the toughest endeavor he’d ever undertaken. “The first day, there was a heat index temperature of 105,” he said. “We climbed 5,000 vertical feet that day with all of our camping gear, food and water strapped to our backs. I was drenched. … We drank six liters of water, and it all came out in sweat.”
To make things worse, Wylie had bought waterproof hiking boots, to keep water from getting in if they hiked through streams. Problem was, the boots wouldn’t let water out, either. When he took his boots off after the first grueling day’s hike, it looked like he’d been in a bathtub for hours.
“There were blisters, and they’d ripped,” Wylie said. “My feet were a mess. It was very painful. Robbie’s back was bugging him from carrying his pack.”
Still, as the days went by, blisters mounted, and muscles grew stuff, both Schwieders kept their discomfort to themselves. “Neither one of us was going to quit, and neither one of us was going to complain,” Wylie said. “We were bound and determined that we’d fulfill the commitment we’d made, and earn the full financial commitment Robbie’s sponsors had made. That was always our motivator. Three quarters of a day through, when we were feeling crummy, we just didn’t talk about it. We just kept going because this was for people suffering from cancer”
Eight days after they began, after 110 miles of rough, hilly terrain, after six black bear sightings, seven nights under the stars, and endless pack and shoe adjustments, Robbie and Wylie achieved their goal. Katie and her two other sons, 13-year-old twins Will and Andrew, joined the pair on the last leg of the well-orchestrated journey.
“There’s something else I’m proud of Robbie for,” his father said. “He did all the planning. He got maps from the Potomac Appalachian Club and decided ‘Here’s where we start, here’s how far we’ll go each day, here’s where we’ll stay, here’s where springs are so we can get water.’ We referenced that plan each day of the hike. And it worked! We weren’t religious about it; we didn’t stick 100 percent to plan. But having the structure allowed us to be flexible and have something to fall back on when we needed it.”
Along the trail, Wylie realized in a visceral way that his son was growing up—that he could have a dream, formulate a complex plan, and give of himself to help ease the suffering of others.
“The trip was demanding, but gratifying,” he said, “to see my son grow and do something for others. It was a very powerful way to spend a week’s vacation, I’ll tell you that. This’ll be something we’ll talk about for a long time--we’ll be irritating people for decades with this story.”
Robbie sent $3,345 to the Oral Cancer Foundation. He’ll write his report, and give his presentation—complete with photographs and excerpts from his trip diary. But it all comes down to one thing: easing the suffering of others and memorializing someone whom he knew too briefly. “I’ll always remember my grandma,” Robbie said. “Whenever we spent time together, it was fun.”
Bob Dylan Tribute Concert Benefits The Oral Cancer Foundation
When Dan Roth’s lifelong friend and fellow musician called with an idea to do a benefit music concert—and told Roth he could pick the cause—the decision came naturally: Roth, a two-time oral cancer survivor, chose oral cancer awareness.
“It was kind of a no-brainer for me because of how much the Oral Cancer Foundation has helped me,” Roth said. “I use their Web site a whole lot.”
Roth, 36, is a resident of Sea Cliff, Long Island. But he grew up about six miles away, in Williston Park, going to school and playing drums with his friend, guitarist Greg Schochet, now a professional musician in Boulder, Colorado.
“We grew up playing music in the basement,” said Roth, a drummer. When the boys were in seventh grade, Schochet’s father played the music of folk legend Bob Dylan for them. From then on, the boys were diehard Dylan fans. So it’s no surprise that when Schochet decided years later to pull the musicians of Boulder together for a themed evening of music, it should be a tribute to Dylan, held on the famed musician’s birthday.
“I was out there for a visit about a year before that,” said Roth. “And one day we sat around playing Dylan songs for hours and hours. He said ‘Next time you come out, let’s play a gig.’ Then he called up a few weeks later and said ‘I have a better idea. Why don’t we make it a benefit, and you can choose the beneficiary.’”
Roth immediately thought of the Oral Cancer Foundation, a Newport Beach, CA-based nonprofit organization whose online forums and bountiful resources helped him through two bouts with oral cancer. Roth remembers well the process of his diagnosis.
“I was at the dentist and they didn’t really even notice,” he said. “But I felt what I thought was a canker sore. And the hygienist said, ‘Oh wow, your throat’s really red.’ And I just kind of blew it off.” Three weeks later, the sore had not healed, and spicy food was causing Roth considerable pain. He made an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor who immediately ordered a biopsy.
“The biopsy was positive,” Roth said, adding that his initial cancer was caught at Stage 3. “He wanted to remove most of my tongue. I immediately got a second opinion, which lead to a surgical removal of the cancer.”
Roth, who neither smokes nor drinks, was puzzled about why he’d gotten oral cancer—until he learned that smoking and drinking are just two risk factors for the disease. An emerging cause of oral cancer in non-smokers is the Human Papilloma Virus. Unlike the incidence of oral cancer from smoking which usually occurs in the 5 th and 6 th decades of life, oral cancers created by this virus occur frequently in young people. Surgery held Roth’s cancer at bay for 14 months.
“When it came back, it came back on the roof of my mouth, which is weird I guess--but they caught it so early because I was going every month to get checked. The second time they caught it, it was Stage 1 or less.” That time, Roth underwent radiation treatments, which ended in October of 2004.
“It’s tough to get through the radiation,” Roth admitted, adding that he relied on the interactive survivor and caregiver forums on the Oral Cancer Foundation’s Web site for support, information, and encouragement. There he was able to talk with others who were either experiencing the same disease issues or talk with those who had been through it before and were survivors.
Roth said he’s honored that the musical community rallied to his chosen cause. “It was a great event,” he said. “We thought Dylan would be the hook that would draw people in—and it hooked all the local bands. Everyone thought it was a great idea. And everyone knows someone who’s had cancer. It really worked out well.”
At least five bands, and a total of 42 performers showed up to play Dylan songs at the Boulder Theater on May 24. All the musicians donated their time and played for free.
“The musical community here in Boulder is pretty amazing,” said Schochet. “I’ve played in a whole host of bands over the years, and they all are friends with each other. We’ve put together a lot of different benefit shows, and I’ve participated in easily half a dozen of them. The nights are always super-fun. It’s not just a regular concert: it’s people doing things they don’t normally do, in different configurations.”
Given their history of musical philanthropy, getting the musicians to play at no charge was the easy part, said Schochet, who besides rallying the musicians, secured the venue, arranged for a concession, rented equipment, and took on the countless other projects that go into producing a benefit event.
“A lot of the musicians jumped at the chance to come play Dylan songs---I could have got them to come play a benefit for Oral Cancer Foundation with no problem, but the Dylan part just made them want to come out all that much more.”
Bands included Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams, Runaway Truck Ramp, Hit & Run Bluegrass, Rose Hill Drive, Jeff Austin & Adam Aijala, and numerous solo, duo, and other acoustic acts. There was even a Dylan sound-alike contest. The event drew a crowd of 500 to 600 people, a large gathering for a Tuesday night.
“We sent the Oral Cancer Foundation a check for $3,440,” said Schochet, who says he plans to produce the concert again next year. “It was more than I’d hoped we would raise.”
OCF founder and oral cancer survivor Brian Hill said “ These individuals gave of themselves to benefit strangers they will never meet. That type of altruistic behavior isn’t something that you find every day.” These talented people, and particularly Schochet and Roth, pulled this off on their own initiative showing what can be done if your hearts in the right place. I am very grateful that they chose to associate a wonderful event like this with the oral cancer cause, and the foundation in particular. We can only accomplish the goal of reducing the death rate from this disease if we work in synergy with others. These musicians have furthered that goal, and in the process of giving back, touched the lives of literally thousands of people that have heard about their effort. We can’t thank them enough.”
The bands raised more than just money for the Oral Cancer Foundation: they raised awareness about a disease that strikes all too often, is recognized far too infrequently, and disrupts lives the world over. For that, survivor Dan Roth is happy. Roth’s checkups keep coming back normal. And he continues work he’s serene about: He’s half-owner and graphic designer at Roth Advertising, a three-person company his father started in 1971. And in May, Roth and his wife, Kathleen, welcomed a baby into their world. The little boy’s name? Dylan.
OCF Exhibits At The California Dental Associations Annual Meeting
The California Dental Association held its annual spring meeting in Anaheim, CA May 12-15, 2005
This was the first time that the Oral Cancer Foundation exhibit booth made its appearance, and marks the begining of the foundation's outreach to the dental community directly. The OCF staff and booth will begin appearances this year at numerous dental conventions to enlist dentists and hygienists as members of the foundation, committed to incorporating a program of early cancer detection screening into their practices. Download a PDF file of the entire program and lectures.
Brian and Ingrid Hill prepare for the first day at the OCF exhibit, CDA convention 2005, Anaheim, CA
10th International Congress on Oral Cancer
- April 19 – 24, 2005.
- Island of Crete, Greece
- Event will be held at the Creta Maris Conference Centre
- Sponsored by: The World Health Organization
- Information and registration on the web at:http://www.icooc-2005.org
This years event will have an additional focus on the human aspects of oral cancer in addition to the scientific presentations. One of this years keynote speakers will be oral cancer survivor, Brian Hill, who is the Founder and Executive Director of the Oral Cancer Foundation in the US.
Download a PDF program of the entire conference. (Brian Hill – pg 47)
The Walk for Cancer Awareness, Chesapeake, Virginia 2005
What: A public outdoor walk to raise awareness of oral cancer.
Why: As part of a national effort to reduce the death rate from oral cancer, the American public must be introduced to this killer, and this event is part of that effort. Oral cancer is a disease that is not just associated with tobacco, and awareness of the risk factors for it and the warning signs of it are essential, as it is highly survivable if caught in its early stages. Unfortunately in the US today that only occurs about 33% of the time. Early detection saves lives, and early discovery is only possible when people are aware of the disease and the need for an annual screening.
Who: This event is sponsored by local oral cancer survivor Minnie Ashworth, and The Oral Cancer Foundation / www.oralcancer.org in cooperation with the following companies, educational institutions and treatment facilities.
View photo gallery from the event
Current event corporate and educational sponsors and participants are:
Where: Chesapeake Park, 500 Greenbrier Parkway, Chesapeake, VA. Signs from the parking area will direct you to the registration area and start lines for the walk.
When: April 9 th, 2005. Registrations begin at 8 AM, with participants beginning the walk at 9 AM. Registrations and starts continue throughout the morning until 12 Noon. The event will end at approximately 3 PM
Costs: Entry fees are tax-deductible donations to The Oral Cancer Foundation. You will get a great event T-shirt and cloisonné pin along with your registration.
• Walkers with no sponsors the registration is $20.00
• Walkers with 1-4 registered sponsors register for $15.00
• Walkers with 5 registered sponsors pay $10.00
• Walkers with 8 registered sponsors pay $5.00
• Walkers with 10 or more registered sponsors walk for FREE
Vendors: There will be a variety of vendors at the walk. These include food vendors and a booth to purchase additional T shirts, pins, and other event materials.
Cheerleaders!! There will be many members of local cheerleading organizations attending……….so be ready for some fun!! Cheerleader demonstrations will be part of the day.
Directions: Chesapeake Park is located at 500 Greenbrier Parkway, Chesapeake, VA.
Other Activities: Free oral cancer screenings will be available at the walk. These are painless 3-5 minute visual and manual examinations of your mouth, and should be done annually. Screeeings wil.l be conducted by staff from the VCU School of Dentistry and from the Eastern Virginia Medical School
Click here to download a sponsor sign up sheet. (PDF 731KB) There will be special awards for the three top walkers who obtain the most sponsors. Sponsors of a particular walker will pledge a dollar amount to be given as a donation to the Oral Cancer Foundation. These pledges/donations are tax deductible. The foundation is an IRS registered 501c3 charity. Receipts for your tax records will be given out at the event.
Map
See follow up story on this event and benefits of volunteering
Dance Troupe Dedicates Show to benefit The Oral Cancer Foundation
Picture a performance in a hall of 1,000 seats, only a little more than 200 of which are filled, and you probably think of a stage disappointment. But triumphs can occur in unexpected venues, and so it was in late November when 12 students of dance performed their best and gave the proceeds to help others in memory of a man they’d loved.
“Someone was watching over us,” said Hero Barker, 40, owner and instructor at 7Movements In Dance studio in Norfolk, VA. “They danced their little hearts out.”
The dancers call themselves “Pappou’s Kids,” in honor of Arthur “Pappou” Kotarides, Barker’s father, who died in August of 2003 of complications following surgery for oral cancer. “Pappou,” Greek for “grandpa,” doted on Barker’s students, and it was his presence Barker felt during the benefit performance of more than 20 dance numbers that her students and friends had practiced hard to stage.
“I want to help because of families in need, because I don’t know what I would do if I lost a family member who meant so much to me to cancer,” said dancer Kayla Lovett, 14. “Cancer is not a very good thing, and I really feel bad for anyone who is faced with it or has a family member who has been faced with cancer.”
Lovett and her fellow dance students had watched as their beloved Pappou fought oral cancer, and as their teacher struggled to help her father in his battle. Many of the students knew Pappou as another grandfather figure.
“He was the type of person to whom no child was a stranger,” said Barker 40. “He just adopted everybody.”
Arthur Kotarides was a jack-of-all-trades, putting everything to right with his capable hands. He worked as an electrician, plumber, and carpenter. He was a mechanic at a Norfolk-area bakery, owned a car wash for a while, worked in the Norfok naval base’s finance department, and repaired televisions on the side.
When Barker realized her dream 10 years ago of opening a dance studio, it was Pappou who helped install the proper flooring, the barres, the mirrors. Pappou was there to welcome Barker’s first students, encourage them in their practice, crack jokes during their rehearsals, cheer their performances. When productions required set pieces or props, Pappou built and painted them.
“He was genuinely interested in what the kid were doing, and they knew that,” said Barker. “And he was always around.”
But in 1999, Pappou was diagnosed with oral cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. It was his beloved students’ turn to lend support. They watched as he battled the cancer into remission, watched as their teacher fought by his side.
“He was pronounced clear—the tumor went away,” said Barker. “But of course they kept checking him. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2003 that he was rediagnosed. He couldn’t undergo radiation again, so his doctor recommended surgery.”
It was during this time that Barker found The Oral Cancer Foundation online and began taking advantage of the site’s forum area to get information and support from cancer survivors and from fellow caregivers.
“I remember thinking then—and I still do think—that I wish I’d found that site earlier,” she said. “Because you hear from patients who’ve had it (oral cancer), you hear from caregivers who’ve dealt with it, and because they’re from all across the world, you get all sorts of helpful information that comes from the caregiving perspective.”
Barker’s father underwent surgery at age 77 in June of 2003. But two months later he developed a staph infection that triggered a heart attack, from which he didn’t recover. Barker and her students were devastated. Some of the girls had known Kotarides for much more than half of their lives. The loss went far beyond words; it begged for physical expression. And so they turned to what they knew: dance. The 12 members of Smooth Movers Performance Company, the performing arm of 7 Movements in Dance, began creating their own dance numbers in memory of Pappou. For a year they worked to perfect the pieces, rehearsing and tinkering until they were satisfied. But soon the question arose of how to present the pieces in a way that went beyond the studio and the stage. Barker and her students wanted to make a greater contribution in memory of the man who had given them so much.
One day, Barker had an idea: They could present their dance creations in a performance to benefit Newport Beach, Calif.-based The Oral Cancer Foundation, which had given her and her father so much support and information. Barker contacted Oral Cancer Foundation founder Brian Hill, himself a five-year oral cancer survivor, and told him of her plan.
“I thought I needed to do something,” Barker said. “And I knew that Brian was on a shoestring with the site, and that it’s doing so much good.”
Hill was touched—and intrigued. “At first I thought ‘Oh what a wonderful gesture,’” he said. “But then I also thought about what kids can learn when they do something to benefit people they don’t know, in memory of someone they loved.”
Oral cancer, which claims a victim each hour of every day, kills more people in America than those dying from more recognizable forms of the disease, such as prostate and cervical cancers. Lack of knowledge about oral cancer is what prevents the quick, routine screening that would drastically reduce its death toll. Hill founded the Oral Cancer Foundation to spread awareness, support patients and caregivers, and promote routine screening by dentists and doctors. He jumps for any likely looking opportunity to further the cause—so when he heard from Barker, he got right to work.
Hill crafted posters, tickets and donation envelopes for the benefit, titled “At The Mall: A Unique Shopping Experience.” And he immediately put Barker in touch with Minnie Ashworth, another Virginia resident who’s also an oral cancer survivor—and who, coincidentally, had been treated by the same doctor who had treated Kotarides. Ashworth had also found the Oral Cancer Foundation’s Web site forum helpful during her treatment and recover--so helpful, in fact, that she later volunteered to serve on the foundation’s board.
“It's right after treatment ends that people typically hit a deep depression,” Ashworth said. “After I had radiation, which ended in July of 2003, I found the foundation’s Web site. Just finding an entire group of people all around the world who were feeling the same way physically and emotionally, it would be tough to express what it did for me, and my husband and children, who were my caregivers.”
Ashworth was more than happy to help Barker give back to the foundation. Ashworth, who teaches a cheer organization in Chesapeake, VA, called American Cheer Elite, volunteered her students to help sell tickets and put up posters for the event, distribute donation envelopes to those who wanted to give but who could not attend the performance, and staff the front desk at the performance.
“They tell us that one in three people will have cancer at some point in their lives,” Ashworth said. “So I look at these kids that I work with and I think ‘You know, chances are some of these kids are going to deal with a parent having cancer in the future.’ The more they see what I went through, and help with things like the benefit, the more it takes the scare out of it. Any experience kids have, they learn from. And from helping with this benefit, they get the experience of raising awareness, of giving something to other people—the whole ballgame.”
Ashworth not only began helping Barker promote her benefit performance—she conceived of her own Oral Cancer Foundation benefit event: a walk-a-thon to be held this coming spring in Chesapeake. Barker pledged her own students’ support. Meanwhile, she booked the Roper Performing Arts Center, a 1,000-seat venue on the Tidewater Community College campus. And she began rehearsing her students—and some former students and other dancers—several nights a week for the performance that was just over a month away.
They fought an uphill battle for audience members, Barker said.
“Our area is not the easiest to get much publicity in,” she said, “because we’re surrounded by military bases, so it’s a very transitory area.”
Still, on the morning of the performance, Barker’s teaching assistant could barely lead her class because dentists and their office staff kept calling to find out about the benefit and whether the $10 tickets were still available. Word had gotten out.
And so on the evening of Nov. 20, Pappou’s Kids took to a lighted stage in a darkened auditorium and gave to their audience every memory they had of the man they had loved and who had affected their lives so deeply. Several days later, they gave The Oral Cancer Foundation a check for the proceeds from the benefit. But Hill doesn’t count this triumph in dollars. He counts it in things priceless—lives potentially saved through greater awareness, lives changed through action and giving.
“The real story here is secondarily about oral cancer.” he said. “The real story is about people coming together to help others, and how kids learn at an early age that a life of value contains a portion of that time in service to others.”