A Beautiful Life: Traci Morey Zimmer

If you attended our event last year, you had the opportunity to hear Traci Morey Zimmer's amazing father, Don, talk about his beloved daughter. It was an emotional moment for all of us.

Whether you met Traci once, or had known her for years, she truly left a lasting impression. I wish that I had gotten to spend more time getting to know Traci. At last year's event, many people spoke with me about the incredible woman that Traci was. Here's what they said:

Traci had an infectious smile. She loved life, especially her family, her dogs, and her students. She was funny [I've heard this a lot!] She was courageous. Even when she was in the hospital, and feeling crummy, people told me that she maintained her sense of humor and always smiled.

Almost everyone that attended last year's event and who knew Traci well spoke of her beauty - obviously, she possessed great inner beauty, but she was also beautiful on the outside - the picture above is just one example of how Traci embraced the physical changes that came with cancer. In Traci's case, bald was absolutely beautiful.

When I asked Traci's family about the things she loved the most, they told me that she loved her dogs. So much so, that they snuck Andre into the hospital to lift Traci's spirits [I think it worked, and Andre looks pretty happy, too].

Traci was determined, and she was a fighter. She was brave and kept a positive attitude. The picture above says it all.

Perhaps Traci's greatest passion - besides tennis - was her art. At the benefit where I met Traci, a few of her paintings were included in an auction [THOUSANDS of dollars were raised, in just a couple of hours...we were all SHOCKED - when people come together to raise money for a worthy cause, the outcome is often AMAZING!].

Traci's paintings were colorful, complicated, and deeply personal. For Traci, painting was a way to "let it all out," and express the emotions brought on by her cancer and her aggressive treatment. My Dad spoke at Traci's funeral, and he told those in attendance that one day, Traci would "paint the sky." My Dad and Traci's father, Don, were together at a work-related function when they spotted a beautiful rainbow. They both knew immediately who painted it.

Traci's memory is VERY much alive - her friends, family, colleagues, students, and community members still post on her Facebook wall regularly, telling Traci what they're up to, thanking her for the impact she had on their lives, and letting her know that they miss her. Traci's page has become a forum for those who love her, and it's an incredible honor for me to read these posts.

There is so much more to Traci's story. I hope you will join us on September 22, 2012, to learn more about Traci from the people who knew her, to celebrate her life, and to raise money for an incredible cause: the search for a cure for breast cancer.

Off and Running

Tonight I had the pleasure of having a dinner a meeting with my "committee" - - my Dad, and Don Morey (Traci Morey Zimmer's AMAZING father).  It was our first official planning session of 2012, and we were able to enjoy some great food and share some of our ideas for this year's event.

As you know, this year's event will be held at Radisson Greens Golf Course on Saturday, September 22nd with a tentative starting time of noon. The details are similar to last year - - it will be an 18-hole scramble format, with prizes awarded for closest to the pin (men and ladies), longest drive (men and ladies), and for the top three teams. We will also be featuring a putting contest on the putting green, with prizes courtesy of The Rally Skills Challenge, presented by Titleist (R).

Of course, we'll also be awarding a special prize to the best dressed foursome. Think you can top last year's winners?

The cost per player will again be $100. I realize that payment details can be a little confusing, and I apologize! Each participant must write a check in the amount of $20 to Rally for the Cure (R) with our Event ID #52764 in the memo line. A second check in the amount of $80 should be made out to Nicole E. Chenet. You must write two checks because at least $20 per participant must go directly to Rally for the Cure (R) - - it's because of Rally that we're able to provide our participant's with such AWESOME prizes, including:

A special "goody bag" filled with fun stuff (last year it was golf tees, a golf ball courtesy of Titleist (R), a special Hallmark greeting card, a pink ribbon pin, and a few other small items)

A "premium" prize item (last year we chose a Cleveland golf bag - I can't wait to find out what the big prize item will be this year!)

A FREE, one year subscription to a Conde Nast (R) magazine of your choice (I realize that some of last year's participants did not receive their magazine, and I am working with Rally to straighten this out, so I apologize!)

This year, we're going to do as much as we can online, so that we keep our mailing costs down. Rally for the Cure (R) has given us the ability to create an "official" event webpage, where participants can sign up for the event, post comments, and more.

PLEASE visit http://events.rallyforthecure.com/rally/eventpage.asp?fundid=214 (bookmark it!) as this is our "official" event page where we'll be conducting the majority of our registration. 

The EASIEST way to keep up on the latest tournament news is to scroll down and the main page until you see "Follow By Email!" and enter your email address into the box, then hit "Submit." You'll begin receiving our latest posts here on the blog via email. 

What's NEW for 2012

This year, we're planning on having a silent auction in lieu of our prize table raffle, with higher-ticket items like signed sports memorabilia and more. Of course, this means that we're going to be on the hunt for awesome items for the next six months, so if you or anyone you know might be willing to donate an item, PLEASE email us or leave a comment. Suggested items:

Restaurant gift certificates

Other gift certificates - hair salons, spas, nail salons, and local retailers

Sports memorabilia signed by local sports figures

Certificates for services, like auto detailing, house cleaning, landscaping, etc. 

Jewelry and gift items/gift baskets

Artwork

Wine (preferably from local wineries/vineyards)

Rounds golf at local golf courses

...if you have suggestions for the types of items you'd like to bid on at the reception, please let us know. 

We're also thinking of incorporating a "Pink Ball Challenge" this year. For a donation (amount TBD) each foursome can purchase a special pink golf ball. Each member of the foursome will be required to tee off and complete a hole using the pink ball, and the pink ball will rotate through the foursome until it gets lost, ends up in the water, or goes out of bounds. The foursome that keeps the pink ball in play for the most holes (without losing it) will win a special team prize. What do you think?

Another "new" idea for 2012 is to assign a "Mulligan Man"  to one or two holes. For a small donation, players can have the "Mulligan Man" hit their tee shot. For our less-experienced golfers, this could be a great opportunity to improve your score!

We're also thinking of allowing players to "Buy a Birdie" on a designated hole. For a TBD donation amount, players would be able to "buy" a birdie score on that hole. 

We will also be identifying the ladies at the event who have had a mammogram or other breast cancer screening this year with a special pink ribbon pin.

There's SO MUCH MORE in store....but you'll have to register and participate to find out what else we'll be doing this year! 

We Have a Date!

Drumroll please...

The 2012 Rally for the Cure (R) CNY/Traci Morey Zimmer Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 22nd at Radisson Greens Golf Course in Baldwinsville, NY. The time is TBA but registration will likely begin around noon.

This year, Rally is helping us go paperless with a special webpage exclusive to our event and the ability to send email invitations and updates. Check back soon for more information as the page is not "live" yet.

We look forward to rallying with you again this year! PLEASE bookmark this blog as well as www.nicolechenet.com so that you can keep up on the latest info.

The Countdown to the 2012 Race for the Cure (R) Begins...

Today marks 86 days until the annual CNY Race for the Cure (R) at the NYS Fairgrounds. And while that may seem like a long way off, in terms of fundraising, it's not much time at all!

Team Go Pink or Go Home! will be racing again for the third consecutive year, and our fundraising goal is $1,000. Our team consists of runners and walkers, and our goal is to have fun, raise money, and of course, snag all of the free goodies they hand out before the race.

If you're not interested in participating on race day, there are still a number of ways you can get involved:

Make a donation

"Sleep In for the Cure" ~ not an early riser? Go to http://komencny.org/ to register to "sleep in" for the cure - you'll register just like you'd do for the race, but instead of racing, all you have to do is sleep! You can still fundraise, too.

Volunteer ~ another excellent way to get involved on race day. You can register to volunteer by visiting http://komencny.org/.

Host a Fundraiser ~ host a dinner, have a party, or have a garage sale. You can donate the funds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure (R), or to a specific team that will be participating on race day.

Interested in joining a team? Email nicchenet@gmail.com. See you on race day!

Planning Ahead

Last year's inaugural Rally for the Cure (CNY)/Traci Morey Zimmer Memorial Golf Tournament was a success, and we are already in the process of finding a date for our second annual tournament. We're thinking late September again, so be sure to bookmark this blog and check back as we will post the final date once we decide.

Thinking ahead, we will need volunteers and donors again, so if you know you may be interested in helping us out, please leave a comment or send an email to nicchenet@gmail.com so that we have your information on file.

Thank you for your continued support!

Drumroll Please..

We are VERY proud to announce that the September 24th Rally for the Cure (R) CNY/Traci Zimmer Memorial Golf Tournament raised just over $2,900 for the Traci Zimmer Memorial Fund!

We also raised a total of $900 for the CNY Chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (R). 

Thank you again to all of our sponsors, volunteers and participants. 


Until next year! 

Thank You!

Last weekend's golf event was a success - I have so many people to thank! 

Our Volunteers

Erin 

Stacy 

Denise 

Peggy

Irene

Kirsten

Marianne

Our Hole Sponsors

Foit-Albert Associates

Lu Engineers

Lindsay Luu, State Farm Agent

C & S Companies

Barton & Loguidice, P.C.

Siteworks Land Developers

Highway Rehab Corporation

Chemung Supply Corporation

Syracuse Castings

Reymore Chevrolet - In Memory of Traci Morey Zimmer

Don & Gloria Morey - In Memory of Traci Morey Zimmer

Brian & Katie Waters - In Memory of Jane B. Waters

Ospelts Farms - In Memory of Paula Prior

Our Cure Crusader Sponsor

Foit-Albert Associates

Our Hot Pink Sponsor

Lu Engineers

Radisson Greens - especially Martha Wells, Jim Brown and the restaurant staff

ALL of our golfers!

A Special Thank You to...

The Chenet Family

Gloria Morey - for making a beautiful cake and delicious pink ribbon candy

We awarded prizes for the top three teams:

Third Place: Greg Tellex, Bob Dank, Mike Dank and Ryan Schonfield

Second Place: Lu Engineers

First Place: Frank Files, Dave Hartman, Matt Schooley and Todd Ossevoort

We also awarded a prize for "Best Dressed Foursome"  - 

Thank you to Ed Butler, Paul Wrobleski and Brian and Marty Frankenfield for thinking pink! They were an obvious choice for best dressed. 

We are still tallying up the donations and will post with an update soon with the amount of money raised for Rally for the Cure (R) and the Traci Zimmer Memorial Foundation!