The Reporter- August 2011

Saturday, Aug 13 5:30p

at Shaw Ranch, Vacaville, CA

Price: $150

Phone: (707) 249-2226

Age Suitability: None Specified

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8th Annual Benefit for Solano Midnight Sun Founation. Proceeds will benefit Solano County Men and Women afflicted with Breast Cancer. Dinner will be served in a beautiful orchard located on Pleasants Valley Rd in Vacaville, CA. The evening will include; A scrumptious Lobster Dinner, Hosted Bar, Wine Tasting, Live and Silent Auctions, Live Music and Dancing.

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The Reporter – Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Keynote speaker for this year’s Solano Midnight Sun Foundations fundraiser Sept. 23 will be Dr. Thomas Hopkins, a board-certified doctor of internal medicine who will speak about rapid advances in breast cancer treatment.

The annual Midnight Sun fundraiser benefits Solano County women and men afflicted with breast cancer.

Hopkins completed his internship and residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, from which he graduated with honors in 1992.

Also speaking will be teacher and artist Heidi Marble, who at age 34 in 2000 was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and was given a very poor prognosis. Now considered a breast cancer survivor, Marble is the founder of Undone-Home of Buttons-N-Dollars, a foundation through which she creates art pieces out of costume jewelry and buttons. Her striking artistic creations are sold and auctioned to raise funds in the fight against breast cancer.

The Solano Midnight Sun Foundation was founded in the spring of 2004 to assist male and female breast cancer survivors who are enduring severe financial difficulties because of the disease. To date, more than $100,000 has been raised and numerous grants have been awarded to Solano County residents afflicted with breast cancer. Co-founders Elizabeth Fry and Debbie Wood are both breast cancer survivors.
Last year, the organization funded free mammograms for uninsured or underinsured Solano County women. The program, which was facilitated through North Bay Medical Center, will be repeated again this year.

As in past years, this year’s fundraiser will take place at the home of Fry and husband Mark Shaw. Themed, “An Evening in the Valley,” it will feature an elegant dinner served by the renowned Alex’s Catering from Vallejo, live music from Push Play, wine tasting by Purple Pearl and St. Supery Wineries and a silent and live auction. Well- known local auctioneer Joe Gates will facilitate the live auction.

Tickets for the event are $125 each. Each ticket holder will be entered into a drawing to win a $1,250 credit toward Princess Cruise to the Mexican Rivera or the Caribbean. The prize was donated by Galaxsea Cruises.

Tickets are expected to sell quickly. For information and tickets, call 469-9909.

The Reporter – Saturday, September 25, 2004

By Patricia Valenzuela – Staff Writer

Elizabeth Fry and Debbie Wood spent weeks successfully fighting breast cancer with the help and support of family and friends.
The two Vacaville women, who fought the cancer recently but at different times, are keenly aware that they were fortunate to have resources and support during one of the most difficult times in their lives. They also are aware that early detection allowed them to undergo the most noninvasive treatments.

Now, both women say they feel driven to do something for other Solano County women and men who face the disease.
They’ve formed the Solano Midnight Sun Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to assist Solano County men and women fighting breast cancer, and are partnering with NorthBay Healthcare foundation to provide free mammograms to low-income Solano County residents. The women view the partnership as creating an additional resource important in early detection.

According to the American Cancer Society, 230 Solano women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

Fry and Wood were diagnosed in the early stages of breast cancer, which allowed each to undergo a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy. Early detection also is associated with women’s survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for women is more than 95 percent of the cancer is confined to the breast.

Wood had her first mammogram at the age of 30 after being told she was susceptible to breast cancer due to her family history. She returned each year for the procedure and always had negative results until a year and a half ago. Wood received a letter on Christmas Eve 2002 stating she had breast cancer, and she completed treatment in March 2003.

Fry had her first mammogram a year ago, at age 42. Although she should have begun having annual mammograms earlier in life, the timing was right. Fry was diagnosed a few weeks later.

“I thought. ‘I have no family history and have no reason to think I could have breast cancer.’ ” Fry said. Fry completed treatment in February 2004. “The hardest thing for me was to feel as though I was making the right decision. For the first time in my life, I felt like I couldn’t make a good decision….It was scary,” she said.

Both women want to alleviate any fears related to breast cancer by creating a database with information on other breast cancer survivors along with information about procedures and doctors in the area.

Donations from fundraisers also will assist local men and women experiencing financial hardships due to breast cancer. Wood said she met numerous women too exhausted to return to work as bills increased. The women plan to receive referrals from breast cancer counselors and ultimately will make the decisions as to who receives funding.

One hundred percent of donations will be used to help others. The ladies do not plan on hiring administrative staff and have said anyone who wants to help the foundation will donate their time.

“We are going to be very accountable to all of our supporters.” Fry said.