Sara’s Project is a breast health education and outreach partnership created by the St. Charles Regional Cancer Treatment Center. It was founded to promote early detection of breast cancer, build awareness and provide support to women facing cancer. The project honors Sara Fisher, a cherished teacher, counselor and active community volunteer who died in 1992 after a seven-year battle with breast cancer.
Funds raised through donations, or at sponsored events, are used to provide education and outreach assistance to women through no-cost breast screenings and breast health programs. It also supports services for women with abnormal findings and those diagnosed with breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Navigator Program provides individualized clinical case management, emotional support, and assistance with lodging, travel, wigs, hats and cosmetics. For information on any of these programs, click here .
Sara's Project is made possible through the coordinated efforts of a variety of people concerned with women’s health: local physicians, community members, breast cancer survivors, state and national partners, and the friends and family of Sara Fisher. Two community fundraisers provide the majority of financial support: Heaven Can Wait and Hope Couture.
Heaven Can Wait began in 2000 after Charlene Levesque, wife of Central Oregon Running Klub (CORK) President, Joe, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Charlene's diagnosis prompted CORK to begin brainstorming the creation of a women's event that would promote early detection of cancer and encourage a healthy, active lifestyle.
From this initial idea, Heaven Can Wait has grown into a premiere athletic event in Central Oregon and an annual celebration of cancer survivorship. Heaven Can Wait is held on National Cancer Survivor's Day, the first Sunday in June.
Get decked out and join the party as the St. Charles Regional Cancer Program and Bank of the Cascades present Hope Couture, the annual Sara Fisher Fashion Show Dinner Benefit.
This elegant evening includes a silent and live auction, gourmet dinner, and a high-energy fashion show, where glammed up medical professionals and breast cancer survivors strut down a runway arm-in-arm, modeling the latest fashions from local retailers.
This year's event was Friday, October 10, 2008. For pictures, click here. After you "enter" the site, click "gallery" in the upper left hand corner.
For more information on Heaven Can Wait, or Hope Couture, contact Marlys Johnson at (541) 706-7743.