Some call it our golf tournament, but I have started to call it our birthday party, and both of them took place yesterday. Our golf tourney is our birthday party because it was at our 1st golf tournament 2 years ago that RealTime Cancer was launched. So yesterday we held our annual fund-raiser and celebrated the conclusion of our 2nd year.
When I hit these types of milestones I often like to flashback and remember the road travelled to reach this point… I remember the night I got the idea for an organization called RealTime Cancer. It was during Game 2 (round 2 of chemo) from my first Cancer Challenge, it was very late at night, and as was often the case when I was in hospital, I was awake, lying in the dark, with my room lit by my computer screen. That was in January of 1999, and the idea came first from the concept of recreating my Cancer Challenge by re-broadcasting my original email messages. That’s where the name RealTime Cancer comes from, I wanted to send my original messages to a whole new audience in ‘real time’ a couple of years delayed. And that is exactly what we did for the 2000 RealTime Cancer Challenge in three local high schools.
As I was writing my thoughts on my computer a Nurse of mine came into my room to check on me and I told her to remember interrupting me, as she had come in and was the first person I had contact with after getting my idea. Not sure if she remembers, but I do!
Since that late night in room 218 on 4 North A of the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland Canada, RealTime Cancer has come a long way, our mission has grown and evolved, and it continues to do so.
To balance my flashback, I love to and will share my thoughts about the road ahead… this time last year I was doing very much the same thing I am doing this year as far as my duties with RealTime Cancer – confirming schools for the Challenge program this year, saying thank you to those schools who have supported us from the beginning, and making adjustments to the program to ensure we maintain our effectiveness -. However this year things have a different spin on them… the reality is that not many organizations, or people, have had a couple of hundred thousand dollars in advertising thrown behind their mission. But as many of you know, We/I have, as that is how the vast majority of you are have been connected with me. And that kind of awareness brings with it great opportunity.
Our community, the provincial community, as well as our national community, is more informed about the RealTime Cancer mission and there are more people than ever hearing me talk about the value and importance of being Positive when you’re facing a Challenge. I have always been a sucker for opportunity, opportunities that connect me to making a Positive impact, and one of the more exciting parts of the road ahead for me, are those opportunities that exist for RealTime Cancer. At present we are preparing to deliver the 2002 RealTime Cancer Challenge, and I’ve been having a fantastic time letting my mind run to create new ways to take advantage of our community awareness, and continue to create a culture of and share my message of Positive Attitude.
We had an awesome day yesterday, more golfers than in the previous 2 years, weather that was the best ever, and we started a new golf tourney tradition by singing Happy Birthday RealTime Cancer, and of course had some sweet cake for desert. You will be able to see pictures of the day in a couple of days (I’ll let you know when).
It has been a wild ride to get to 2, but we made it, and all signs are that we are stronger than ever. I get asked a lot if I will resume my business career, and I will “never say never” but I can tell you that I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else right now. I’m sure there are many reasons why I was presented with my Cancer Challenges, some I know, other’s I haven’t figured out yet, maybe never will, but one thing I’m certain of, I love the road I have travelled, love where I am, love every day, and wouldn’t change a thing.
Always…
Live Life. Love Life.
Geoff
