As you head out for your Memorial Day weekend plans, make it a point to honor “Don’t Fry Day!”   Since May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the National Council of Skin Cancer Prevention declares the Friday before Memorial Day, “Don’t Fry Day” to increase awareness on sun safety.  The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 76,250 new cases of malignant melanoma and more than two million new cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers in the U.S. this year.

Follows these steps to protect yourself from overexposure to UV radiation*:

• Do Not Burn or Tan – a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any point in life.
• Seek Shade – especially between 10 AM and 4 PM when the sun is strongest. An extra rule of thumb is the “shadow rule.” If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s harmful UV radiation is stronger; if your shadow is longer, UV radiation is less intense.
• Wear Sun-Protective Clothing – clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with densely woven and bright-or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense.
• Generously Apply Sunscreen – apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow, and Sand – Water, snow and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.
• Get Vitamin D Safely – Get vitamin D safely through a diet that includes vitamin supplements and foods fortified with vitamin D. Don’t seek the sun or indoor tanning.

Remember, prevention is the best way to treat skin cancer!  When in doubt, sunscreen or shade are both great options.  In the meantime enjoy a burn-free Memorial Day weekend.

*Information courteous of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention

Thanks to Bryan McMillan, captain of team bootySTRONG for writing these helpful camping tips!  Bryan and his crew takeover a section of Bootyville each year and make it one of the most vibrant areas of the campground!  

First off, who wouldn’t want to go back to the office and be able to say they participated in 24 Hours of Booty and hung out in Bootyville?  You know you WILL be the envy of all those folks congregating around the water cooler on Monday.

Each year the number of Team bootySTRONG riders who set-up camp in Bootyville has grown.  We have done a number of cool things to make the whole Booty experience that much more enjoyable for all of our riders and their families

• Each year we have a theme for the campsite – it has been “Tasteful Tacky Tiki with a hint of Pirate” for the last several years so folks have assembled costumes and other items which have adorned the main tents of our campsite.

• We set-up several pop-up type community tents where everyone congregates and set-up their camp chairs.  Behind this row of tents we have each of the riders set-up their sleeping tents.

• We set-up large sleeping tents for the kids to hang out in without parental supervision – we usually get an older sibling to play the role of enforcer so they stay somewhat in line.

• Many of our riders bring musical instruments and serenade us into the evening hours with Booty appropriate tunes.

Camping in Bootyville brings the team that much closer together as we are all there for a singular cause and that is to kick cancer’s booty – there is no better place than Bootyville to share this passion.

I had the pleasure of joining the Social & Scientific Systems/EDGE Cycling Team’s 2013 Kick-off event in Bethesda, MD! The event was hosted by the team’s co-captains, Kevin Beverly and Eben Block. Each year they seem to outdo themselves with their team events, and have a great time while doing so!

The event was hosted at Bethesda’s Hard Times Cafe, which is a great local sports bar and restaurant. Kevin and Eben invited their teammates out, as well as potential new teammates, to share information with them about the event and their team. $20 got each person wings and beer, and the proceeds went straight to their team fundraising. The Hard Times Cafe also supported the event by giving them a deal on food and drinks.

Eben and Kevin also did a great job collecting raffle items to give away. Everyone who make it out to the event was given a ticket, a many in attendance won some pretty cool stuff– including a Ride for the Roses jersey!

At the event, we were able to register 13 new members to their team! Way to go, guys!

Let 24 Hours of Booty staff know if your team is hosting an event! We’d love to help you in any way we can!

When I travelled to Atlanta a few weeks ago, I was able to venture out on the new course that the city of Sandy Springs was preparing to approve.  It was a beautiful riding day and I enjoyed cycling through the streets of Sandy Springs.  After riding the course, I felt like it truly represents 24 Hours of Booty.  A 2.8 mile course looping through neighborhoods.  The best parts are the long, flat sections to talk to new and old friends.  I’m really looking forward to riding with all of you in October!

We were also able to capture the video below when we drove the course a couple of months ago.  This will give you a better idea of where the course goes.  Just remember, it was filmed in a car and you’re watching at twice the speed!

For Susan, cancer seemed like an endless stream of surgeries, doctor appointments and radiation treatments.  When she lost her job shortly after diagnosis, she spent many days at home recovering, wondering when her life would ever get back to ‘normal.’

The conclusion of her radiation treatments meant that Susan had several weeks to wait before she received the official ‘cancer free’ designation. “The thing about the wait was it was always there, looming in the back of my mind.  Even though radiation was done and they told me everything went great, you just don’t relax until it is ‘official,” she said.  ”I am not usually a positive person by nature, always waiting for the other shoe to drop,” she continued.  ”And there were days when I felt like it was raining shoes.”

A new job offer with a local company helped lift her spirits.  A weeklong visit with family, friends and grandkids in Boston and Cape Cod was a welcome distraction, but the upcoming doctor appointment still loomed.

When appointment day came, it seemed like the wait would never end.  When Dr. Flippo finally delivered the news, it was the best Susan could have hoped for – cancer free!  ”The ‘all good’ from Dr. Flippo made me feel positive about the future.  Maybe because I had heard so much bad news from her, I was fearful of hearing it again.  I had never come out of her office with good news before,” Susan said. “In the past I would leave and go sit in my car in the parking garage and have a good cry.  It was wonderful to come out of there feeling that I truly was cancer free and as she said, ‘officially in survivorship.”

You may see a lot of orange at events, but 24 Hours of Booty is actually very green!  In honor of Earth Day and making the world a little greener, I’d like to share a couple of the things 24 Hours of Booty is doing to help keep our communities cleaner:

Recycle!  We recycle everything that is possibly recyclable at events, including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, paper and anything else that can be saved.  Last year in Charlotte alone we recycled 1.02 tons of material.  That’s just over 2,000 pounds of material that we prevented from winding up at the landfill!

Dinnerware.  Did you know that the forks, spoons and knives you use at dinner are made of potatoes? All the plates, utensils and cups are biodegradable and break down naturally in the landfill in many fewer years than traditional paper/plastic versions.

You can help us this year by sorting your recyclable items and depositing them in the recycling containers and help us save the environment one event at a time.  We add new green elements to the event each year in an effort to continue reducing our event footprint and make sure the Booty Loops are around for a long time!

Did you know? 

• 7,000 gallons of water or 9 barrels of oil are saved for every bale (700-1000lbs) of recycled cardboard
• In 3 months, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet
• 3.8 barrels of petroleum are saved by recycling 1 ton of plastic bottles

The end of Susan’s breast cancer treatments left her a little at a loss.  After spending almost six months fighting breast cancer, the realization came that cancer was a significant event in her life, even though she refuses to be defined by it.  ”I came to the realization that I couldn’t just forget about the cancer,” said Susan.  ”It doesn’t have to control or define me, but it comes with an impact that you also can’t forget.”

Last week, Susan visited Nikki’s Tattoo Studio to celebrate the end of her treatment and get a permanent reminder of how the cancer impacted her life.  Nikki’s studio is owned and staffed by women and she does a lot of work with breast cancer survivors.  ”It was important to me to get the tattoo, but I’m not sure I can put into words why,” Susan said. “I didn’t want a plain pink ribbon, but I wanted something to represent my fight,” she said.  ”So I incorporated the pink breast cancer ribbon into a Celtic design that seemed more unique and more ‘me.’ It took almost two hours, but it was well worth it.”

24 Hours of Booty is excited to announce that Bootyville is officially moving back to Myers Park Traditional School this summer! We are ecstatic to be returning to the tight-knit community feel and easy access to the course that everyone loves.

There will probably be some changes to the parking and camping set up for the events. Please keep an eye on your emails so you can be up to date on any changes as we get everything finalized.

A huge thanks to our friends in the Myers Park community for making their support. When you’re out there riding, please be sure to give a friendly wave to the neighbors to help spread some cheer and goodwill.

Needless to say it has been a big week for 24 Hours of Booty. A $1 million commitment to Levine Cancer Institute and now this! To celebrate, we are opening up 50 more ride slots.  Pass this along to your friends and family and ask them to fight cancer with us in July.  They can register here.

If you have any questions about the move or if there are ways we can assist your fundraising, please let us know.

Thank you for all the time and energy you give to help fight cancer in Charlotte.

Earlier this morning 24 Hours of Booty announced a brand new $1 million commitment to the Levine Cancer Institute’s Genetics, Survivorship and Wellness Center.  The programs offered by the Center offer important resources to cancer survivors and those currently undergoing treatment.

It’s amazing to think that twelve years ago, 24 Hours of Booty started as a grassroots movement of riders, donors, volunteers and sponsors who wanted to get active and do something about cancer in their backyard.  The commitment made today is a direct reflection of the hard work of you and other supporters.

Because of your commitment to fighting cancer, the Survivorship and Wellness Center is able to offer patient support groups, the Carolinas Cancer Wellness Program, free individual and family counseling, a comprehensive patient navigation program, yoga and tai chi classes and more.  All of this at no cost to the survivors and their families.

Thank you for all you do to make this possible. Thousands of cancer survivors will directly benefit from the support you continue to give.

P.S. – Will you help us share this link on Facebook and Twitter?

Participants are now more than halfway through with their twelve week program at the Carolinas Cancer Wellness Program.  While everyone’s goals are different, the staff at the program work hard to make sure everyone can take home measurable, helpful results.  For some participants that may mean an increase in strength while for others it means being able to more easily transfer from a sitting to a standing position.

The next step for Susan and other participants is transferring the program downstairs.  Amy, the exercise physiologist will work with survivors to be comfortable on the equipment in the larger gym so they can continue using the Y after they complete the 12 week course.