10th edition Hope & Inspiration Calendars and 4th Edition Small Miracles Calendars are here!
Well I know as I write this most of you will find it, as I do; hard to believe that it’s October yet again. Harder still to believe that I have created the 10th edition of my Hope and Inspiration Surviving Mother’s of Breast Cancer calendar! I remember the early stages of planning to create it in what seems like just a few years ago. It was August of 2003 and after having had some success as a portrait artist I wanted to create something that could give back to our community while helping mothers and children.
It did not take long to tie all the loose ends together and I created the calendar as a fundraiser back then for Susan G Komen. Many years and with many charities benefiting from the project this calendar has made the kind of impact that all artists, I would hope, could wish to make in their communities.
This year the Memorial Hermann Foundation are the beneficiary. Memorial Hermann Breast Imaging centers are located throughout the city with women’s health and early detection their platform. The center has amazing technology that takes both a 2-D and 3-D image of the breast tissues. This new breast imaging technique creates a highly focused 3-D picture of the breast that enables earlier detection of tumors than traditional mammograms. I went and had it done and it is painless, takes no time at all and every woman needs to be scheduled annually after the age of 40. Period. With this technology they can pinpoint cancer early enough to save your life!
In 2004 I created the Art and Medicine projects as a way to give back as an artist, make a difference in the lives of those around me and of course honor my parents who were both in the medical community. As a physician, my own father was a leader in our small town back in North Carolina, often detecting first the early signs of disease in his patients. Over the years, Hope and Inspiration has, as has my children’s cancer calendar and Small Miracles, given opportunities for perfect strangers to donate and enjoy a piece of art while helping contribute to the overall progress towards finding a cure for cancers.
This fall I offer to the community both projects as a wonderful way to give. Each hold a special place in my heart and in the hearts of anyone who has been touched by a parent, a loved one or a child who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Throughout the city this fall I will be periodically signing calendars at participating restaurants and local businesses that have chosen to support these causes. Activities for the CURE start on October 1st throughout the city. All month long participating businesses such as Shaggy Chic Retreat will offer specials that give you a way, through your patronage to give back. These guys are offering “Pawdicures” at their high end luxury doggie and kitty spa with 50% of their proceeds to go to Memorial Hermann Foundation. On October 17 I will be at Tradicao Brazilian Steakhouse, located at 12000 Southwest Frwy. from 6-7:30pm. We have extended happy hour, raffles and I will be signing calendars! There are many more parties scheduled throughout the months of October and November to support calendar sales and allow all of us in our community to show our support. Please go to www.alisamurray.com under the art-medicine section to discover the full list of supporting businesses and dates to mark on your calendar to come show support for cancer and make a difference!
