Toby Keith has been touched by childhood cancer. One of his original band mates lost his daughter Allison in August of 2003 to a form of kidney cancer called Wilm's tumor.

The country singer is sponsoring the fourth annual charity golf tournament that will once again benefit the families of children fighting cancer. The event will begin with an auction and party in downtown Oklahoma City on April 27, and continue with the golf tournament the following morning.

The proceeds will benefit Ally's house, which Keith helped establish in memory of his friend's daughter. The charity helps pay for medical bills, prescriptions, housing, transportation, toys, food, clothing and other expenses for families that have children with cancer.

Some of the items to be auctioned off are:

• Trip to see Keith in concert in Las Vegas
• Memorabilia from Garth Brooks, Sammy Hagar and Bob Seger
• Sports memorabilia autographed by Tiger Woods and baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle

Toby Keith comments about Ally's House -- "This is a special charity to me. I saw firsthand how a child's cancer diagnosis can devastate a family. Please join me in supporting these kids through Ally's House."

Those of us diagnosed with cancer are not the only survivors of our diseases. Our families and friends and caregivers and even employers and co-workers survive right along with us. Sure, the facets of our survivorship vary tremendously -- but we all survive the wrath of cancer in our own unique ways.

My two little boys have spent the past two years surviving breast cancer -- my breast cancer. And while they still don't fully comprehend the magnitude of such a disease, they do understand cancer is a sickness. They understand it took my hair, made me feel sick, left me with scars, and they religiously comment on every pink ribbon they see. They call the ribbons cancer.

I am often asked how my children handled my diagnosis, my treatment, my emotions. They handled it all well, I think, and as time passes, they do better and better. In fact, cancer seems to have vanished into thin air for Joey, who will turn six on Wednesday, and Danny, who is three and a half years old. I know this because of their answers to a few questions I asked them last night, on the eve of 2007.

What was the best thing you did this year?

Joey: Swimming in the pool.
Danny: Being at school.

What was the worst thing that happened this year?

Joey: Getting that boo-boo on my foot, when it scraped on the driveway.
Danny: The cheetah that was chasing me.

What could you have done better this year?

Joey: Learning to ride my bike without training wheels.
Danny: Watching Ice Age.

What would you like to work on during this new year?

Joey: Building a better stick house.
Danny: Drinking milk.

What was the scariest thing that happened this year?

Joey: When I thought there were monsters in my room.
Danny: When there was a cheetah in my room.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you this year?

Joey: When Jack (uncle) and Bud (grandpa) tickled me.
Danny: When the cheetah was chasing me.

When I say the word Daddy, what do you think about?

Joey: Someone who makes me laugh.
Danny: no reply -- he was distracted by the movie Ice Age.

When I say the word Mommy, what do you think about?

Joey: I don't know.
Danny: no reply -- still distracted by the movie Ice Age.

What do you wish for 2007?

Joey: I wish I could fly.
Danny: I wish I could slide on a sleigh.

And that's a wrap. Not one mention of cancer. Not one response concerning endless medical appointments, my drastically different hair, or the port -- they called it a stone -- that was removed from my body in September.

There truly are more important things in life than cancer for two little boys whose memories of a horrible disease will hopefully fade with each passing year -- until not even a pink ribbon catches their attention.

Happy 2007, Joey and Danny. May all your wishes come true!

I have heard people say to me that they think there is currently a cure for cancer but the pharmaceutical companies do not want us to know about it because they make so much money treating cancer.

I think this is absolutely not true. If you think about it, everyone knows someone with cancer. I think the researchers, doctors, and those in the pharmaceutical industry would want a cure to be known to help their own families and those they know fighting the disease. It only makes sense.

The most important thing to remember is that cancer is not one single disease, but many diseases. It is possible to find a cure for one cancer but be no where near a cure for another.

Pharmaceutical companies do like to make money, so does every other business out there in the world. I like the fact that they are competing with one another. This makes it a challege for them to be the first one with the breakthroughs. Hopefully we will soon find THE breakthrough but until then I'm confident that there isn't a secret cure out there!

Health care coverage for working Americans is like a brittle tree in a hard wind -- and the larger limbs are beginning to snap. Between the years 2000 to 2005, 6.8 million more people became uninsured according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. Current data estimates 46.6 million people are without health insurance coverage. As employer-based health insurance continues to fade, government programs are taking up the slack -- up to a point. But given the lack of funding, there is only so much that can be offered.

In a statement issued by the Center for American Progress, "These problems did not just happen: they resulted from flawed economic and health policies which force Americans to work more for less. When it returns after Labor Day, this Congress should act to mitigate these problems by passing a straightforward minimum wage increase and extend health funding for programs like the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Moreover, policy makers should recognize the need for major change, such as providing affordable health care to all Americans and taking action to address growing income inequality."

Some are calling for a government-based universal health care system that guarantees health care coverage for all Americans. Others are suggesting a mix of private and public health care coverage. What ever the solution, there certainly needs to be one.

We can start with a shift in perspective and change in expectation. If you are working full-time for a company, presumably your efforts are helping that company make a profit. Health insurance coverage should not be viewed as a luxury benefit, nor should the largest burden of health insurance premiums be shouldered by the employee whose earnings just meet living expenses. Yet, this is happening every day in this country. The hard wind continues to batter the brittle tree.

Personally, I am not sold on a government-run, government-backed universal health plan simply because I have covered too many horror stories about rationed care in other industrialized countries. It seems a combination of programs might be the solution but the government and our elected officials certainly need to be held accountable for implementing programs that insure all Americans.

American Public Health Association Georges Benjamin is quoted by United Press International as saying, ""This is the worst news we've had all year. Our nation is not secure if we're not healthy."

I just received in the mail my Certificate of Completion for St. Jude's  Campaign for a Cure. I have never really known much about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital -- except that I can be brought to tears by the television specials that showcase sick children whose lives depend on the research and treatment that this hospital offers. But I came to know more about St. Jude this year after a friend asked me to make a donation for the Up 'til Dawn program he sponsors on the college campus where he works -- a program that involves more than 150 college campuses nationwide and partners faculty, staff, students, and communities in an extravaganza of activity, education, and fundraising to benefit the children at St. Jude. So I made a donation and then was contacted by St. Jude with an invitation to help them further -- and I did. I sent out 10 pre-written letters to friends and family asking for their support. I was given an attainable fundraising goal. And I met it. So this is why I received my certificate -- and some cheery address labels too.

The Canadian Cancer Society, concerned with the potential long-term effects associated with the ornamental or cosmetic use of pesticides, has launched an email Take Action! campaign to support a ban on the ornamental use of pesticides in the City of London.

According to the the cancer society, the majority of Londoners support a ban on the use of ornamental pesticides. In a recent poll, 81 percent of Londoners want to phase-out pesticides in city parks and 74 percent support a phase-out on private residential property; 71 percent of Londoners feel cosmetic pesticides are a health threat to children and pose a health threat to pets such as cats and dogs and 74 percent of Londoners believe pesticides are a threat to the environment, including wildlife, air quality, and ground water.

If you would like to participate in the campaign to support the ban, the Canadian Cancer Society has provided an advocacy action page where you can send an email to the Mayor and London City Council. The deadline is June 12.

Several months ago, we posted the news The Canadian Cancer Society was calling for a ban on the use of pesticides in private gardens, lawns, parks, recreational facilities and on golf courses because of the potential cancer risks associated with the chemicals used in maintaining ornamental gardens and lawns in Canada.

The Western College of Veterinary Medicine oncology unit at the University of Saskatchewan offers radiation treatment for dogs and cats suffering from cancer. Pets from British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba have been treated for cancer at the hospital clinic. When a pet comes in for treatment, they are often not sick enough to warrant staying overnight during cancer treatment. Nor is it very comfortable for a pet to stay overnight at the hospital clinic, as the disturbance of lights and noise can result in an animal becoming sleep-deprived.

Foster families have been taking in pets from other provinces while they undergo cancer treatment. As the pet clinic is getting more and more referrals from out of province, more foster families are needed. Full-course radiation treatment usually lasts a month for each pet at the unit, while treatment for palliation, which aims to improve the quality of life of pets with incurable cancer, runs three to four treatments.

"I think it's scary for them to be in an environment where it is not their normal bed and not their normal family," states Monique Mayer, veterinary radiation oncologist. "They know it's a hospital so I don't think they are as relaxed." Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for cats and dogs.

Each month, the Make A Child Smile, MACS, organization features photos and biographies of children struggling with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. According to the organization, hundreds of web surfers, schools, service organizations, girl/boy scouts and church groups use the MACS website as a philanthropic project where they can send cards, letters and small gifts to the featured children and their siblings through postal mail. In addition, MACS, provides financial assistance to qualifying families with expenses resulting from a child's illness.