The Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation's mission is to grant wishes, including memory-making events, for metastatic breast cancer patients, while continuing to support, educate and increase resource awareness.

One of the Making Memories fundraisers is Brides Against Breast Cancer. It can give brides-to-be, an opportunity to find the wedding gown of their dreams (at an incredible savings) while making wishes and dreams come true. Click here if you wish to donate your gown.

The Drexelbrook Wedding and Banquet Facility is hosting Nationwide Tour of Gowns on October 10th and 11th. If you live near Drexel Hill, PA you can attend this event and browse over 40 racks of exquisite, named brand and designer wedding gowns costing from $89 to $799.

Event Details:

Drexelbrook Wedding & Banquet Facility. Drexelbrook Drive & Valley road

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026

Wednesday, October 10th, 10am - 8pm

Thursday, October 11th, 10am - 8pm

Contact: mminfo@makingmemories.org

Ever wonder where your money goes when you make a charitable cancer contribution? Well, here's the lowdown on how the Susan G. Komen Foundation spends their donated funds.

For 25 years, this world's largest and most progressive grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists has allocated 33 percent of all dollars for research and awards, and 29 percent for education. Fifteen percent of donations are spent on screening, eight percent on fundraising, and eight percent on administration. Finally, seven percent goes towards treatment.

Komen professionals say they are extremely careful about how they spend the dollars entrusted to their care. And that makes me happy.

Merv Griffin, creator and producer of TV game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, announced in July that he'd been diagnosed once again with prostate cancer. Hospitalized after the cancer recurrence was detected during a routine examination, Griffin was reportedly doing fine. New reports indicate Griffin's prognosis is not so fine, although his reps won't confirm of deny this.

It is clear Griffin is still in the hospital. Sources close to him say he is putting all his strength into fighting this battle with cancer.

In lieu of sending him flowers, Griffin asks that well-wishers donate to the Young Musicians Foundation -- an organization he chairs. Also, messages can be sent here.

The Lori Arquilla Anderson Foundation for Brain Cancer is promoting awareness of the life threatening effects of brain tumors, advocating on the behalf of cancer patients and raising funds for medical research. LAAF is dedicated to making a difference towards finding a cure.

You can read more about Lori's diagnoses, treatments and cancer journey here. Sadly Lori passed away on July 4, 2005. She was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, one of the most deadly brain cancers.

This organization keeps Lori's memory alive and reminds us also to -- live, love and laaf.

Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has been chosen as Avon's first-ever global ambassador. Serving as honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation, the 31-year-old will focus on issues of breast cancer, domestic violence, and emergency relief.

"I'm very excited about working with the Avon Foundation, with many different aspects of it," Witherspoon says. "First and foremost, breast cancer research and awareness, programs that they're working on. Someone very close to me is a breast-cancer survivor. It's a cause that's very close to my heart."

Witherspoon will also represent Avon Products Inc.'s beauty brands and sales representatives.

Liz Claiborne, fashion designer for working women climbing corporate ladders, died Tuesday at the New York Presbyterian Hospital after battling cancer for many years. She was 78.

Said Bill McComb, CEO of Claiborne's company since November: "In losing Liz Claiborne, we have not only lost the founder of our company, but an inspirational woman who revolutionized the fashion industry 30 years ago. Her commitment to style and design is ever present in our thinking and the way we work. We will remember Liz for her vision, her entrepreneurial spirit and her enduring compassion and generosity."

Claiborne, with husband Art Ostenberg and partners Leonard Boxer and Jerome Chazen, launched her label in 1976 after working for years as an unknown dress designer. Her brand featured ensemble sportswear with price tags below that of other designers and revolutionized the department store industry. Once compartmentalized, with pants in one department and skirts in another, Claiborne's coordinated clothing inspired the merging of once-separate departments.

Major League Baseball and the Prostate Cancer Foundation teamed up this year to form the Home Run Challenge in honor of Father's Day. Their gift to father's across the country: for each home run hit in 60 selected games between June 6 and today, June 17, raised money for prostate cancer, the second most common cancer for men in the United States.

Some fans of this cause made pledges; some posted online tributes to their dads at Dockers San Francisco. For every message submitted, the company donated one dollar. Some messages were even shown in Times Square for all to see.

I just checked the status of the Home Run Challenge on this Father's Day morning and found the most updated total of home runs to be 91. Leading the accomplishment are Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano. The current Team Home Run leader: the Cincinnati Reds.

Neenah Paper has joined the fight against breast cancer and partnered with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to create Soft Pink stationery.

By choosing the Soft Pink stationery from Neenah Paper, businesses and individuals can help to support the fight against breast cancer, as a portion of the purchase proceeds will be donated to the foundation.

Patrick Lynch, Senior Brand Manager for Neenah Paper says "Neenah Paper has the only stationery brand supported by the foundation. Our Soft Pink letterhead sheets are an elegant opportunity to show support of the cause".

Nicole Labrecque was only three years old when she lost her battle with hepatoblastoma, a rare liver cancer. That was 16 years ago and for the last six years, Nicole's father Richard has been raising money to help seriously-ill children like his daughter have their special wish come true.

Richard said his daughter died suddenly three days after the family's Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World. Richard Labrecque told reporters, "She spent a beautiful week having fun and for a few days, she was able to forget about the pain of surgeries and chemotherapy. It is priceless to see these kids have fun. Nicole was three years old and we were swept off our feet. I'm dedicated to this organization."

In the past five years, Nicole's walk has raised over $70,000, which has gone to the Vermont Make-A-Wish Foundation. The annual walk, which will be held this year on May 20, 2007 on the Toonerville Trail in Springfield, VT starts at 9:30 a.m. The trail is 6.2 miles.

All participants get a purple T-shirt -- purple was Nicole's favorite color.

Wednesday, May 16 is this year's LIVESTRONG Day. Spearheaded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), this day is a grassroots initiative intended to unify people affected by cancer and to raise awareness about the disease on a national level and in local communities.

Want to LIVE STRONG on Wednesday?

Think about this:

• Wear yellow. Encourage co-workers, friends, family members, and neighbors to do the same.
• Hold a candlelight vigil in honor of those affected by cancer.
• Say something special at church, a work meeting, a luncheon, a playgroup.
• Volunteer at your local hospital.
• Plant flowers or a garden in honor of cancer survivors.
• Visit this search tool and find official LIVESTRONG Day events in your area. Check here for a listing of all planned events in all cities.
  
• Get to work on next year's LIVESTRONG Day. Stop by the LAF website for more information.

Last May, Lori Raimondo set off on a cross-country trek in search of one dollar for every day her mother Lorraine battled breast cancer.

She called her 10,344-mile excursion Road to a Cure. Her goal was to raise $9,490. She ended up with nearly $14,000. She succeeded. She exceeded. And she donated every cent to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Raimondo's driving journey is long over. But our collective breast cancer journey is not. And so Raimondo, in honor of her mother on this Mother's Day, asks friends and family and strangers alike to continue contributing to the breast cancer cause so that the road to a cure may one day come to an end.

Raimondo is accepting donations on her website. She will continue to pass on everything she gathers to help fund breast cancer research.

Kim Goebel was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, at the age of 43. Her sister Kris noticed a lot of moms saying "How am I going to tell my kids?"

Partners for a Cure Foundation was founded by the sisters and they began planning a doll and a book to familiarize children with the physical and emotional effects of cancer treatment. The dolls are soft and lovable but depict the hard truth in a special way so that the kids will be less scared of what is happening with their mom's treatment process.

Zigman Creative Projects Foundation has created its first album of original songs for people living with cancer and their families and friends. The non-profit foundation aims to support cancer prevention, research, treatment, and wellness through the sale of their album.

The album is titled The Colour's Coming Back. Each of the songs on the album deals with a different aspect of the cancer experience. Its great that you can listen to the songs on the website.

You can even click here to read more about the songs on the album. Each title is listed and they explain in detail each song's meaning.

Here is one example: A Taste for Life

Often people's initial reaction to hearing they have cancer is one of fear and shock. Sometimes they wonder if there will ever be a light at the end of the tunnel. This is especially true if the treatment process is difficult. A Taste for Life touches on these feelings, but also offers the possibility that deep within one's psyche there is a life force that gives people courage and motivates them to go on.

very cool!

Call Me Larry, that is his name. This remarkable young racehorse came in first in the sixth race at Aqueduct Raceway. His owner Suzie O'Cain, will donate ten percent of his earnings to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The horse is named after Dr. Larry Norton, Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scientific Director and Chairman of the Medical Advisory board, in a cute story. Suzie felt obligated not to use Dr. Norton's first name when addressing him. However, he kept urging her to 'Call me Larry'!

So the horse was named Call Me Larry in honor of Dr. Norton and to raise funds for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is all about the fight against childhood cancer. Tasty Baking Company is joining forces with Alex's Foundation by creating a new product called Alex's Lemon Krimpets. The Krimpets can be purchased anywhere Tastykakes are sold. The baking company will donate $.50 from every box sold to the foundation.

Alex Scott was four years old when she opened up her first lemonade stand to help raise money for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Sadly, Alex passed away in 2004 at the age of eight. But her legacy still lives on.

For more information about Alex's foundation you can go to www.alexslemonade.org. You can also visit http://www.tastykake.com to purchase some yummy Alex Lemon Krimpets and help the fight against childhood cancer.