ROD's BENEFIT FOR MESO

So happy it was passed!!!! March 2nd 2012  

I am excited to announce I will be joining the House and Senate this week (Friday) for passage of National Meso Day in WV.  So thrilled.

Win your Valentine this wonderful gift full of chocolate, jewelry, coach, perfume, BWW gift certificate, Tanfastiq Gift Cert and MUCH more.  Tickets are just $1 each....get yours today!

I am pleased to announce that I have recently become a Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Ambassador for Mesothelioma.  

The Mesothelioma Ambassador Program brings together volunteers committed to raising awareness about meso and educating their elected officials about the devastating disease. Each month, Ambassadors are asked to work with the Meso Foundation staff on special assignments to advance the Foundation's advocacy efforts and to share their story.

Questions?

What is required of Meso Ambassadors?

Each month, Meso Ambassadors are asked to complete a task (1-2 hour time commitment) to advocate for or raise awareness about mesothelioma. Ambassadors are also encouraged to attend the annual Mesothelioma Advocacy Day in Washington, DC where you have the opportunity to meet your Legislators and advocate on Capitol Hill for mesothelioma.

What kind of tasks are assigned?

Here are a few examples of the types of tasks that may be asked of Meso Ambassadors:

Visit your members of Congress in their district offices during Congressional recess

Share facts about mesothelioma on your Facebook page or Twitter account to raise awareness

Email your Congressperson and Senators’ Health Legislative Assistants to advocate for increased research funding for mesothelioma

Sign and circulate a petition to make meso research a priority

http://www.lpklaw.com/mesothelioma-advocate-december-2011.php ;

Stop Mesothelioma Advocate of the Month for December 2011 is Missy Dorsey Bowles

December 13, 2011 - Missy Dorsey Bowles is taking a stand. Driven by faith and the memory of her father, she has become one of the most passionate advocates of mesothelioma research and awareness in her home state of West Virginia, having raised close to $30,000 in the last two years for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. For her inspiring display of determination and altruism, she is the Stop Mesothelioma Advocate of the Month for December 2011.

On June 13, 2008, Missy and her family received the devastating news that her father, Richard Dorsey, had been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. "We knew what that meant," Missy said, recalling the harrowing moment. "It was like a knife through our stomachs." Mr. Dorsey died a few short weeks later. He was 65 years old.

Like so many others who have lost loved ones to mesothelioma, Missy and her family were distraught by Richard's death. But for Missy, the fight was not about to end with her father. Instead, frustrated with the glaring lack of medical research on the illness, and bent on promoting a broader public knowledge of its existence, she decided it was time to take action: "I thought, 'Hey, I lost my Dad, but we need to keep fighting for the other people.'"

And as a devout Christian, Missy's faith solidified the path she needed to take. "I felt like God spoke to me," she said. "He said, 'This is your journey. This is what you need to do.'"

From that moment, Missy went on to form ROD's Benefit for Mesothelioma, the annual charity that has become the touchstone of Missy's crusade against mesothelioma. Founded in 2010 as a tribute to her father (R.O.D. are Richard's initials), the event - which features a 5K walk, a gospel sing-along, and a silent auction - attracted nearly 100 supporters and raised $13,000 dollars in its first year, with all proceeds going to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Missy built the benefit from the ground up, doing the bulk of the organizing, advertising and financing herself, with some help from family and friends, whom she calls her "backbone." This past year, the event drew 100 supporters and raised $15,000 for mesothelioma research, surpassing the previous year's success.

Aside from the monetary rewards, though, Missy says that the real success of the ROD's Benefits has been the sense of empathy and solidarity it has fostered among those in attendance - some of whom were struggling with mesothelioma themselves. "It was overwhelming," she said. "The feeling that I'm not alone in this. I really felt part of a community."

And for those who had never crossed paths with the disease, the benefit was an eye-opening experience: "A lot of people didn't know what mesothelioma was until my event came out," Missy said. "I met so many people who said, 'I didn't know what it was, and if you hadn't done this, I still wouldn't know what it was.'"

Almost four years after her father's death, Missy's heroic journey has flourished into a powerful movement that continues to grow and inspire. The journey has personal origins, but its cause and its message are universal, teaching us that with passion, cooperation, and faith, anything can be achieved. And as far as the struggle with mesothelioma is concerned, Missy stands behind a steadfast conviction: "You can fight it," she said. "You can't give up."

Missy is holding a Christmas Wreath Raffle this month. All proceeds will go to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. For more information, visit http://rodsbenefit4meso.webs.com/apps/blog.

Stop Mesothelioma is a Facebook project created and sponsored by Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP ("LPK Law"), which pledges to donate $1 to mesothelioma research and efforts to ban asbestos for every "Like" the pages receives up to $100,000.

LPK Law is a national law firm that has represented families affected by mesothelioma for more than 25 years. For more information, please call 1-800-637-6529. Visit the Stop Mesothelioma project at http://www.facebook.com/stopmeso.

The winner was drawn today, Friday Dec. 23rd at Tanfastiq in Cross Lanes,  and the winner was MARK BOGGS. He won this beautiful wreath for his mommy!!!  Merry Christmas and thank you to everyone who participated.  We raised $350 Total for Mesothelioma Research!!!  CHECK BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR OUR LOVE FOR A CURE RAFFLE!!!

In honor of my daddy, Richard O. Dorsey, whom I lost to Mesothelioma July 9, 2008 we are trying to raise awareness and research funds year round. In addition to our largest event, our 5k Walk and Gospel sing held in September, we are having a Christmas Wreath raffle now. All proceeds go to Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The wreath is valued at over $100 and is donated by my cousin Mark Walls with K&K Home Furnishings (store in the Town Center Mall by Macy's). Raffle tickets are $10 a piece, drawing will be help on December 22nd, just in time to give as a beautiful Christmas present to a loved one. The wreath will be displayed at TANFASTIQ store in Cross Lanes on Friday December 16th, next to Save A Lot Grocery store. Information on Mesothelioma and how you can help further, visit my website at www.rodsbenefit4meso.webs.com To purchase your raffle tickets or to make a general donation, please call Missy Bowles at 304-395-0636, email misnglenn@aol.com or contact Tanfastiq in cross lanes 304-586-4786.

Watch for a Christmas Raffle this year as well as a Valentine's Day Raffle with all money going to MARF for research.  We are shooting for SEPT 22, 2012 for the Next 3rd Annual ROD's Benefit for Meso Event!  let me know if you are interested in helping in ANY of these events!

Also, I am trying to get the bill started in WV to make Sept. 26th National Mesothelioma Awareness Day Recognized HERE in our State.  If you can help, let me know.  The more, the better!  Thanks and God bless.

I want to thank our sponsors that help make this event possible AND successful:

PLATINUM SPONSORS:  SDK Law Firm, Prim Law Firm

GOLD SPONSORS: Dodrill Heating and Cooling and Harvit and Schwartz Law

SILVER SPONSORS: Terry McWatters, DDS, Remco Sales and Service, Service Master Clean of Ohio, RBC Financial (Ed Stike), Charleston Lions Club, Pulmonary Associates of Charleston, East Coast Tees and Janet West Interior Designs.

YOU ALL MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE AND I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW JUST HOW MUCH YOUR SPONSORSHIP MEANS TO US.  GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND I HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON YOU NEXT YEAR!!

Special Thanks to: Frito Lay for chips, Coca Cola Company for drinks, Wendy's(Jimmy Nichols)  for gift cards, One stop for water allowance and ALL of you who donated an item for raffle or auction.  It was amazing the gifts we gave away.

To our Gospel Singers: The Gracemen, The Taylor Brothers, Ed Johnson, Jim Edens ( and my DJ ), Elizabeth Browning, Tonia Nichols, Colin, Kim Lovejoy and Adam Dunlap and Gretchen Ramsey. Wonderful blessed voices.

To my family and friends that helped make this day flow so well, and to my husband for his hard work.  To Jimmy's Catering and Concessions for the food and Sherry Blake for her Avon stand.  God bless Space Walk of Kanawha Valley for the Jupiter Jump, it was a hit with the kids, Janet West and family for face painting, and all other helpers. You make this day enjoyable. 

I appreciate all the support, I wish you knew just how much it meant to me, but NO WORDS can describe how deeply it touches me.  If you would meet some of the fighters of this disease you would see just how important this is.  May God keep you healthy and bless your everyday!

Missy Bowles